Team:Cornell/Poster
Lumicure
Authors
Lucas Evans, Sophia Windemuth, Leo Song, Jackson Bauer, Daniel Morgan, Deniz Sinar, Xihang Wang, Ishmat Hoque, Margaret Keymakh, Emma Kranich, Renee Shen, Rocky An, Kaitlyn Beiler, Brian Li, Gabby Lee, Benedict Ho, Lindsey Luo, Swasti Shree, Sarah Kenney, Isabella Valdez, Truman Tse, Karen Zhan, Anish Navada, Jessie Kim, all located in Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Abstract
This year, Cornell iGEM aims to design a bacteriotherapy treatment and tracking system for cancerous malignant tumors. This system aims to take advantage of the fact that cancerous tumors have an immunoprivileged microenvironment and that malignancies migrate through the bloodstream to other parts of the body. To our bacteria, we will introduce genetic constructs coding for a therapeutic: trichosanthin. We have designed a lactate-inducible toxin-antitoxin system (Holin/Antiholin) which ensures the E. coli do not survive outside of the high-lactate environment of the tumor. These E. coli cells will also be engineered to constitutively express mCardinal, a fluorescent protein, detectable by our fluorescence detection system. This detection system will consist mainly of: an excitation filter and emission filter, a dichroic mirror, a laser, and a raspberry pi microcontroller. We hope that we can effectively demonstrate a proof-of-concept for this treatment system in treating real cancerous tumors later on down the line.
Project Inspiration
Lumicure began with a vision from our passionate team members to design and test a bacteria-based cancer therapeutic system which is a cost-effective alternative to conventional treatment methods, such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Specifically, we turned our focus towards breast cancer.
Using genetically engineered bacteria in Lumicure, we hope to significantly decrease the financial burden on patients, making it available to a more diverse socioeconomic background.
In addition to improving the financial outlook for cancer patients, we also have built a patient-centered monitoring device for the primary tumor and any metastases. This monitoring device, Trichoscan, was spawned due to its perceived ease of use and relatively cheap construction materials. With the tools to monitor the progress of their own cancer in the patients’ hands, we hope to demystify hospital visits and bridge the gap of knowledge between a patient and their doctors.
Throughout the season, we have made it our goal to collaborate with institutions, scientists, doctors, and patients in the Ithaca area to construct Lumicure in the most cost-effective, safe, and patient-friendly way as possible. We are incredibly proud to present Lumicure to you.
Using genetically engineered bacteria in Lumicure, we hope to significantly decrease the financial burden on patients, making it available to a more diverse socioeconomic background.
In addition to improving the financial outlook for cancer patients, we also have built a patient-centered monitoring device for the primary tumor and any metastases. This monitoring device, Trichoscan, was spawned due to its perceived ease of use and relatively cheap construction materials. With the tools to monitor the progress of their own cancer in the patients’ hands, we hope to demystify hospital visits and bridge the gap of knowledge between a patient and their doctors.
Throughout the season, we have made it our goal to collaborate with institutions, scientists, doctors, and patients in the Ithaca area to construct Lumicure in the most cost-effective, safe, and patient-friendly way as possible. We are incredibly proud to present Lumicure to you.
Problem Statement
The American Cancer Society estimates that about 276,000 women will be diagnosed with new cases of invasive breast cancer in 2020. One in eight women are expected to develop breast cancer at some point in their lives.
A common existing form of treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy works by targeting fast-growing cells within the body. However, since chemotherapy is administered intravenously, it may be ineffective on tumors that lack vasculature.
For a given cancer patient in the United States, the average lifetime cancer-related expenses was roughly $50,000 in 2019. Given that the price of conventional therapy is so high and some of these treatments can have adverse side effects on the body, is there any other way to provide cost-effective, safe care to cancer patients?
A common existing form of treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy works by targeting fast-growing cells within the body. However, since chemotherapy is administered intravenously, it may be ineffective on tumors that lack vasculature.
