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Outline
Meet-up with HKUST iGEMers
Visit to Peking iGEM 2012 Team
Visit to USTC iGEM 2012 Team
TJU Meet-up
The Visit to SYSU iGEM 2012 Team
Contributions

XMU-COMMUNICATION

Collaboration

Outline

We visited several other iGEM teams all around China during our short semester and summer vacation, including Peking University, Tianjin University, University of Science & Technology of China, Sun Yat-sen University as well as Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. These are all among the top universities in China, and some of them, such as TJU, PKU & USTC particularly acted as the iGEM pioneers in China. On the contrary, XMU participated in iGEM competition since 2011, which means this year is the second time we enjoy the competition. So the visiting to these schools not only strengthens the connection bonds between us, but also serves as a good chance for us to learn from others and make progress. Largely speaking, the visiting process greatly tightens relationships among these universities, making researchers in synthetic biology field much more harmonious in China.

Meet-up with HKUST iGEMers
Our team member Moson paid a visit to Hong Kong University of Science and Technology during July 23rd to 27th for a chemistry summer camp. For better communication between iGEM teams, Moson prepared to meet up HKUST iGEMers when time was available for both sides. Unfortunately, at that time, a terrible typhoon attacked Hong Kong. Due to the harsh weather, they had to rearrange the meeting time once and again.

Finally, Moson met HKUST members Miss SUN Fei & Mr. WANG Yuqi on July 25th afternoon after several times of postponement. To begin with, Moson gave a brief introduction of our project E.Lumoli this year, and they also talked about their one. To enhance understanding of the two teams, they exchange ideas about human practice as well. Then, thanks to their full trust, Moson paid a visit to their lab and took joint pictures with them, including one of their supervisors. When entered the lab, HKUST iGEMers were busy with their experiment -- enzyme cleave and electrophoresis etc. The fundamental apparatus and devices in HKUST were very similar to ours, but lab manage regulations were not parallel exactly. For example, as undergraduates, they were not allow to conduct experiment alone in the lab after 6 pm while we always stay in our lab late into midnight doing research. When it comes to the organization of team members, XMU iGEMers are largely junior students but HKUST's iGEM team is mainly composed of freshmen and sophomores.
Moson, on behalf of XMU iGEM, have built up intimate friendship with 2012 HKUST iGEMers. Additionally, he also brought them the postcards of XMU as souvenirs.

Visit to Peking iGEM 2012 Team
On July 6th, Muxin attended Summer Camp of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering in Peking University. As a member of XMU iGEM, Muxin grasped the opportunity to visit the Peking iGEM team, one of the earliest and most outstanding Chinese iGEM teams. Having contacted with Zhilei ZHAO, the captain of Peking iGEM 2012, Muxin came to their iGEM laboratory on July 9th. Although it was summer time, most of them still stayed in the lab preparing for the competition.

After the self-introduction and changing information about the 2012 iGEM project separately, including the team theme, constitute, experimental progress etc., they showed Muxin around the lab warmly, there being a darkroom under construction. They said they would like to construct cell sensor that could program cells to achieve some function, which seemed fascinating. After chatting, Muxin and they took a photo together. Thanks to their warm hearts, the whole visit was circumfused by a cordial and friendly atmosphere.
Muxin notes that the visit definitely expanded her horizon, not only about the competition itself, but the synthetic biology and the culture of Peking University. What's more, the visit has no doubt built a close relationship between PKU and XMU iGEM teams. We all hope we will meet each other again in the World Championship Jamboree.

Visit to USTC iGEM 2012 Team
From July 8th, 2012 to July 15th, 2012, our team member Thumbelina attended the Summer Camp of Chemistry in University of Science and Technology of China known as USTC for short, and had a communication with 2012 USTC-iGEM team members. After receiving the message that she had a chance to join the summer school of USTC, Thumbelina began to make preparations for meeting with 2012 USTC-iGEM team. Finally fortunately, she had a contact with the team leader Wuyang Chen via making calls, sending messages and Internet, and they confirmed July 15th, 2012 as the day Thumbelina would be invited to the wet laboratory in USTC.

