UCSC Group Addressing the Inaccessibility of Type II Diabetes
International Genetically Engineered Machine, iGEM, is an international nonprofit organization that hosts an annual synthetic biology competition. This year’s team aims to execute a project using the resources and privileges we have to serve a positive human impact among under-resourced communities globally.
The UCSC iGEM team has historically reflected the diverse student body on campus, and this year’s team is no exception. Our team consists of 14 ambitious undergradu- ate students, our TA Eric Malekos, our intern from Hartnell Community College Gabino Guzman, and advisor David Bernick. The various cultural backgrounds, international identities, genders, sexualities, and academic interests that are represented on our team, provides us with various perspectives from a broad scope of communities. This enables our team to seek a more complex understanding of problems in order to reach respective solutions. Students participating in iGEM work closely together for a full year, sharing successes and setbacks that develop lifelong bonds. iGEM cultivates a supportive and driven scientific community on campus and builds a platform for the upcoming generation of professionals in the industry and beyond.
PROJECT PROPOSAL
Our team is interested in addressing the inaccessibility of Type II diabetes treatment and medication. Diabetes affects 1 in 10 people globally and is the world’s 7th leading cause of death. From discussions with endocrinologists and digging through databases online, our team discovered 50-85% of all chronic complications associated with diabetes are preventable by treatment and medication. We recognize diabetes is an accessibility issue, and as a result we strive to create an equitable solution.
Exendin-4 is a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist drug (GLP1 RA) that triggers a cascade response which leads to increased insulin production and sensitivity. GLP1 RAs are at the forefront of Type II diabetes treatment, but are concerningly expensive. We are working to create a yeast and micro algae containing bioencapsulated GLP1 RA exendin-4 that is cost-effective, propagated in as little as a square foot of space, and distributed globally as a thermally stable, orally administered medication.
Diabetes is projected to increase 50% over the next 20 years and even more so in advancing countries that do not have medical infrastructure equipped to offer adequate treatment. Looking specifically at our local community, Santa Cruz has one of the largest unhoused populations in the Bay Area relative to its size. As diabetes disproportionately affects lower income populations, tackling the inaccessibility of Type II treatment will have a big impact on our local community.
Although our focus is on diabetes, the mechanism we create for accessible peptide drug delivery may be utilized for an array of different medications as our ultimate goal is to find equitable solutions to fill in the gaps that current health systems fail to address.