For a given cancer patient in the United States, the average lifetime cancer-related expenses was roughly $50,000 in 2019. Given that the price of conventional therapy is so high and some of these treatments can have adverse side effects on the body, is there any other way to provide cost-effective, safe care to cancer patients?
Introduction
Cornell iGEM’s 2020 project is titled “Lumicure”. Lumicure is a model cancer bacteriotherapy system composed of two parts: Trichotherapy, the therapeutic component and Trichoscan, the diagnostic component. The system utilizes genetically modified E. coli and a fluorescent reader device. The E. coli are programmed to release two key components: Trichosanthin, an anti-cancer compound, and mCardinal, a red fluorescent protein. The fluorescent reader device detects the red glow from mCardinal. Paired with a patient’s primary therapy, our system aims to identify the physical location of breast cancer metastases and increase therapeutic potency against tumor cells.
Lumicure takes advantage of the fact that cancerous tumors have an immunoprivileged microenvironment and that tumor cells tend to have high lactate concentrations as a result of increased aerobic glycolysis. Even wild-type bacteria tend to colonize these tumors at a significantly higher rate than in healthy tissue. Furthermore, bacteria tend to colonize intracellularly in tumor cells, and therefore would follow malignancies as they detach from primary tumors and to a secondary location.
Lumicure takes advantage of the fact that cancerous tumors have an immunoprivileged microenvironment and that tumor cells tend to have high lactate concentrations as a result of increased aerobic glycolysis. Even wild-type bacteria tend to colonize these tumors at a significantly higher rate than in healthy tissue. Furthermore, bacteria tend to colonize intracellularly in tumor cells, and therefore would follow malignancies as they detach from primary tumors and to a secondary location.
Trichotherapy
Trichosanthin is responsible for RNA N-glycosidase activity in mammalian cells. It depurinates the 28S rRNA of the 60S eukaryotic ribosomal subunit, causing irreversible inactivation of ribosome activity and thereby inhibiting tumor cell function.
In order to prevent the loss of plasmid with the growth of the bacterial population, we will use the Lambda Red plasmid system to knock out the Aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Asd) gene, which is essential for survival, from the bacterial chromosome. The below figure shows a comparison of antibiotic selection and Asd obligate plasmid retention methods.
The figure below shows that the E. coli are able to produce a sufficient concentration of trichosanthin to kill the cancer cells given that about one hundred bacteria will colonize in one cell according to our growth modeling.
In order to prevent the loss of plasmid with the growth of the bacterial population, we will use the Lambda Red plasmid system to knock out the Aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Asd) gene, which is essential for survival, from the bacterial chromosome. The below figure shows a comparison of antibiotic selection and Asd obligate plasmid retention methods.
The figure below shows that the E. coli are able to produce a sufficient concentration of trichosanthin to kill the cancer cells given that about one hundred bacteria will colonize in one cell according to our growth modeling.
Localization
This diagram shows the intended mode of delivery for our bacterial therapeutic. In a spherical model tumor, the bacteria will be injected inside the tumor at a point located a radius r away from the center of the tumor.
Upon injection into a small tumor with a 1 mm radius, bacteria reach a maximum of 1010-1011 CFU/gram and keeps a steady population. Growth modeling shows a shallow decline in bacterial density at the edge of the tumor. The dotted vertical line depicts the point of injection, and the solid vertical line depicts the edge of the tumor.
Upon injection into a large tumor with a 25 mm radius, bacteria reached a maximum density of 1010 CFU/gram and maintain a steady population throughout the tumor. Growth modeling showed a quick drop off of bacterial density at the edge of the tumor. The dotted vertical line depicts the point of injection, and the solid vertical line depicts the edge of the tumor.
Parts
Holin from our (holing-antiholin) kill switch mechanism creates holes in the cell membrane, allowing endolysin to degrade the peptidoglycan found in the cell wall. Antiholin expression is designed to be controlled by a lactate-inducible promoter, as research shows that lactate concentrations are higher in tumor environments (10-30 mM) compared to healthy tissue (1.5-3 mM) due to increased aerobic glycolysis in proliferating cancer cells.
