Who are we?

Representing the University of Nottingham, we are a small team of eight undergraduates who have been selected for a global competition called iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine). 

Every year, hundreds of university teams from around the world are tasked with coming up with creative and innovative solutions to issues that affect our lives. These can range from improving the nutritional content of the food in developing countries, to tackling antibiotic resistance in our hospitals and dealing with the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans. The projects are broad, open-ended, and multi-disciplinary - in our team alone we have mathematicians, biotechnologists and a biologist, biochemist and geneticist. 

What is iGEM?

• Beginning in 2003 as an intra-MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) competition, iGEM has grown globally to become a significant and well-renowned contest, with the top scientific leading universities submitting teams every year.
• The main goal of the iGEM event is to work towards positively impacting the world creatively, utilising and creating new possibilities in synthetic biology, and all while shaping our projects by investigating and acknowledging the wider community through our branch of human practices.
  

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 hypothetical 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.