What is going on here?

The Aalto-Helsinki 2024 is a multidisciplinary team consisting of nine students from the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. Since 2014, Aalto-Helsinki has been representing the capital region of Finland in the world's largest synthetic biology competition: iGEM. Each year a new team is recruited to compete with the aim to develop an innovative and impactful synthetic biology project that advances scientific research and benefits society. Even though the main thing is synthetic biology, the project consists of many other things that require skills beyond the lab, such as graphic designing, business skills, project management, event coordinating and programming to make for example this website possible! During the project, each member gets to show their skills and learn a lot of new ones.

To help up in our journey, we have the support of our PIs Heli Viskari, Aalto University lecturer, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, and Markus Linder, Aalto University professor of Biomolecular materials. Additionally, we have been supported a lot by doctoral researcher Yin Yin from the Aalto University, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems. Furthermore, Ville Takio from Aalto University, School of Chemical Engineering, has been the co-advisor for our project and has supported us tremendously in the wet-lab.

Please find a more detailed list of all of the people who have shared their time and knowledge with us to make this project possible from our wiki, which will be updated through our journey. Apart from this website, you can follow our journey on our Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Our Project

Our research focuses on leveraging naturally existing adhesive proteins, such as those in mussel foot and silk, for biomedical applications. Recognizing the global cancer crisis, with new cases projected to rise by 77 % to over 35 million annually by 2050, we are addressing the urgent need for improved cancer treatments. Current chemotherapy methods often lead to severe side effecs, highlighting the necessity for more effective and precise drug delivery systems. Inspired by bio-adhesives, we develop a liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-based drug delivery system aimed at enhancing the efficacy and precision of cancer therapeutics. This innovative approach aims to minimize side effects and improve patient outcomes, offering a significant advancement in the fight against cancer. Please find more detailed project description from our wiki!

How did we do?

Results will be updated here after the Grand Jamboree!