Figures 2-4 show the concentrations of holin, antiholin, and the inactivated holin-antiholin dimer at different levels of lactate. At a lethal concentration of 1.66 μM, holin kills the bacterial cell. Whether holin reaches this level depends on the relative concentration of antiholin, whose expression is influenced by the lactate level of the surrounding environment.
Trichoscan
This is the Computer-Aided Design of Trichoscan in its whole.
Trichoscan utilizes a monochromatic laser for fluorescent excitation, tuned to mCardinal’s excitation wavelength. The beam of light is then filtered by a dichroic mirror. Where the laser beam contacts the skin is enclosed by a suction cup to prevent excess light interfering with the fluorescent reading. Other components include a Raspberry Pi and a corresponding Raspberry Pi camera module as the detector. If mCardinal is excited, light is reflected towards the skin, which will only pass through the mirror if its wavelength is in the emission spectrum of mCardinal.
Trichoscan was conceptualized to be accessible to all customers. As such, the design is affordable and easily handheld. The entire exterior, with exception of the suction cup, is printed with ABS plastic.
Altogether, the resulting product is a holistic self-monitoring system. The patient uses Trichoscan by applying it over their skin and then observing the output from the device, which attempts to indicate the absence or presence of Trichocure-inoculated tumor at that specific point in the body. Trichoscan is a patient-centered innovation that bridges the gap between patient and doctor and removes a degree of ambiguity from cancer treatments.
Trichoscan utilizes a monochromatic laser for fluorescent excitation, tuned to mCardinal’s excitation wavelength. The beam of light is then filtered by a dichroic mirror. Where the laser beam contacts the skin is enclosed by a suction cup to prevent excess light interfering with the fluorescent reading. Other components include a Raspberry Pi and a corresponding Raspberry Pi camera module as the detector. If mCardinal is excited, light is reflected towards the skin, which will only pass through the mirror if its wavelength is in the emission spectrum of mCardinal.
Trichoscan was conceptualized to be accessible to all customers. As such, the design is affordable and easily handheld. The entire exterior, with exception of the suction cup, is printed with ABS plastic.
Altogether, the resulting product is a holistic self-monitoring system. The patient uses Trichoscan by applying it over their skin and then observing the output from the device, which attempts to indicate the absence or presence of Trichocure-inoculated tumor at that specific point in the body. Trichoscan is a patient-centered innovation that bridges the gap between patient and doctor and removes a degree of ambiguity from cancer treatments.
mCardinal
To supplement our bacterial treatment system, we developed a non-invasive method to track metastases. Our bacteria will activate the immune system and express a fluorescent protein called mCardinal.
mCardinal originates from the organism Entacmaea quadricolor, or Bubble-tip anemone. It is a constitutively active far-red fluorescent protein. The protein itself (colored grey) is complexed to a ligand called NRQ (colored red), which is the chromophore. A chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color.
Once mCardinal has been injected into a patient, our monitoring system, Trichoscan, would then be used to detect the location of the bacteria, and by extension, the location of tumors and metastases.
The above figures demonstrate mCardinal’s mechanism of action and its concentration buildup over time within the bacterial cells.
mCardinal originates from the organism Entacmaea quadricolor, or Bubble-tip anemone. It is a constitutively active far-red fluorescent protein. The protein itself (colored grey) is complexed to a ligand called NRQ (colored red), which is the chromophore. A chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color.
Once mCardinal has been injected into a patient, our monitoring system, Trichoscan, would then be used to detect the location of the bacteria, and by extension, the location of tumors and metastases.The above figures demonstrate mCardinal’s mechanism of action and its concentration buildup over time within the bacterial cells.
