20.109(F07): Genome engineering assessment

Portfolio components

Part 1: Rebuttal to editorial

This will be written as a homework assignment, exchanged with your lab partner for peer review, then submitted to the teaching faculty as part of your portfolio

Part 3: Data summary for p3-modifications you performed in lab

You'll find guidelines for writing here. Additionally, many of the "for next time" assignments can get you started on this part of the portfolio. Including but not limited to:

• Oligonucleotide design, sequence consequences for phage when inserted and sequence data
• Ligation results (table)
• Agarose gel examining candidate clones (figure)
• Western results (figure)
• Plaque assay (figure)
• Short paragraph for each table and figure describing and interpreting what's shown
• One or two sentence summary of your experimental results
• One or two sentence proposal for what you'd do next if we had one more month to spend on this project

Part 4: Mini-business plan for the Registry of Standard Biological Parts

Put yourself 5 years in the future and imagine that the Registry is floundering. Though the number of useful parts has grown through the hard work and dedication of its volunteer workforce in the iGEM program, there is a notable lack of standards:

• around the parts themselves (some work always, some in rare conditions, some not at all)
• around the assembly process (alternative biobricks and registries have gained popularity)
• and around documentation for the parts (some have great spec sheets and some have nothing).

Devise a plan to grow and stabilize the registry. Decide if your plan is to direct the Registry into a manufacturing, service, high tech, or retail business. For example the cell phone companies can be thought of as a model for the service business, recalling that with the exception of the iPhone, wireless communication companies all but give away the hardware to lock-in customers with pricey service plans and high cancellation fees

In one page provide a business plan that includes:
1. An Executive Summary

• In 250 words or fewer, explain:
  • what is your product
  • who are your customers
  • what the future holds for the registry in particular and synthetic biololgy more generally.
  • what you see as the key to success
• This summary should sound enthusiastic, professional and be more readable than most "mission statements."
• consider writing this section after you've written the rest of the plan.

2. Summary of the current Registry

• in one-two paragraphs, describe what the Registry is, including products, services, customers, ownership, history, location, facilities
• include strengths and core competencies of the registry and segue into the next section by mentioning the significant challenges faced in the near and long term.

3. Market analysis

4. Financial plan

• specify your strategy for continued growth of the Registry. Does it emphasize increased production, diversification, or eventual sale of franchises? How long will your strategy take to be partially or fully realized?
• you can consider some or all of the following aspects of the business:
  • are there start-up costs associated with your business model? how much and where will the capital come from?
  • will your registry require insurance coverage or litigation insurance
  • are there trademarks, copyrights, or patents (pending, existing, or purchased) considerations
  • how many and what kind (skilled, unskilled, and professional) of employees to you anticipate
  • where will you recruit employees?
  • will top notch employees advance? to what?
  • how will you training employees?
  • what kind of inventory will you keep: raw materials, supplies, finished goods?
  • will there be seasonal fluctuations to demand for parts?
  • will you need lead-time for ordering?
  • do you expect shortages or delivery problems?
  • are supply costs steady? reliable?
  • will you sell parts on credit?
  • how will you set prices?
  • what kind of guarantees and privacy protects will you offer?

• Existing strengths/usefulness
• Measures for success of registry
• Suggestions for improvement