Thane Kubik
University of Calgary iGEM 2009 Team Lead
Thane Kubik, a fourth year Biomedical Sciences major in the University of Calgary Bachelor of Health Sciences program, is managing the U of C iGEM team this year. Thane has a lot to say about how iGEM plays a role in his life and was kind enough to answer some questions for us.
Q: How did you first hear about iGEM?
In 2007, I heard that the University of Calgary had two previous iGEM teams, but I was under the misconception that it was a competition of modeling biology, a task that I thought was much better suited to computer scientists! This skewed vision of iGEM was corrected, however, by an instructor, Ms. Sonja Georgijevic. She told me that the competition was about playing with bacteria, (i.e., our genetic machine of choice) in the lab and getting bacteria to do wacky stuff! Sonja explained to me that iGEM’s notion of biology was essentially like Lego: You have DNA-based parts that come in a kit and, depending on the way you choose to assemble them, you can get little “machines” to do really cool things.
Really amazing projects that have come out of iGEM are novel methods of making biofuels, detecting chemicals in water supplies, or even an attempt to make a targeted method for treating infections. I have always had a bit of the engineering bug in me and being able to use this in the context of biology was a perfect fit!
Q: How is iGEM different from other university scientific competitions? What makes it so much fun?
The brilliance of the iGEM competition is that it draws its foundation from the field of synthetic biology, which is on the cutting-edge of science. The goal of synthetic biology is to use engineering principles to work through biological puzzles and come up with some really innovative solutions. If you look around you, you’ll find that everything is engineered; from the chairs we sit in, to the houses we build, to the electronic tools we use every day. What’s left out? Biology! A lot of this is because we lack biological standards, meaning that not everybody approaches biology, or works it out in the lab, in exactly the same way. Not only that, but we also have yet to establish a universal language in which biologists, engineers, computer scientists and others can use to communicate effectively with one another.
To be faced with the enormous challenge of meshing all of these disciplines is what sets the iGEM apart and what makes it an incredible opportunity for students.
Q: What was the most exciting thing about being on a university iGEM team?
What fascinates me about the iGEM is the “carte blanche” that each team is given to carry out their biological designs. No matter how wacky the design, if it can be programmed using DNA, you have a project and you’re in the running! In fact, one of craziest projects that I read about before joining the team last year was the 2007 Berkeley iGEM project that was aimed at making BactoBlood (i.e., bacteria working as Red Blood Cells and able to deliver oxygen to the body). All of this stuff sounds like something out of Science Fiction, but the rationale behind the design of these machines is often very biologically sound.
Q: What role did you take on for this year’s iGEM team?
Last year, we had three separate teams at the University of Calgary: a wet-lab based team, a software team and an ethics team. iGEM is moving away from a simply wet-lab based competition and the teams that were most successful last year were rewarded for the entire package. For this reason, both Sonja and I have headed up recruitment for a multi-disciplinary team here at the University of Calgary along with the help of Dr. Christian Jacob and Dr. Anders Nygren. After several weeks of organization, preparation and countless emails, we have selected a very diverse team including health science, engineering and kinesiology students from an enormous pool of applicants at the University of Calgary. Once we get over the hurdle of trying to find funding for our 16 team members, Sonja and I will begin bringing our team up-to-speed in terms of biological background necessary to carry the project through.
Q: What are your goals for the team this year?
This year, we have a multi-faceted team that will come up with the biological designs, carry them out in the wet-lab, model them using computer software, market and pitch our ideas - and the educational and outreach aspects of our project, as well as synthetic biology in general - to academia, industry and government.
My primary goal is that everyone has a great summer and be open-minded and able to exchange information and ideas with people from different backgrounds. This is really the main purpose of iGEM, to build a synthetic biology community. Beyond that, it would be great to come back with some sort of prize from the iGEM competition at MIT in November and to really put the U of C and Alberta on the map as a Canadian hub for research in synthetic biology!
Q: How has Alberta Ingenuity helped you reach those goals?
Alberta Ingenuity has always been, and will continue to be, one of our primary resources for getting our projects off the ground and bringing our research forward to the world. They provide a fund for each of the Alberta iGEM teams so that our designs can become a reality. In addition, Alberta Ingenuity has always generously sponsored members from every team in terms of travel during the iGEM Jamboree and even during other international conferences. Several other teams have to raise money themselves to be able to attend the Jamboree and unfortunately some are unable to attend because of lack of finances.
Moreover, Alberta Ingenuity recognizes the importance of getting the Alberta teams to come together and share ideas, findings and experiences through our own Alberta GEM (AGEM) meetings. Last year, they sponsored one AGEM, and because of its enormous success and positive feedback from the attendees, they have proposed three AGEM mini-conferences this summer. All in all, thanks to the support that Alberta Ingenuity has provided, it’s a very exciting time to be involved in iGEM in Alberta!
Q: What other hobbies and interests do you have?
When I am not helping to organize and manage our 2009 iGEM team or in class, you can without a doubt find me in the University of Calgary pool! I am a member of the U of C’s Varsity Dinos Swim Team as well as a national swimmer in the U of C’s Club program. I train over 20 hours a week and compete all over Canada. A highlight in my swimming career was being able to attend the 2008 Beijing Olympic Trials in Montreal last April, and winning a gold medal on our 4X200m Freestyle Relay. Swimming helps to keep me level-headed and the lessons that I have learnt being on this team have also carried over into my iGEM experience.
To find out more about the University of Calgary's 2009 iGEM team, visit their wiki.