2024, November 4
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NU students' project on oncology recognized best at the iGEM international competition
2024, November 4
Share this articleYoung researchers have developed a special gel for targeted therapy of breast cancer.
A team of NU students won the iGEM international competition in Paris as the “Best Project in Oncology”, beating biologists from the world’s top universities.
iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) is an international competition in synthetic biology in which students from all over the world develop and implement innovative projects. Participants create genetically modified organisms that solve pressing scientific and social problems. For 11 months, the iGEM NU team worked on Sanagel, an innovative method of targeted bacteriotherapy for ductal carcinoma of the breast.
“The system consists of non-pathogenic E. coli strains genetically modified to create an anti-cancer peptide that selectively binds together the cell membranes of cancer cells and forms pores. This leads to the destruction of tumour cells. To provide a higher level of safety control, we have also implemented a self-destruct mechanism”, explains Temirlan Karatay, a third-year biology student and a member of the iGEM NU team.
This year, his team of 24 people competed for the championship against 437 teams from more than 50 countries, including Harvard, Oxford, and MIT. It is worth noting that over the past 11 years, the iGEM NU team has been the only one of its kind in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
In addition to the award for the best project in oncology, students from the country's top research university received the prize for the “Best Equipment.” They invented and hand-assembled the NanoX device, which automates the preparation of laboratory solutions such as hydrogel and cell cultures. The team participated in the NURIS ABC Incubation Program and reached the final stage.
“First of all, we would like to express our deep gratitude to NU and the School of Sciences and Humanities for their support over the past 11 years. The university provides all the conditions for students to realize their scientific potential. The unconditional support of the university and its faculty played a key role in achieving such results that would not have been possible without such a high level of support”, emphasized the team captain Ansal Diasova.
Since its inception, the team has paid special attention to the popularization of science in general, and synthetic biology in particular. They organize science fairs and summer camps for schoolchildren from rural areas and children with special needs, thus promoting inclusiveness and accessibility of science for everyone.
