Presented by team Technion 2020
* Poster authors
Mentors
Prof. Roee Amit, Inbal Vaknin, Naor Granik, Noa Eden Navon & Tzila Davidov.
Sybodies are synthetic nanobodies with specific and high affinity for only one cognate target. Normally they are easy to produce, stable, have soluble behavior in aqueous solutions and reversible refolding without the need for additional improvements [2]. All those properties are ideal for a practical binder, especially for prokaryotic expression. We produced Sybodies from E. coli cells, in order to incorporate them in the hydrogel as decoy proteins.
ACE2 is a cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2. Beside its physiological role in blood-pressure regulation, ACE2 also behaves as the cellular receptor of SARS-CoV-2 (and other coronaviruses) through the connection between the ACE2 extracellular peptidase domain (PD) and the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) [1].
AGAP: Producing the desired plasmid by transforming linear overlapping fragments into the yeast. The fragments form a circular plasmid by in-vivo recombination [3][4].
Overexpression & Purification:
Analysis & Affinity check:
Size verification: SDS-page analysis.
Affinity check: Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).
The illustration above depicts all our product's assembling options, all of them are hydrogel based.
Option 1 contains the Microgel Beads as the protein carrier and the Sybodies as the "decoy proteins".
Option 2 contains B.subtilis spores as the protein carrier and the Sybodies as the "decoy proteins".
Option 3 contains the Microgel Beads as the protein carrier and the Mutated ACE2 as the "decoy proteins".
Option 4 contains B.subtilis spores as the protein carrier and the Mutated ACE2 as the "decoy proteins.
The term Bacillus subtilis spore surface display (BSSD) refers to a synthetic approach in which B. subtilis cells are modified to express a target protein once sporulation is induced [8][9].
Bacterial spores offer the advantage of a higher survival rate, stability of processing and storage of the product, all due to their resistance to extreme surrounding conditions. Moreover, using spores will overcome the unpleasant smell of living B.subtilis.
Analysis and results:
The stability of the spores and the germination rate were examined either in aqueous or hydrogel solution. The effect of skin temperature (~37°C) and refrigerator storage temperature (4°C) on the stability of the spores were also examined. As a control, samples incubated in water were examined, since high water content is a significant factor in the swelling of the spores and the completion of the germination process.
Gelation time of the hydrogel was determined at 32°C and 37°C to simulate the usual range of skin temperature.
Modeling the effectiveness of ACT. regarding the diffusion of viruses onto the hydrogel layer and protein kinetics enabled to calculate the concentration of proteins and carriers that should be included in it [11][12].
Raising awareness about COVID-19 pandemic
Elementary Schools
Raising awareness about the importance of maintaining personal hygiene among elementary school children with a fun interactive Kahoot! game.
Social media
Helping the public cope with the pandemic with educational videos and mental health & wellness tips.
The Israeli Academic Inclusivity Video Project Collaboration
Fighting against systemic racism in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and academia. Together with 2 Israeli iGEM teams, we produced a video series featuring researchers from underrepresented sectors.
EMM - Eastern Mediterranean Meetup
Our team hosted a virtual meet-up for Eastern Mediterranean groups. Meant to prepare for the Giant Jamboree and share ideas.
Consulting with Pharmaceutical Companies
To learn more about pharmaceutical products and their characteristics, we approached several Israeli pharmaceutical companies. Due to the COVID-19 limitations, the meetings were conducted virtually via ZOOM.
Project Support & Advice
Sponsors
