This year the iGEM Leiden team will try to create a library of reporters that respond to stresses in different cellular pathways, by fusing stress-induced promoters to pigmented chromoproteins in E. coli. In this manner, stress-inducing compounds can be discovered with greater ease and developed for application in combination therapy, aimed at inducing synthetic lethality and countering antimicrobial resistance.

As multiple entrepreneur and pharmaceutical scientist, Bart Wuurman has been instrumental to the successful exits of biotech companies Lanthio Pharma and AM-Pharma in The Netherlands and Antisoma in the United Kingdom. He was involved with raising approximately € 80 million in equity funding. Before becoming CEO, Bart was VP Business Development and Licensing for Antisoma plc and Medeva plc in the United Kingdom, where he was responsible for out-licensing deals worth over €700 million.

Since the release of the Hyperloop white-paper by Elon Musk the interest in the Hyperloop concept skyrocketed. The idea is to travel in a low pressure tube, reducing air resistance, through which transport will become cheaper, more efficient and faster.

Students all over the world are challenged by SpaceX to compete in the Hyperloop competition. SpaceX builds a half-size tube, students build a half-size pod. Doing this, the development of the Hyperloop concept will get an enormous boost and the realization of the Hyperloop will get closer every day!