03.09.2012

Main topic: Task distribution for the week. Upon discussion with the Aptamer Team (Ali and Maryam) and Praveen, the following tasks were scheduled to be done during this week:

• Do a chart comparing the prices, delivering times, characteristics for the PDGF that the different companies offer. (Aptamer Group)
• Contact Ralf Seidel (Seidel’s group has stuff from Sigma, so they might have some discount or partnership) or Sigma-Aldridge directly, as they have Human PDGF BB in their stock, and ask for a sponsorship or a discount for the team. (Ali is working on it). (Aptamer Group)
• Order the optimal PDGF (AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!!-> The delivery times are around 2 weeks!!!). (Aptamer Group)
• Ask Michael Schlierf if an spectrophotometric assay might be the best technique for determining the reaction kinetics of the aptamer in labeled and unlabeled conditions. If it is; start right away as soon as the PDGF is here!!! If not, then ask him what he would suggest (FRET?)(Aptamer Group)
• Contact Dominik to ask about the new chol modified sequences that Yixin sent and confirm with Alex and Santiago if they do not overlap with the strands in the origami structure. (GUVs and Origami Group)
• In case they overlap, they have to be immediately ordered from a company (no time for synthetizing them) using sequences that do not overlap for sure. (GUVs Group)
• Ask Dominik and Ralf about the Quantum Dots usage, assemble new structures with QDs and start running the respective experiments; LSM for the GUVs and Gel Shift for the Origami. (GUVs and Origami Group)
• TEM image all the different DNA Origami constructs that were assembled to determine the best conditions for the origami and for negative staining. (Origami Group)
• Determine the Layout and colors of the wiki webpage. Discuss the logo. (Santiago)
• Meet Marino Zerial at 3:00pm tomorrow (05.09.2012) to discuss about possible applications for the project. IMPORTANT: The feedback we get from Marino should be used to write the ABSTRACT of the project!!!!!! The more or less final draft has to be done the latest on Friday, so that next week on Monday we can meet with our supervisors for final corrections!!!!!! REMEMBER!!! ---> The abstract has to be send before Friday 14.09.2012 to shawn.douglas@wyss.harvard.edu. (Everyone).
• Next Meeting on Friday 07.09.2012 before Beer Hour in Biotec (16:00). Results/progress evaluation!!