"iGEM 2014 Toulouse" team soon in Boston

TWB provides support to the team of students from INSA Toulouse and the University Paul Sabatier. They will soon present their project at the international competition of synthetic biology iGEM 2014 (International Genetically Engineered Machine), organized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The Toulouse team will present a method of biological eradication of the plane tree canker (invasive fungus) by biofungicidal therapy. The promising project, based on the use of Bacillus subtilis and named SubtiTree, has so far received the support of fourteen companies and organizations including the French Ministry of Agriculture.

Plane trees are widely present in Southern France and in particular along the famous Canal du Midi, participating to the site gorgeousness. Today, the only treatment consists in preventive tree-cutting which implies significant ecological troubles. Facing this emergency, the iGEM 2014 Toulouse team proposes an innovative solution originated from synthetic biology.

The team consists of 11 students from INSA Toulouse and the Paul Sabatier University and is framed by two researchers of the Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Biologiques et des Procédés (LISBP) and a professor at the University Paul Sabatier (Toulouse, France).

The iGEM competition is attended by over 200 teams of biology students from around the world. It will be held from October 30 to November 2, 2014 in Boston. This competition aims to promote the development of synthetic biology and its teaching.

Contact : igemtoulouse2014@gmail.com