The "iGEM 2014 Toulouse" team has won!

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

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 proposed 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 (International Genetically Engineered Machine) competition attracted 245 teams of biology students from around the world, from October 30 to November 3, 2014, in Boston.The Toulouse team has won a gold medal and the award for the best measurement approach.

This competition aims to promote the development of synthetic biology and its teaching.

Contact : igemtoulouse2014@gmail.com