Project Costs
Lumicure has enormous potential to be a new leader in cost-effective cancer treatment. The key contributor to Lumicure’s low price point is its one-time administration. Trichotherapy constantly evolves to treat the cancer, thus mitigating the need for continuous treatment, which is required for other treatment methods. Even after accounting for significant markups from cost for the final price, the entire cost of Lumicure, which includes both Trichotherapy and Trichoscan, is just a fraction of the cost over a two year period.
Implementation
Product Development
Patent approval: secure patents for the engineered bacteria and PD system through the FDA. This process, which involves non-human experimentation, clinical trials and pre-approval measures, will span 8-10 years.
Introduction phase: heavy investments into advertising and a promotion campaign will help introduce the public to the concept of bacteriotherapy. This awareness movement will center around how treatment is administered and its benefits when compared to other breast cancer treatments.
Growth: is expected to occur after raising public awareness, successfully treating patients and developing enough funding and backing to distribute Lumicure on a national level. It would become widely accepted as a viable alternative to more commonplace breast cancer treatments like surgery and chemotherapy.
Modeling
Kill-Switch Model
Antiholin differential equation:
Holin differential equation:
Toxin-antitoxin Dimer differential equation:
Growth modeling partial differential equation:
Trichosanthin protein differential equation:
mCardinal protein differential equation:
Scattering coefficients for individual skin layers:
Change in weight:
Particle collision density:
Power of light at each depth:
Antiholin differential equation:
Holin differential equation:
Toxin-antitoxin Dimer differential equation:
Growth modeling partial differential equation:
Trichosanthin protein differential equation:
mCardinal protein differential equation:
Scattering coefficients for individual skin layers:
Change in weight:
Particle collision density:
Power of light at each depth:
Outreach
Key Interviews
Dr. Amelia Safi: Dr. Safi helped make our team aware of racial, political, and educational disparity that exists in the healthcare field. Lumicure is intended to be accessible for all, and Dr. Safi advised the team on how to make this a priority.
Dr. Warren Zipfel: Dr. Zipfel provided valuable insight into the product development process with fluorescent scanners. Talking to him, we were able to identify strengths and weaknesses that needed to be improved in the design.
Dr. Claudia Fischbach: Dr. Fischbach helped with the brainstorming process for wet lab. She discussed the merits and downsides to using trichosanthin as well as safety precautions we need to take.
Dr. Tracy Brooks: Dr. Tracy Brooks advised our team on patient experience and welfare in the breast cancer field. She discussed the ways that cancer treatment affects an individual’s life and family, and provided insight on Lumicure.
Highlighted Outreach
Cornell iGEM’s blog was started this summer to educate the general public about iGEM and synthetic biology issues.
The 2020 iGEM collaboration between 6 American teams sought to create educational videos posted to a Youtube channel.
During the summer Cornell iGEM participated in the Ithaca Cancer Resource Center Walk-a-Thon. The team raised money and awareness for cancer research.
Dr. Amelia Safi: Dr. Safi helped make our team aware of racial, political, and educational disparity that exists in the healthcare field. Lumicure is intended to be accessible for all, and Dr. Safi advised the team on how to make this a priority.
Dr. Warren Zipfel: Dr. Zipfel provided valuable insight into the product development process with fluorescent scanners. Talking to him, we were able to identify strengths and weaknesses that needed to be improved in the design.
Dr. Claudia Fischbach: Dr. Fischbach helped with the brainstorming process for wet lab. She discussed the merits and downsides to using trichosanthin as well as safety precautions we need to take.
Dr. Tracy Brooks: Dr. Tracy Brooks advised our team on patient experience and welfare in the breast cancer field. She discussed the ways that cancer treatment affects an individual’s life and family, and provided insight on Lumicure.
Highlighted Outreach
Cornell iGEM’s blog was started this summer to educate the general public about iGEM and synthetic biology issues.
The 2020 iGEM collaboration between 6 American teams sought to create educational videos posted to a Youtube channel.
During the summer Cornell iGEM participated in the Ithaca Cancer Resource Center Walk-a-Thon. The team raised money and awareness for cancer research.
