iGEM of UBC

The Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory (AMBL) will be holding a special one-day Science Field Trip FREE for UBC iGEM members! You will be performing DNA fingerprinting analysis – commonly used by forensic scientists and CSI – to check for genetic elements in your own DNA. Using the powerful PCR technique, you will be isolating and amplifying your DNA then analyzing it for the Alu genetic element. This field trip promises to a fun and entertaining way to get into contemporary molecular biology!

Where: Advanced Molecular Biology Lab, Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC (Map)
When: Friday May 14th, 2010
How to Sign Up: RSVP Here. Spaces are limited and FREE Admission for iGEM Club Members and only $5 for non-members. Password: check in by e-mailing the execs.

There will be no Journal Club this term. Special thanks to those who presented and participated this year!

http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0050058

More on the issue of patenting, law, and intellectual property.

http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v28/n4/full/nbt0410-293.html

This is a very insightful article on the impact of President Obama’s recent healthcare legislation on the biotechnology industry. Not just about economics, this article also discusses how economics itself will drive innovation in the biotechnology industry w.r.t. healthcare products in diagnosis and treatment.

We have decided our project this year: biofilm degradation! Thanks to those who participated in the discussion last week and it was a close race. With an awesome team we have this year, we will use this week’s JC time for them to further discuss and develop the biofilm idea, but all are welcome to participate!

We are hosting a movie night, featuring GATTACA, to wrap things up for this term. It is will this Wednesday (April 7) from 5-7 in MSL 101. This is a good way to hang out, relax, and not think about project selection (although we will still be thinking about bioethics!) before finals are here. Popcorn will be provided!

Congratulations to everybody who made it onto the 2010 UBC iGEM Team! The club execs wish you all a year of accomplishment and success – do us proud!