KCL iGEM 2021
Donation protected
We at KCL iGEM, need you to help us in our latest project!
We are an interdisciplinary team of 18 passionate student researchers from King's College London completing our undergraduate degrees and are currently developing a novel treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) — a devastating diagnosis affecting ~250-500,000 people globally. Not only are they left with traumatic physical injury (e.g. paralysis, chronic pain and loss of bowel control), nearly half of these patients will also suffer from mental health problems such as depression and even PTSD. Even more tragically, there is no cure for SCI, and current treatments are both extremely invasive and generally ineffective.
Our 2020 project (Renervate) involved designing a synthetic scaffold coated in Pvfp-5β — a mussel foot protein which we can use as a bioadhesive. Our exciting new treatment proposes a less invasive, permissive environment for axonal regrowth within the injured spine, promoting recovery and an improved standard of living for our patients!
Our proposed design is a 3D-bioprinted PCL (polycaprolactone) scaffold that is both biodegradable and biocompatible, being able to safely degrade on its own within the spine of the patient, thus removing the need for a second invasive surgery. For this scaffold, we have also produced an open-source algorithm to craft the microarchitecture of our scaffold (The Porosifier), creating pores that further enhance the permissive environment for SCI recovery. Pvfp-5β, the mussel foot protein, coats the scaffold, giving it a ‘stickiness’ that allows it to be used as a non-immunogenic bioadhesive. Furthermore, we have researched the use of ChABC, an enzyme that breaks down components of CSPG, a proteoglycan that prevents axonal regrowth and is present in high concentrations following SCI.
Representing our university, we entered our extensive work into the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM), a highly renowned annual international competition for innovative student-led breakthroughs in synthetic biology. With 350 teams globally participating, collaborating and encouraged to engage with ethical research both inside and outside the lab, its prestige and reputation has even been a critical catalyst for over 150 scientific start-ups (e.g. Gingko Bioworks, which has raised $719 million in funding). Driven by this golden opportunity to make our very own contribution to therapeutic medicine, and following in the footsteps of KCL’s unfaltering frontiers in research, our 2020 team exhibited tireless motivation to push the boundaries of science, achieving outstanding results, winning a Gold Medal and Best Therapeutics Award in the overgraduate division! As well as nominations for Best Model and Supporting Entrepreneurship! We were the Best UK Team!
After last year’s success, we knew we couldn’t stop there. In iGEM 2021, we plan to move to Phase II of our project, further optimising our scaffold for the best, safest and most efficacious outcomes in SCI patients. Currently, we are discussing potential drug-delivery options for ChABC, methods for enhancing the adhesiveness and half-life of our mussel foot protein, further ways to promote and guide axonal regrowth… along with many other bright ideas from our 2021 team! We will also continue spreading the synthetic biology spirit, hosting ‘Biologix’ — our very own research competition to help widen participation in STEM for high school students!
That's where we need you! We need to raise £6,000 to help facilitate our participation into this year’s iGEM, and any extra funding will go straight towards covering any related costs associated with our project, such as our goal of turning our idea into reality in the form of a start-up. A breakdown of these costs include £2,500 to attend the iGEM conference, hosting a meet-up with other UK iGEM teams to collaborate and pool our research, and maintaining the costs of our Biologix competition, where we aim to instill a love of science and synthetic biology in young students all around the world!
We can’t wait to see our research efforts help break barriers in SCI treatment! Any donation to help us will be humbly and wholeheartedly appreciated, and we invite you to join us in our journey at @igem_kcl on Instagram and King’s College London iGEM on YouTube!
We are an interdisciplinary team of 18 passionate student researchers from King's College London completing our undergraduate degrees and are currently developing a novel treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI) — a devastating diagnosis affecting ~250-500,000 people globally. Not only are they left with traumatic physical injury (e.g. paralysis, chronic pain and loss of bowel control), nearly half of these patients will also suffer from mental health problems such as depression and even PTSD. Even more tragically, there is no cure for SCI, and current treatments are both extremely invasive and generally ineffective.
Our 2020 project (Renervate) involved designing a synthetic scaffold coated in Pvfp-5β — a mussel foot protein which we can use as a bioadhesive. Our exciting new treatment proposes a less invasive, permissive environment for axonal regrowth within the injured spine, promoting recovery and an improved standard of living for our patients!
Our proposed design is a 3D-bioprinted PCL (polycaprolactone) scaffold that is both biodegradable and biocompatible, being able to safely degrade on its own within the spine of the patient, thus removing the need for a second invasive surgery. For this scaffold, we have also produced an open-source algorithm to craft the microarchitecture of our scaffold (The Porosifier), creating pores that further enhance the permissive environment for SCI recovery. Pvfp-5β, the mussel foot protein, coats the scaffold, giving it a ‘stickiness’ that allows it to be used as a non-immunogenic bioadhesive. Furthermore, we have researched the use of ChABC, an enzyme that breaks down components of CSPG, a proteoglycan that prevents axonal regrowth and is present in high concentrations following SCI.
Representing our university, we entered our extensive work into the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM), a highly renowned annual international competition for innovative student-led breakthroughs in synthetic biology. With 350 teams globally participating, collaborating and encouraged to engage with ethical research both inside and outside the lab, its prestige and reputation has even been a critical catalyst for over 150 scientific start-ups (e.g. Gingko Bioworks, which has raised $719 million in funding). Driven by this golden opportunity to make our very own contribution to therapeutic medicine, and following in the footsteps of KCL’s unfaltering frontiers in research, our 2020 team exhibited tireless motivation to push the boundaries of science, achieving outstanding results, winning a Gold Medal and Best Therapeutics Award in the overgraduate division! As well as nominations for Best Model and Supporting Entrepreneurship! We were the Best UK Team!
After last year’s success, we knew we couldn’t stop there. In iGEM 2021, we plan to move to Phase II of our project, further optimising our scaffold for the best, safest and most efficacious outcomes in SCI patients. Currently, we are discussing potential drug-delivery options for ChABC, methods for enhancing the adhesiveness and half-life of our mussel foot protein, further ways to promote and guide axonal regrowth… along with many other bright ideas from our 2021 team! We will also continue spreading the synthetic biology spirit, hosting ‘Biologix’ — our very own research competition to help widen participation in STEM for high school students!
That's where we need you! We need to raise £6,000 to help facilitate our participation into this year’s iGEM, and any extra funding will go straight towards covering any related costs associated with our project, such as our goal of turning our idea into reality in the form of a start-up. A breakdown of these costs include £2,500 to attend the iGEM conference, hosting a meet-up with other UK iGEM teams to collaborate and pool our research, and maintaining the costs of our Biologix competition, where we aim to instill a love of science and synthetic biology in young students all around the world!
We can’t wait to see our research efforts help break barriers in SCI treatment! Any donation to help us will be humbly and wholeheartedly appreciated, and we invite you to join us in our journey at @igem_kcl on Instagram and King’s College London iGEM on YouTube!
Fundraising team (14)
Alya Masoud
Organizer
England
Aditya Shirode
Team member
Harsh Bumia
Team member
Milan Singh
Team member
Thurga Navaseelan
Team member
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