Further development of biotechnology
Room 021 in No. 3 Corrensstraße is a perfectly normal laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology: white work benches, a workspace with a fume hood, and all sorts of accessories. The only really noticeable things are the coloured rolls of adhesive film hanging at various workspaces. Five rolls in different colours ensure that five student laboratory groups can mark their equipment with the film so that nothing gets muddled up. The groups are working together on an ambitious project: a total of 23 students on bachelor’s and master’s courses at Münster University are taking part in an internationally acclaimed competition in the field of synthetic biology – the “International Genetically Engineered Machine” (iGEM) competition, which has been held since 2003. This is the first time that a team from Münster has been taking part.
Synthetic biology is a relatively new field of research. It involves developing biological systems which do not occur in nature, and which are used for example in the production of active ingredients in medicines or of other substances desired. As a subject, synthetic biology has a broad base, combining biology and chemistry with engineering and IT. “Synthetic biology is a logical further development of biotechnology, but it is hardly ever found on any curriculum,” says Marius Luttermann, who is doing a master’s degree in molecular biomedicine and is a coordinator of the iGEM project at Münster, together with his fellow-student Theresa Wörmann and biology student Louis Schanzmann.
The iGEM competition asks teams to get to grips with regional and socially relevant problems and to tackle them using synthetic biology. The team from Münster is taking this up by producing the monoterpene verbenone. Verbenone can be used as a repellent for bark beetle. In addition to this example, monoterpenes have applications in a variety of branches of industry, for example the food industry.
“The project is demanding and very multifaceted,” says mentor Prof. Jochen Schmid from the Institute of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology. Schmid has long been enthusiastic about this special project format, and he was the one who initiated the participation of the first iGEM team from Münster. “Besides the lab work,” he says, “the students have invested a lot of energy in PR work to introduce their project to a broader public.”
The students have, for example, visited a variety of old people’s homes and schools. “Our aim is to provide information on what synthetic biology means,” says one of the coordinators, Theresa Wörmann. The difficulties often actually begin with basics – what’s behind terms such as genetic engineering or biotechnology certainly isn’t clear to everyone. “There was one key experience which we had with one elderly lady,” says Marius Luttermann. “She grew up on a farm and knew how cheese was produced – that you need rennet for it, which is produced in calves’ stomachs. She had been asking herself for years where all the rennet was supposed to come from to make the enormous quantities of cheese produced nowadays. Through us, she learned that one way of producing rennet today is by biotechnological methods – by means of genetically modified micro-organisms and without calves. The lady was delighted that we were able to solve her puzzle for her.”
The Münster team is currently on its final sprint. The final conference of iGEM, the Grand Jamboree, will be held in Paris from 26 to 28 October. The students will be presenting their project, along with around 350 other teams. Naturally enough, all of the teams hope to finish in one of the leading places. But regardless of how things turn out, it has all been worthwhile. “Scientifically, we’ve learnt an incredible amount,” says Theresa Wörmann. “And a lot of friendships have grown up in the time we’ve spent together.”
Author: Christina Hoppenbrock
iGEM - the competition
Multidisciplinary teams of students from all over the world take part in the "international Genetically Engineered Machine" competition. They realise projects with state-of-the-art synthetic biology. To do this, they design genetic "components" or adapt them for their project. The teams document their work in the form of wikis, videos and presentations and are evaluated by expert juries. With their projects, the students should contribute to solving societal challenges such as environmental problems.
This article is from the university newspaper wissen|leben No. 6, 12 October 2022