It is well-known that USTC-iGEM team plays a significant role in the world of synthetic biology, so the aim of communicating with them is learning from their strong points to offset our weakness. After contacting through technical skills mentioned above, Thumbelina gained some basic knowledge of the project designed by USTC such as the information of their task, constitution of their team that most of them are sophomores, their process and so on. At last the arranged day came; Thumbelina was guided by Wuyang Chen to pay a visit to the laboratory. 2012 USTC-iGEM team owns a large professional lab and they can take advantage of it well. When Thumbelina entered the lab that morning, there were already many members focusing on the experiment. Thumbelina made a deeply dialogue with the captain of 2012 USTC-iGEM team, and it contained a large amount of topics such as the problems they met and disadvantages of their task and future plans. They spent a meaningful day together and extent their outlooks. Finally Thumbelina took a picture with several members of 2012 USTC-iGEM team and shared a lunch together.

As Thumbelina said that this experience was a treasure in her whole life and she would cherish it forever, it is an essential way to strengthen the relationship between USTC and XMU and broaden our horizons as well.

TJU Meet-up
Earlier in July, our team member Qingshu went to Tianjin University (TJU) to attend their Summer Camp. We all know that Tianjin University is one of the first schools participating in iGEM competition among Chinese colleges and universities, where synthetic biology develops so well that it's our honor to pay a visit to them in order to learn from them as well as enhance the bond between us.

As soon as the camp came to an end, Qingshu got contact with TJU iGEMers. Actually, having been recommended earlier by professor Gan who is a vice-president of TJU technology department of biological engineering, Qingshu didn't have any problem finding the iGEM laboratory on July 6th.

First they introduced themselves to each other in a pleasant and free atmosphere, and then exchanged the information about the 2012 iGEM project respectively, including the team constitution, experimental progress and so on. TJU iGEMers would like to construct a RNA switch this year. Unfortunately, they didn't have easy access to the experimental apparatus due to the repairing and decorating work of their laboratory building. The good news was that their project would be under full operation in early August. After the wonderful discussion, Qingshu visited their laboratory and left the contact information with them.

Generally speaking, just as Qingshu mentioned, the visit broadened his view of synthetic biology, of other iGEM teams and of the competition itself as well. And the most importantly, this meet-up has built and will build much closer relationship between TJU and XMU iGEM teams than ever.

The Visit to SYSU iGEM 2012 Team
Thumbelina belonging to XMU iGEM 2012 team participated in the Summer Camp of Chemistry in Sun Yat-sen University known as SYSU between July 16th, 2012 to July 20th, 2012, and she had a contact with 2012 SYSU-iGEM team members. After knowing the information that she was able to join the summer school of SYSU, Thumbelina began to prepare for the meeting with 2012 SYSU-iGEM team. Fortunately, she had a communication with the previous team leader Qiang Kou through making telephone calls, sending messages and Internet, and they decided July 16th, 2012 when Thumbelina arrived in Guangzhou City as the day she would have the first chance to be invited to the wet laboratory in SYSU.

As everyone knows that the history and experience in iGEM team of SYSU and XMU are familiar, so the purpose of communicating with each other is sharing the information and close our relationship. When July 16th, 2012 came, Thumbelina was guided by Qiang Kou to visit the wet lab of SYSU. At the same time Thumbelina got acquainted with Chang Ye, the current captain of SYSU iGEM 2012 team. After face-to-face contacts, Thumbelina knew much details of the project designed by SYSU such as the information of their task, constitution of their team, their process and so on. The majority of SYSU iGEM 2012 team members are junior and senior students which is similar with XMU. They communicated with each other through deeply topic such as disadvantages of their task and future plans. Finally Thumbelina took a photo together with the members of SYSU iGEM 2012 team as a memory and ended the meaningful day shared by each other.

Actually besides the day Thumbelina visited the laboratory, there were two dinners with Chang Ye which made Thumbelina gain a deeply knowledge of SYSU iGEM 2012 team as well. As we all know, it was not only a method to socialize but also a way to broaden our horizons and extend our outlook. What's the most significant, our friendship is strengthened.

Contributions

This summer,we have collaborated with many other iGEM teams with their project:
1. We help SUSTC-Shenzhen-A team do their survey about designing an App searching tool used to search biobricks.
2. We help University of British Colmbia's 2012 iGEM team do their survey about Intellectual Property.
3. We help Nanjing-Bio iGEM team do their survey about the problems a new iGEM team may met.