We fight back antimicrobial resistance
With the development of blip, small infections won’t kill anymore!
DID YOU KNOW...
By 2050, antimicrobial resistance could
cause more deaths each year than cancer.
THE CRISIS OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the
most critical global health challenges since the early 2010s.
Although the discovery of antibiotics dates back to 1928 with the
identification of penicillin, [1] the gradual development of bacterial
resistance was largely overlooked until it became a major public health
concern. In 2019, AMR was directly responsible for an estimated 1.27
million deaths and contributed to nearly 4.95 million deaths worldwide.[2]
OUR SOLUTION
Our project focuses on creating an engineered microbial system
to address beta-lactam antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
We are building a conjugative system that allows horizontal gene
transfer of a plasmid containing a beta-lactamase inhibitory
protein (BLIP) from one bacterial strain to another.
BLIP works by inhibiting beta-lactamase enzymes, which
normally break down beta-lactam antibiotics.
This process aims to make resistant bacteria sensitive to
treatment again.
OUR INSPIRATION
The journey of our project began well before we entered the fully equipped
BSL-1 laboratory on the fourth floor of Hsinchu International Academy (HIA).
It traces back to mid-August 2024, when our
school had the privilege of hosting Professor
Wen-Liang Chen from NYCU Formosa,who
shared his extensive experience in iGEM and
synthetic biology. His presentation sparked
our curiosity and interest in this emerging
field, inspiring several students to explore
how biology can be applied to address real-
world challenges.
A few months later, Mr. Teoh, HIA’s chemistry teacher and now the Primary
Principal Investigator (PI) of our team, established a seminar club during
lunch activity time, where students discussed topics related to molecular
biology, genetics, and biotechnology. Through these discussions, the idea of
participating in iGEM gradually took shape. Encouraged by our club
advisor, Ms. Yi-Chen Chiu, and supported by the school community,
we decided to take the leap and form HIA’s first-ever iGEM team.
As we continued to learn more about synthetic biology and the iGEM
competition, we began brainstorming potential project directions. During these
early ideation sessions, three main areas emerged: microplastics, biofuels, and
antimicrobial resistance (AMR). After several rounds of discussion and research,
we were drawn to one of the world’s most pressing global health challenges
— Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
From that moment, our mission became clear: to explore
innovative synthetic biology solutions that contribute to
combating AMR and to raise public awareness of this
growing issue within and beyond our community.
Our slogan:
RECLAIM,
RECODE, RESIST
RESISTENCE!
HOW IT WORKS
BLIP, or Beta-Lactamase Inhibitory Protein, works by tightly binding to beta-lactamase enzymes—the bacterial proteins responsible for breaking down beta-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin and ampicillin. By blocking the enzyme’s active site, BLIP prevents the antibiotic from being degraded, allowing it to remain effective against the bacteria.
Figure 2. Illustration of BLIP’s action
In our project, we aim to use synthetic biology to engineer bacteria capable of transferring a plasmid carrying the BLIP gene to other bacterial cells through conjugation.
This process would spread the ability to inhibit beta-lactamase production across bacterial populations, effectively resensitizing resistant strains to beta-lactam antibiotics.
Through this approach, we hope to contribute a new strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance by using bacteria themselves as tools for restoring antibiotic effectiveness.
IMPLEMENTATION / VISION
Our project envisions multiple pathways for applying the BLIP system to address
antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in both medical and environmental contexts.
In the medical field, BLIP could be incorporated into a diagnostic support system to help
determine whether a bacterium’s resistance is driven by β-lactamase activity, offering a faster
and more accurate alternative to traditional phenotypic or genetic tests. The BLIP sequence itself
can be redesigned to make it inducible, which would be highly practical for future molecular
biology applications. When paired with an inducible promoter, the system could function as a
conditional survival circuit, enabling engineered bacteria to survive or self-deactivate under
specific environmental or experimental conditions. This feature enhances biosafety and
broadens BLIP’s potential use in areas such as biocontainment, therapeutic bacteria, industrial
fermentation, and environmental biosensors.
Beyond clinical applications, we also envision using environmental modeling and dry-lab
simulations to explore how BLIP-based conjugation systems could reduce the spread of β-
lactamase genes in natural reservoirs such as wastewater and soil ecosystems. Since
residual antibiotics, agricultural runoff, and improper drug disposal contribute to AMR
proliferation, these environments represent critical points for preventive intervention.
Through this approach, we hope to contribute a new strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance by using bacteria themselves as tools for restoring antibiotic effectiveness.
For example, in wastewater treatment systems, donor bacteria carrying the BLIP
construct could inhibit β-lactamase-producing strains before treated water is released.
Simulation parameters such as flow rate, mixing, and residence time could be optimized to
maximize conjugation efficiency. Similarly, in soil environments, varying moisture levels,
nutrient concentrations, and biofilm formations could be modeled to evaluate how
environmental factors affect BLIP transfer efficiency.
Through these approaches, we aim to demonstrate that BLIP is not only a promising tool for
combating AMR, but also a versatile, programmable biocontrol system with applications in
diagnostics, biosafety, and environmental management.
We fight back Antimicrobial resistance
With the development of blip, small infections
won't kill anymore!
Explore our projects!
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