The Uppsala SynBio hub
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Uppsala universitet - Uppsala universitet Inst f cell- & molekylärbiologi |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 298 979 |
| Project duration | June 2024 - August 2025 |
| Status | Ongoing |
| Venture | Working methods |
| Call | Everyday innovators in biotech and synthetic biology |
Important results from the project
Two biohackathons, 9 workshops & site visits at all 4 participants were held. Capacities of Uppsala NTI high school & Biohackeri to train students & the public in synthetic biology were strengthened through equipment purchases & classes. Uppsala U again created a new iGEM team, but it proved too ambitious for SLU and NTI to do the same. However, these 3 participants collaborated on Uppsala iGEM´s algae project. Forster et al. wrote & published “Synthetic Biology: A Lab Manual, 2nd edition.
Expected long term effects
Vinnova’s stated long-term goals were to increase the number of "Individuals who practically explore & experiment in various fields, especially in their spare time," & to create "strengthened capability" in civil society. It is highly likely that several of our approximately 100 trainees & biohackers were sufficiently inspired to continue working in this field & that Uppsala’s tradition of annual iGEM teams, high school-university interactions & biohackathons, now strengthened, will grow.
Approach and implementation
Most goals were achieved (see above). The inability of SLU and NTI to create independent iGEM teams was not due to a lack of faculty support, facilities or funding, but rather due to insufficient student commitment over the summer, where holidays and summer jobs compete. The iGEM project aimed to engineer self-flocculating Chlamydomonas reinhardtii for harvesting biofuels and food. However, this proved too ambitious given the challenges of eukaryote engineering & the short research time.