Conclusion
Lumicure represents part of the first wave of bacteriotherapy, novel clinical treatments that represent more affordable, effective and efficient replacements for modern procedures in many categories of healthcare. Bacteriotherapies save valuable time and resources for both the patient and the healthcare providers because of their prolonged effects on the body, and are target-tissue specific, averting many negative side effects on other parts of the body.
In order to be approved for use in the current American market of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, both the Trichoscan and Trichotherapy components of Lumicure and its genetically engineered E. coli have to undergo an extensive patenting process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On average, this process takes 8-10 years, and consists of four testing and experimentation phases.
Drug Patenting Process
1. Preclinical Testing (1-3 years)
2. Phase 1-3 Testing
. . A. Testing in Healthy Subjects (1-2 years)
. . B. Small Scale Testing in Disease Subjects (1-2 years)
. . C. Large Scale Testing in Disease Subjects (1-3 years)
Goals
The goal of Cornell iGEM’s Lumicure project is to come up with a bacteriotherapy treatment that is as affordable and as accessible of a product as possible. Therefore, realizing our long term goal involves patent approval with the FDA and negotiations with governments and healthcare organizations to subsidize the market-ready design. Cornell iGEM’s objective is for Lumicure to provide a cheaper and more valuable method of cancer treatment than current solutions, whether it remains as an auxiliary treatment or becomes a primary one.
A large priority for the Cornell iGEM team is to promote the usage of and spread awareness about bacteriotherapy as an alternative and/or supplemental form of cancer treatment. To achieve this, the team would partner with various biotech and biochemical startups as a consultant for other projects involving engineered bacteria. Because of our unique experience, familiarity and recent knowledge of bacteriotherapy, Cornell iGEM hopes to encourage and empower other organizations to also consider pursuing a project and/or business endeavor that uses this new technology. Perhaps the components of Lumicure itself can be used as a template for future, superior bacteriotherapy designs.
In order to be approved for use in the current American market of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, both the Trichoscan and Trichotherapy components of Lumicure and its genetically engineered E. coli have to undergo an extensive patenting process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On average, this process takes 8-10 years, and consists of four testing and experimentation phases.
Drug Patenting Process
1. Preclinical Testing (1-3 years)
2. Phase 1-3 Testing
. . A. Testing in Healthy Subjects (1-2 years)
. . B. Small Scale Testing in Disease Subjects (1-2 years)
. . C. Large Scale Testing in Disease Subjects (1-3 years)
Goals
The goal of Cornell iGEM’s Lumicure project is to come up with a bacteriotherapy treatment that is as affordable and as accessible of a product as possible. Therefore, realizing our long term goal involves patent approval with the FDA and negotiations with governments and healthcare organizations to subsidize the market-ready design. Cornell iGEM’s objective is for Lumicure to provide a cheaper and more valuable method of cancer treatment than current solutions, whether it remains as an auxiliary treatment or becomes a primary one.
A large priority for the Cornell iGEM team is to promote the usage of and spread awareness about bacteriotherapy as an alternative and/or supplemental form of cancer treatment. To achieve this, the team would partner with various biotech and biochemical startups as a consultant for other projects involving engineered bacteria. Because of our unique experience, familiarity and recent knowledge of bacteriotherapy, Cornell iGEM hopes to encourage and empower other organizations to also consider pursuing a project and/or business endeavor that uses this new technology. Perhaps the components of Lumicure itself can be used as a template for future, superior bacteriotherapy designs.
References and Acknowledgements
Team
The Wet Lab team designed the genetic circuit, and predicted its behavior using mathematical modeling. They developed models for molecular mechanisms, derived differential equations, solved them, and integrated those results into further development of the genetic circuit. They also examined the context in which this therapy would exist, as well as safety concerns with the therapy.
The Product Development team designed Trichoscan, a self-scanning device for the detection and monitoring of tumor growth through fluorescence readings. They created a CAD design and mathematically modeled readable depth. They used their findings from the model to inform them on design choices. They also looked at the effects of differences such as skin color on their design.
