Team:Paris Bettencourt/Poster

SynDerma - The Skin Microbiome in the Spotlight: From Sampling to Engineering

Presented by Team Paris Bettencourt 2020


Amandine Maire1, Anu Susan Kurian1, Chetan Kumar Velumurugan1, Nicolas Levrier1, Nikola Zarevski1, Valerie March1, Xavier Olessa-Daragon1,


1Student Team Member, 2Team Mentor


Abstract

Objectives

1. Sample and Sequence the Human Skin Microbiome

Our first objective, pursued as part of the Quaranskin project, is to study the impact of environmental and behavioral factors on the skin microbiome and to provide a new database to study its composition in the context of reduced social and environmental interactions.


2. Design tools to engineer the bacterium S. epidermidis

Our second objective is to make S. epidermidis an efficient synthetic biology chassis that can be used to monitor the population dynamics of the skin microbiome. This in order to maintain its equilibrium and to avoid pathologies induced by dysbiosis.

Inspiration

In the context of COVID-19 pandemic, we were, as most of the other iGEM teams confined at home.

As this situation was unprecedented, we were wondering if the lockdown could have an impact on human health and more specifically on the composition of our skin microbiome.


We met some dermatologists as Stéphanie Leclerc-Mercier. She pointed out the fact that the new sanitary measures and hygiene habits imposed by the pandemic were a real issue for people with eczema symptoms since they cannot wash their hands as often as healthy people. This discussion drew our interest for dysbiosis induced pathologies and ways to treat them using synthetic biology.


Our team personal values led us to create a project who enters in the framework of Open and Citizen Science. Especially during the lockdown which forced us to be physically isolated of each other, we wanted to find a way to connect people through science.

Problem
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Idea
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Skin Microbiome
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Engineering
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Engineering
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Engineer
Objectives 1. Investigate the impact of behavioural factors on the skin microbiome and provide novel data base to explore its composition within the context of a pandemic.

Objectives 2. Develop tools to engineer S. epidermidis.
Control populations dynamics of the skin microbiome in order to maintain its equilibrium and avoid dysbiosis induced pathologies.
Section 1
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Section 2
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Section 3
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Results
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References and Acknowledgements
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Acknowledgements
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iGEM
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