Team:SUNY Oneonta/Collaborations

Collaborations

The iGEM team representing the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University asked our team to collaborate in order to highlight the importance of science in society. The phrase “science in society” demonstrates that science can be used as a developmental tool to solve a variety of problems. For the collaboration, our team listed sustainable development goals, and how our A2 milk detector would be able to contribute to these goals. Our team, plus a number of other teams, were able to display our information on a PowerPoint presentation created by the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University iGEM team.

Our A2 milk detector is able to contribute to specific sustainable development goals created by the United Nations. Goal 8 focuses on promoting a sustainable and inclusive economy for all to engage in. Our project can hit target 8.2 of this goal by promoting technological innovation to achieve higher levels of economic prosperity (1). By creating an affordable A2 milk detector, we are helping farmers enter a safe market without worrying about price variability.

Goal 9 focuses on the promotion of sustainable infrastructure and technology. Our project hit target 9.4 by increasing the usage of environmentally friendly technologies (2). Our A2 milk detector is a piece of sustainable technology that can help farmers meet their own economic needs in an environmentally friendly way. Goal 10 focuses on reducing financial and social discrimination. Our project specifically hits target 10.2 by allowing farmers to be empowered and promoted to due increased access to cheaper detector technologies (3). Our detector will allow for small farmers to become more self-sufficient, as they will be able to quickly and affordably test their cows for the A2 allele.

We have established a long-term 2-year collaboration plan with the Moscow-Russia iGEM team, since both teams need more time to fully accomplish our project objectives. We have met several times and established the following goals:

Information sharing on isothermal PCR primer design and the flappase system
Collaborative research on the physiological influence of A1 and A2 milk on humans
Design of a portable genotyping system for autosomal recessive diseases screening
Skill sharing with regards to app development for the cell phone fluorometer

References

Goal 8 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal
Goal 9 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9
Goal 10 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2020, from https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal10