Student Projects
Penn iGEM 2022 & photocrete
The 2022 iGEM team developed a toolbox to control intercellular communication using optogenetics. Their plasmid constructs are designed to control protein secretion, display and shedding using a photocleavable protein, Phocl.
Website: https://2022.igem.wiki/upenn/
Penn iGEM 2021 & the OptoReader
The Penn 2021 iGEM team engineered a novel device for high-throughout optical stimulation, measurement, and feedback in microwell plates to impact the ways in which optogenetics can be studied. The project is continuing beyond the iGEM competition.
Through the international competition, the team:
was ranked the top 10 overall from over 200 undergraduate teams (only US team)
won #1 best presentation of all from over 200 undergraduate teams
won #1 best hardware of all from over 200 undergraduate teams
won #1 Foundational Advance of all 25 undergraduate teams in this track
was ranked Top 10 website of over 200 undergraduate teams
received a gold medal distinction
Website: https://2021.igem.org/Team:UPenn
Penn iGEM 2019 & Open-Source Wax Printer
The Penn iGEM 2019 team developed an open-source wax printer for cheaply making paper microfluidic devices for education and research. They designed an extruder which can fit onto a 3D printer.
Website: https://2019.igem.org/Team:Penn
Penn iGEM 2017 & Open-Source Plate Reader
The Penn iGEM 2017 team developed an open-source plate reader. The project continued, creating a more advanced device. The design was published in the American Chemical Society's journal, Biochemistry and later profiled in the journal, Nature.
Nature profile: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01590-z
Paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00952
Penn Engineering Article: https://medium.com/penn-engineering/penn-undergrads-make-biology-more-accessible-with-open-source-plate-reader-23bedf3e0931
ProtoFluidics: Student Group's design to be printed on ISS
Three students won a competition to develop a 3-D printed design to be printed aboard the International Space Station.
Penn iGEM 2013
The Penn iGEM 2013 team worked on a method to "Engineer the Epigenome". The team won the North America iGEM competition.
Team Website: http://2013.igem.org/Team:Penn
Penn Engineering Article: https://news.seas.upenn.edu/penn-igem-team-wins-regional-competition-with-novel-epigenetic-engineering-toolbox/
Penn iGEM 2012
The Penn iGEM 2012 team worked on a method for targeted therapeutics through engineering cells. The team won the North America iGEM competition and later had their work published through the American Chemical Society's journal, Synthetic Biology.
Team Website: http://2012.igem.org/Team:Penn
Paper: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/sb400174s
Penn Engineering Article: https://news.seas.upenn.edu/bioengineering-undergrads-win-regional-award-at-igem-competition/
