Team:NUDT CHINA/Partnership
PARTNERSHIP
Seek common progress
Overview
One log cannot prop up a tottering building. That is why we focused on various ways for collaborations to occur, both online and offline. Faced with the dilemma of experimental progress stagnation and HP communication obstruction, we actively sought help from outside and hoped to find a team that was able to help us out of the dilemma and at the same times achieve mutual progress. Finally, we reached out to the Team CSU_CHINA. Through the online meet of exchange, we have established a long-term cooperation mechanism with Central South University. Teachers, leaders and members of both teams have set up an online communication group, and we also held the NUDT_CHINA×CSU_CHINA offline meet of exchange on October 8th to deepen the communication between our teams. The two teams carried out all-round cooperation on respective projects this year.
Online meeting
We reached out to Team CSU_CHINA, which was also looking for a partner. Through several online communication between group leaders, On 19 August 2020, both teams agreed on further collaboration on a video conference. Both sides were able to know each other and introduced each other's projects in the meeting.
Figure 1: Online meeting
Figure 2: Introduction
Collaboration points:
At the meeting, questions and suggestions were raised after presentations. We carried out a brainstorming, which significantly contributed to the projects' innovation and improvement.
For experiment, through exchanging laboratory, NUDT would help CSU solve the problem of insufficient cadmium ion detection kits, while CSU would help draw NUDT’s fluorescent images of the heat map in R language to make the data more intuitive.
For HP, we formulated a common program of popular science education. Meanwhile, on both sides' short boards, CSU would provide NUDT with expert teacher's interview guidance and NUDT would provide image and related training for CSU.
For modeling, the both sides exchanged the model each other and discussed the problems in detail. NUDT would help CSU complete the simulation fitting of light intensity - photosynthetic rate, on the right hand, CSU would give a hand in the rate function fitting about SimBiology for NUDT.
Of course, we also had close discussions on some other cooperation.
Offline meeting
After several times online discussions, on 8 October 2020, we held the NUDT_CHINA×CSU_CHINA offline meet of exchange to deepen the communication between our teams.To our relief, both teams agreed on further and more concrete collaboration.
Figure 3: Offline meeting
The meeting's results:
Figure 4: Collaboration
NUDT→CSU
1.Provided them with some of the experimental devices at the National Defense University.
2.Helped them design survey questionnaires and conduct data analysis.
3.Provided technical personnel for photography and video in the education lecture with them.
4.Helped them solve some of the technical dilemmas they encounter in modeling.
Figure 5: collaboration
CSU→NUDT
1.Assisted us in getting in touch with medical professors.
2.Provided us with some of our experimental devices.Assist us in getting in touch with medical professors.
3.Helped to extend the influence of our projects with their online platform.
4.Designed our joint brochure for educational propaganda of synthetic biology.Help to extend the influence of our projects with their online platform.
In experiment exchange, we provided CSU_CHINA with our fluorescent images, after qualifying, they transformed them into heatmap using R language for better visualization(Fig 6A). Through the difference of color shade (the lighter the color, the better the degradation effect), a GFP PrePro dose dependent GFP degradation could be clearly observed. As CSU_CHINA has limited access to the cadmium ion detection kits, we lent atomic absorption spectrometer and helped them measure the cadmium-uptaking levels of Synechocystis while in different growth states(Fig 6B) (Click here to know more about their result).
Figure 6.(A) Schematic representation showing the experimental workflow (left panel) and quantified GFP fluorescence heatmap 48 h post transfection of corresponding amount of plasmid (right panel). (B) Time-varying curves of cadmium enrichment in algae at different concentrations of cadmium.
Figure 7: Results of the meeting's disscussion
Figure 8: Joint Textbook
To learn more, please click below
Initial online meeting
We reached out to Team CSU_CHINA, which was also looking for a partner. On 19 August 2020, both teams agreed on further collaboration on a video conference.
Members of both sides got to know each other in the meeting and introduced each other's projects.
Jointtextbook
In order to promote synthetic biology and our project, we jointly produced joint textbook for synthetic biology education.
We and CSU each Shared half of the work and finally formed the above results.This had laid the foundation for our later joint education propaganda.
Offlineparty
After several times online discussions, on 8 October 2020, we finally grabbed the opportunity to hold the first offline meet-and-greet party as the pandemic was under control.
More conveniently and interactively, we set the mutual assistance plan and exchanged our work for further discussion.
Laboratoryvisit
In order to have a better understanding of the experimental situation of both sides, we visited each other's laboratories.
Jointeducation
In order to publicize synthetic biology and promote the awareness of our project, on October 12th, we and the team of CSU_CHINA conducted a popular science education activity together at Yale-China Middle School.
The activity achieved good results. Through the popular science class, the students' understanding of synthetic biology and our project was greatly improved. Meanwhile, the enthusiasm of students to understand synthetic biology and participate in iGEM was also enhanced.
Experiment
For experiment, through exchanging laboratory, NUDT would help CSU solve the problem of insufficient cadmium ion detection kits, while CSU would help draw NUDT’s fluorescent images of the heat map in R language to make the data more intuitive.
Model
The both sides exchanged the model each other and discussed the problems in detail.
NUDT would help CSU complete the simulation fitting of light intensity - photosynthetic rate, on the right hand, CSU would give a hand in the rate function fitting about SimBiology for NUDT.
No. 109 Deya Road, Kaifu District,
Changsha, Hunan Province 410073
P.R.China