The Policy and Practices (P&P) team worked to contact experts knowledgeable on the subject of breast cancer and breast cancer treatments as well as community members affected by breast cancer. Additionally, the P&P team also started and participated in different virtual outreach and educational initiatives promoting synbio awareness.
The Business team formed comparative cost and market analyses for Lumicure, and documented it’s potential future development and relevance in the future field of cancer bacteriotherapy. The team also set short-term and long-term goals of promoting this new field of treatment, with the end intention of making Lumicure available as a practical, affordable and available therapeutic tool.
The Wiki team translated all our ideas and work onto digital canvas. This includes our website, poster, and all published promotional materials.
Advisors
Lumicure would not have been made possible without the guidance of the our faculty as well as the organizations, and authorities we have worked with:
Additionally, we'd like to thank:
for providing us with their professional opinions and valued insight regarding the potential application and implementation of Lumicure.
For recounting to us their personal experiences dealing with breast cancer and giving us inspiration for making a difference in the field of breast cancer treatment.
Lastly, we’d like to thank the following for their help and guidance:
References
Din, M Omar et al. “Synchronized cycles of bacterial lysis for in vivo delivery.” Nature vol. 536,7614 (2016): 81-85. doi:10.1038/nature18930
iGEM TUDelft. “Peptidor”. Delft University of Technology, 2013. https://2013.igem.org/Team:TU-Delft
Piper, Sophie K et al. “Towards whole-body fluorescence imaging in humans.” PloS one vol. 8,12 e83749. 31 Dec. 2013, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083749
Dunsing, V., Luckner, M., Zühlke, B. et al. Optimal fluorescent protein tags for quantifying protein oligomerization in living cells. Sci Rep 8, 10634 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28858-0
Lambert, TJ (2019) FPbase: a community-editable fluorescent protein database. Nature Methods. 16, 277–278. doi: 10.1038/s41592-019-0352-8
Fang EF, Zhang CZY, Zhang L, Wong JH, Chan YS, et al. (2012) Trichosanthin Inhibits Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation in Both Cell Lines and Nude Mice by Promotion of Apoptosis. PLOS ONE 7(9): e41592. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041592
Deshmukh, Ashish A et al. “Total Lifetime and Cancer-related Costs for Elderly Patients Diagnosed With Anal Cancer in the United States.” American journal of clinical oncology vol. 41,2 (2018): 121-127. doi:10.1097/COC.0000000000000238
“U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics.” Breastcancer.org, 2020. https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
The Wet Lab team designed the genetic circuit, and predicted its behavior using mathematical modeling. They developed models for molecular mechanisms, derived differential equations, solved them, and integrated those results into further development of the genetic circuit. They also examined the context in which this therapy would exist, as well as safety concerns with the therapy.
The Product Development team designed Trichoscan, a self-scanning device for the detection and monitoring of tumor growth through fluorescence readings. They created a CAD design and mathematically modeled readable depth. They used their findings from the model to inform them on design choices. They also looked at the effects of differences such as skin color on their design.
The Policy and Practices (P&P) team worked to contact experts knowledgeable on the subject of breast cancer and breast cancer treatments as well as community members affected by breast cancer. Additionally, the P&P team also started and participated in different virtual outreach and educational initiatives promoting synbio awareness.
The Business team formed comparative cost and market analyses for Lumicure, and documented it’s potential future development and relevance in the future field of cancer bacteriotherapy. The team also set short-term and long-term goals of promoting this new field of treatment, with the end intention of making Lumicure available as a practical, affordable and available therapeutic tool.
The Wiki team translated all our ideas and work onto digital canvas. This includes our website, poster, and all published promotional materials.
Advisors
Lumicure would not have been made possible without the guidance of the our faculty as well as the organizations, and authorities we have worked with:
- Dr. Jan Lammerding, PhD, associate professor and director of graduate studies at the Cornell Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and associate at the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology for his continued support and consultation for the team’s operations. His active guidance and advice on our experimental designs, feasibility and research have been invaluable.
