UBC BIOMOD
Help send the UBC BIOMOD team to the 2023 BIOMOD Jamboree in Japan to present a novel method to degrade biofilms, a root cause of many infections!
Project Description
UBC BIOMOD is a biomolecular design team that strives to leverage nanotechnology to tackle real world problems in health. Previous projects have ranged from creating an early diagnostic for lung cancer to developing more efficient drug delivery for targeting leukemia. Our team teaches students to work in a wet lab setting, developing skills such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, and pipetting, and in a software setting, learning Cadnano, GROMACS, Pymol and Premiere Pro to create animations and videos. We’re training the next generation of researchers to explore and contribute to the field of biotechnology, and to flourish in their professional careers.
Currently, we’re working on combating a bacterial barrier called biofilm. It can form in various places in the human body such as teeth, skin and in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis, or even on implants such as pacemakers, prosthetic valves, and catheters, leading to life-threatening infections. Biofilms cause 80% of chronic and recurrent microbial infections; it is medically devastating. Our current project focuses on developing an innovative method to disperse biofilm dubbed the Modular Enzymosome, which is a DNA origami-stabilized liposome with enzymes embedded to the surface. The catalytic activity of the enzymes combined with the cargo-loaded liposome destroys biofilm upon contact, giving this platform significant therapeutic applications.
Challenges and Impact of Your Support
UBC BIOMOD is a student-run design team, and thus relies on your support to fund competition costs and travel expenses. Travel expenses have increased for this year because the competition is being held in Tokyo, Japan. Every member of our team has worked relentlessly in developing this project – coming up with innovative ideas, devising experiments, and persevering when things don’t go according to plan. With your support, our team can overcome financial challenges, present our solution at BIOMOD Jamboree, and continue pushing the boundaries of biomolecular nanotechnology. With your help, we can make showcasing our research accessible for our team members.
Are you an organization or business and want to support us? Corporate sponsorship opportunities are available. Give through our Corporate Giving and Sponsorship page or contact us by emailing sponsorship.ubcbiomod@gmail.com to discuss further.
About UBC BIOMOD
UBC BIOMOD is a diverse, interdisciplinary design team composed of approximately 40 highly motivated and hardworking undergraduate students at UBC spanning across 4 different faculties. The majority of BIOMOD members come from various fields within the Engineering, such as Chemical, Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Some of our members are from the Faculty of Science, majoring in disciplines like Microbiology and Immunology, and Computer Science. Additionally, we have students from the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and Pharmaceutical Sciences. This diverse range of students allows us to undertake complex projects, drawing on the insights provided by our members’ diverse backgrounds.
