Tell us more about your project. Give us background. Use this is the abstract of your project. Be descriptive but concise (1-2 paragraphs)

Undergrads:

• Chang Lu: -

I am a second year Chemical Engineering student from team Upcycled Aromatics, University of Alberta. I have found a keen interest in all things related to biology since high school, and I spent my first year of university in biological science degree, where I obtain a general theory understanding of biology. As I am a hands-on type of person, I transferred into engineering after the first year. Through the range of the courses I have taken, not only have I acquired a plethora of engineering knowledge, but have also expanded into the biology and business field. I am so proud to be part of the 2012 International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) Entrepreneurial Competition where there is a happy medium of intertwining knowledge of biology, engineering, and business.

• Crystal Theodore: -

I am a fourth year Chemical Engineering student at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Originally from Lethbridge, I spent my first two years of university studying Biochemistry there and playing for the University of Lethbridge Women’s Soccer Team. After realizing my true passion for the application of the sciences, I transferred into engineering at the University of Alberta. I hope to find a career related to biomedical engineering in the future. Outside of school and iGEM, I like to stay active by playing soccer, basketball and tennis. Upon finishing my undergraduate degree, I plan to spend next summer travelling to South America and Europe.

• David Brown: -

Dave Brown is a Biochemistry major at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Originally from Fredericton, the capital city of the Maritime province New Brunswick, he moved to Edmonton to run for the UofA’s Golden Bears Varsity Cross Country and Track Team. Hes a sponsored athlete with the Running Room and runs 10km and half marathons under the Running Room Athletic Club. Outside of school and training Dave owns and operates a small business shooting aerial photography with a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) drone quadcopter. His free time is spent working on his quadcopter and taking aerial photos for clients. He studied to obtain a UAV operator’s licence from Industry Canada in the winter of 2012.

• Jeremy Morris: -

Jeremy will complete a BSc Molecular Genetics in Spring 2013 after which he will enter graduate studies. His research interests include plant genetics, molecular biology techniques and synthetic biology. He envisions a future where synthetic biology will be called upon to conduct more complex tasks – tasks impossible for individual microbial cells. He hopes to establish a career in the nascent field of multicellular synthetic biology by engineering novel components in plants and fungi. Outside the lab, Jeremy enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, camping and “citizen science”. He dreams of one day retiring to New Zealand with a flock of Barred Rock hens.

• John Chen: -

I’ll be going into my third year of chemical engineering starting this fall, and since I’m in the biomedical stream of my program, iGEM sounded like a great opportunity for me to explore something on the cutting edge of scientific innovation, while at the same time being relevant to my field of study. I feel that the entrepreneurial track, despite lacking a wet lab component, provides an interesting, more practical look at questions of synthetic biology’s applications in industry. Hopefully, our project can shed some light on the economic feasibility of a business based on something much like the projects being done in the Main Track. Although this is my first year doing iGEM, I’m having a great time so far and I’ve definitely learned a lot.

• Kelly Holdstock: -
• Lindsey Suh: -

Yeon Kyoung Suh is a second year student majoring in Biological Sciences in University of Alberta, Edmonton. Originally from South Korea she immigrated to Canada when she was 16. Having discovered her passion in biology in high school, she has been taking biology courses relevant to genetics and biochemistry in University. Her future academic plan is to transfer into molecular genetics, and study medical application of stem cells in graduate school. iGEM has been an excellent opportunity for her to engage in business and industrial aspect of synthetic biology outside of class, and has provided her with new insights. One thing on her to-do list after graduation is to spend a night alone in a pyramid in Egypt.

• Shuwei Song: -
• Valerie Ho: -

Advisors:

• Dr. Dominic Sauvageau: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

• Dr. Chris Dambrowitz: Director - Bioindustrial Strategic Initiatives, Biorefining Conversions Network (BCN)

Chris Dambrowitz works with BCN principals and collaborators to enhance the Networks’s research and industrial connectivity through innovative alliances among research institutions, industrial partners and regional stakeholders. Chris also acts as a liaison between BCN and the nanoAccelerator partnership (including NINT and the Faculties of Engineering, Science, ALES and Medicine) in developing innovative initiatives focused on novel bioproducts and bioprocesses. He currently coordinates an initiative to establish an industry-facing biofabrication center, utilizing synthetic biology and bioanalytical platforms to address economically-important opportunities within Alberta's resources-based industrial sectors.

Joining BCN from his recent position as Director - Planning & Development with the Alberta Research & Innovation Authority (ARIA) Secretariat, Chris also served as Director of Alberta Ingenuity's Accelerators Program and was the founding Program Director of the Alberta Prion Research Institute. This complements his project management and technology development experience in the bioanalytical and biotechnology industries, including positions with MDS Sciex (now AB Sciex), Blue Heron Biotechnology (Bothell WA), Visible Genetics (Toronto ON) and Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (Chalk River ON). Chris received his PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Alberta, performing his doctoral research in the bioanalytical instrumentation laboratory of Dr. Norm Dovichi.

• Erin Dul : PhD Candidate, Bioresource Technology

Erin Dul was a member of University of Alberta’s 2007 iGEM team, the Butanerds, whose project placed 1st in the Energy track. iGEM sparked a fascination in the interplay of industrial microbiology, synthetic biology, and biorefining, and she is now pursuing a PhD in Bioresource Engineering at the University of Alberta. Erin is excited to mentor the students in the entrepreneurial division this year. Erin is the recipient of numerous scholarships, including an NSERC Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarship and an Alberta Ingenuity Graduate Scholarship. In her spare time, Erin is a competitive swimmer, cyclist, writer, maker, and an outdoors enthusiast.