- Dr. Ben Cosgrove, PhD, assistant professor at the Cornell Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering for his help and mentorship of the wetlab team this year.
Additionally, we'd like to thank:
- Dr. Amelia Safi, PhD, joint fellow at the Cornell Communications Department and Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine
- Dr. Claudia Fischbach, PhD, director of the Cornell Center on the Physics of Cancer Metabolism
- Dr. Lisa Newman, MD, MPH, FACS, FASCO, surgical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine
- Dr. Tracy Brooks, PhD, fellow of the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Menner Family Endowed Faculty at SUNY Binghamton
- Dr. Warren Zipfel, PhD, associate professor at the Cornell Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering and Director of the Developmental Resource for Biophysical Imaging and Optoelectronics (DRBIO)
for providing us with their professional opinions and valued insight regarding the potential application and implementation of Lumicure.
- Ms. Barbara Demorest, founder of the nonprofit organization Knitted Knockers that provides comfortable breast prosthetics to post-mastectomy patients
- Ms. Pallawi Verma, a Cornell iGEM parent
For recounting to us their personal experiences dealing with breast cancer and giving us inspiration for making a difference in the field of breast cancer treatment.
Lastly, we’d like to thank the following for their help and guidance:
- Integrated DNA technologies for generously donating base pairs
- Cornell's College of Engineering for the platform to participate in iGEM.
References
Din, M Omar et al. “Synchronized cycles of bacterial lysis for in vivo delivery.” Nature vol. 536,7614 (2016): 81-85. doi:10.1038/nature18930
iGEM TUDelft. “Peptidor”. Delft University of Technology, 2013. https://2013.igem.org/Team:TU-Delft
Piper, Sophie K et al. “Towards whole-body fluorescence imaging in humans.” PloS one vol. 8,12 e83749. 31 Dec. 2013, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0083749
Dunsing, V., Luckner, M., Zühlke, B. et al. Optimal fluorescent protein tags for quantifying protein oligomerization in living cells. Sci Rep 8, 10634 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28858-0
Lambert, TJ (2019) FPbase: a community-editable fluorescent protein database. Nature Methods. 16, 277–278. doi: 10.1038/s41592-019-0352-8
Fang EF, Zhang CZY, Zhang L, Wong JH, Chan YS, et al. (2012) Trichosanthin Inhibits Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation in Both Cell Lines and Nude Mice by Promotion of Apoptosis. PLOS ONE 7(9): e41592. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041592
Deshmukh, Ashish A et al. “Total Lifetime and Cancer-related Costs for Elderly Patients Diagnosed With Anal Cancer in the United States.” American journal of clinical oncology vol. 41,2 (2018): 121-127. doi:10.1097/COC.0000000000000238
“U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics.” Breastcancer.org, 2020. https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/understand_bc/statistics
Thank You
Cornell College of Engineering
We would like to thank the Cornell College of Engineering for providing us with monetary, material and informational resources.
Each year, the College of Engineering grants the CU iGEM funding to cover our project research, construction and initiatives. Our team is also provided with valuable workspace in the Experimental Learning Lab (ELL) for use in product development and in the Cornell Biomedical Engineering Instructional lab for wetlab experimentation.
Cornell Institute of Biotechnology
The mission of the Cornell Institute of Biotechnology is to promote research, education and technology transfer for applications of biotechnology for the benefit of the environment, agriculture, engineering and veterinary and human medicine. We would like to thank the Institute for their continued monetary support of the team for the purchasing of laboratory supplies and equipment.
Cornell Giving Day 2020
This year, we were able to raise a record breaking $3000+ for our annual Cornell Project Team Giving Day fundraising event. We’d like to thank all CU iGEM alumni, members, parents and friends for their belief in our team, project and cause.
NE Biolabs and IDT
We would like to once again extend our gratitude to iGEM partners NE Biolabs and Integrated DNA Technologies for their gratuitous contribution of lab supplies this year.