AmericanBio Supports Yale iGEM to Fund Undergraduate Research Competition

Natick, MA , December 16, 2015 (Newswire.com) - AmericanBio, Inc., a primary reagent manufacturer for life science research and diagnostic markets, recently supported the 2015 Yale University iGEM Research Team with laboratory reagents to fuel their wet-lab research and participation at the annual iGEM Jamboree. The reagents were used to help develop a genetic manipulation workflow for studying non-model and environmentally significant microbes. The Yale iGEM team’s rationale for this research and development was to expand the current technology that is effective in only a small handful of organisms beyond the E. coli model prokaryote.  Their goal was to reveal the potential of synthetic biology of non-model organisms on industry and the environment. The team’s studies of select non-model microbes using MAGE (Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering) and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies suggests that the nitrogen fixation mechanisms of S. meliloti could be modified to enable plant growth in hostile environments and the FFA (Free Fatty Acid) biosynthesis pathway of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 could be optimized to product precursors for lipid biofuels.

This work garnered a silver medal designation at the 2nd Annual iGEM Giant Jamboree held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, attended by 280 teams from around the world. Daniel Shapiro, Yale iGEM Fundraising Lead, expressed gratitude for the funding from AmericanBio, “Thanks to your funding, we were a) able to characterize the species of cyanobacteria and rhizobia with which we worked and b) develop a framework for porting the genome editing technologies Multiplex Automated Gene Engineering (MAGE) and CRISPR-Cas9. While cyanobacteria and rhizobia are not extensively worked with, they carry enormous potential for applications in agricultural and energy sciences. Our work has helped further this branch of Synthetic Biology, and we are very grateful for your help.”

"AmericanBio is committed to supporting the research efforts of our customers. Through collaboration and support, academic research can make significant strides. Congratulations to the Yale University iGEM Research Team for their hard work and accomplishments."

Heidi Fleshman, VP, Sales & Marketing, AmericanBio

AmericanBio congratulates the Yale team! “AmericanBio is committed to supporting the research efforts of our customers. Through collaboration and support, academic research can make significant strides. Congratulations to the Yale University iGEM Research Team for their hard work and accomplishments,” said Heidi Fleshman, VP of Sales & Marketing. “We encourage our customers to seek us for supporting their efforts. We understand that budgets are tight and we welcome the opportunity to support educational studies, conference seminars and scientists who are just starting out.”

About AmericanBio, Inc: AmericanBio, Inc. is a primary manufacturer and supplier of biochemicals and molecular biology products for researchers and developers in the life science and diagnostic markets. Their peace of mind philosophy provides customers with a continuous supply of quality-controlled reagents to yield reproducible results. With over 35 years of experience in designing, formulating, packaging and delivery biological products, the organization is an asset to organizations in need of partnering with an operations center of excellence. AmericanBio is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 13485 certified and cGMP compliant.

About iGEM at Yale: iGEM, the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition, is a worldwide, undergraduate-run synthetic biology research competition. iGEM began in 2003 and has grown significantly with annual competition among 280 teams and over 2,300 participants. The program at Yale University provides opportunities for undergraduate scientists to design and develop an innovative research project. Students work 10-12 weeks over the summer on their iGEM project with tutelage from the Isaacs Lab, known for their experience with synthetic biology. Each year, the work is presented at the International iGEM Jamboree.