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HUMAN PRACTICE.html
From 2012.igem.org
Promotion of iGEM Program
The 2012 iGEM Panama, as part of their Human Practice initiative went to share the iGEM Program and our own iGEM experience to our country neighbor Costa Rica. We engage with David Garcia there, a young scientist with a lot of ideas and enthusiasm for the iGEM program.
Ernesto Gómez and Orlando Serrano made a scientific road trip into a Trailer from Panama to Costa Rica to visit two main Universities. One was the UNA (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica) and the other was ITCR (Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica).
Our goal was huge and very importand for us, the AlumniGEM and iGEM itself: "To share our enthusiasm for the iGEM Program and help to fund the first iGEM Costa Rica team"
Tamara Del Moral made this press article in which mention the work of the iGEM Team 2012:
"A new generation of researchers working on INDICASAT's projects of synthetic biology, a discipline that involves synthesizing molecules to design artificial biological systems that can be mass produced for human benefit, and has environmental applications to create new materials, etc..
In the past two years, several Panamanian competed with their projects in synthetic biology iGEM competition in EU.
Carmenza Dr. Spadafora, advises some of them expressed that beyond the iGEM competition are thinking to "do synthetic biology", in order to develop industrial products that have local applications such as bioremediation kits, in case of spills hydrocarbons.
"The undergrads have the idea of using enzymes and bacteria to transform gradually, the CO2 generated in certain industries, in several intermediate metabolites until eventually they get water."
Other ideas include developing a molecule with antimicrobial properties, which could be used in creams, etc. And create a cyanide detector for the water, indicated by a change in pH and color, if this has traces of cyanide. "This would be important for people who live near mining areas where there may be contamination," said Spadafora.
""If I had have time, this year the group may try to make the cyanide detector bacteria, can degrade it, because it is not only to identify a problem, but to solve it."
In October, the students plan to go to the regional competition of synthetic biology in Bogotá, Colombia.
Link: http://www.prensa.com/impreso/vivir/la-batalla-contra-las-enfermedades/100787
iGEM in Panama's Press
For our joy many students attend to our talks in the two Universities and the outcome was awesome!
We are very proud to said that we spread the word about Synthetic Biology based on standard biological parts, the iGEM experiences and the AlumniGEM initiative.
Now we have one more dot in the map of iGEM from Latin America and we hope that the new teams keep spreading the word of iGEM.
We have to thanks a lot to our friend David Garcia and to all the brilliant students that are part of the first iGEM Costa Rica Team. This Human Practice initiave was able through the inconditional help of Dra. Carmenza Spadafora, Dr. J. Rao and thnks to the SENACYT for the support of the advancement in science in Panamá.
