iGEM Nottingham

01/10/2020

Over this summer, we’ve been recording a series of podcasts🎙to talk about anything iGEM! 🧬
Give our first episode a listen 🔊 on Spotify! (Nottingham iGEM)

07/09/2020

MAP RELEASE 🌎
Our Minecraft recreation of the University Park campus is now live and available to download 🧱⚒
Check out the DropBox link in our bio and let us know how it goes!

Synthetic Biology 🧬 x

31/08/2020

Treating a medical condition? 🧬 If your project falls under the track of health and medicine at then save the date of September 12!
Along with we will be hosting a Virtual Meetup for all teams on the therapeutics track!
You will collaborate with other therapeutics teams and discuss the details of your projects, while having the awesome opportunity to learn from leading scientists in synthetic biology.
There’s not long to go so don’t wait, sign your team up now from our bio! 🚨👆🏼
See you there! 👋🏼

27/08/2020

So.. we did a thing this weekend 🙄
The team signed up to a 12 hour long Tough Mudder - at home! Starting at 8pm on Saturday, together we ran 2x 5 mile laps 🏃🏻‍♂️ with a set of obstacles after each lap 🧗🏻‍♀️
We did this all through the night until eventually at 5am we decided to call it a day.
After just 4 days of fundraising, we have managed to raise a huge £465 for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust! We have been so surprised by the support and the generosity of everyone 💚 We haven’t stopped just yet so we would be extremely grateful if you could spare anything at all for a fantastic charity

23/08/2020

Lap 2 is complete!
We’d been challenged to cut our mile time down by a minute every time - and did it!!

Feeling super proud of everyone, really dug deep on this one 💪🏽💚💛 @ Sutton Bonington

James Birch Alistair Cadoo Eugenia Vuong Luke Barks Luke Weir

22/08/2020

It has begun!
The first lap (of not very many) 1️⃣
Let’s see how these photos compare the end of the night! @ Sutton Bonington

22/08/2020

This year, our team have decided to focus on neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, to see if we could come up with a way of improving the quality of life for those suffering or those who may suffer in the future.

We have decided to take the approach of creating a theoretical biotherapeutic. This biotherapeutic would involve an engineered bacterium and, when administered to the colon as part of the gut microbiome, would secrete molecules called ketone bodies. These ketone bodies have been shown to have therapeutic and preventative effects on neurodegeneration in the brain, as well as cognitive improvements.

Overall, we hope our project will work towards delaying and preventing the onset of neurodegenerative disease.

Who is our chosen charity?
Founded in 2005 by four people living with the disease, the Cure Parkinson's Trust (CPT) takes a patient-centred approach to funding innovative projects and inspirational scientists, working to modify the progression of Parkinson’s and to find a cure.

CPT believe that they are closer than ever to delivering treatments that for the first time will slow, stop or even reverse the progression of the disease. Your valued donation will help them get there.

What is the 12 hour Virtual Tough Mudder?!
The Virtual Toughest Mudder takes the place of Europe's Toughest Mudder - adapted for a social-distanced and lockdown friendly home obstacle course.

Taking place on over two days, the event begins at 8PM Saturday 22nd August and the time stops at 8AM Sunday 23rd August!

It consists of 12 hours of 5 mile laps overnight with Tough Mudder’s signature 'homemade obstacle' challenges sandwiched between each lap. It is expected to be a challenging and daunting effort; Tough Mudder themselves have drawn up a plan to Lap 13 - expecting no one to further that effort.

We will be posting our progress regularly throughout the night (if we are still surviving) so keep a look out!

Thank you.
If you have managed to get this far, we greatly appreciate you reading our story. Please help us and CPT by sharing this with any friends or family and be sure to keep track of our progress throughout Saturday night!

On behalf of the Nottingham iGEM 2020 team, once again, thank you.

Help Nottingham iGEM raise money to support The Cure Parkinson's Trust