<Collapsibletitle="Prof. Dr. Ignatova – CF Expert & Researcher"id="ignatovaanalyseC">
<p>Through our collaboration with iGEM Hamburg[Link], we were introduced to Prof. Ignatova, a leading expert in cystic fibrosis (CF) research. Initially, we consulted her to gain a deeper understanding of CF. Later, when the HEK cells from Leuven proved unsuitable for our tests, we reached out again to explore alternative cell models. </p>
<p>Through our collaboration with <ahref="https://2024.igem.wiki/hamburg/"title="iGEM Hamburg"> iGEM Hamburg</a>, we were introduced to Prof. Ignatova, a leading expert in cystic fibrosis (CF) research. Initially, we consulted her to gain a deeper understanding of CF. Later, when the HEK cells from Leuven proved unsuitable for our tests, we reached out again to explore alternative cell models. </p>
<p>Prof. Ignatova provided access to the CFBE41o- cell line, immortalized CF cells derived from a CF patient, which we obtained with permission from Prof. Karl Kunzelmann at the University of Regensburg. This cell line offered us a new, reliable testing system, and we successfully cultivated the cells in our lab, although they required significant time to acclimate and grow. </p>
<p>Looking forward, we plan to conduct patch-clamp experiments with these cells to validate our prime editing approach. Our discussions with Prof. Ignatova also broadened our perspective on gene therapy. She shared her work on recoding tRNAs to address defective mutations, which introduced us to alternative therapeutic strategies. This was an eye-opening experience that added depth to our approach. </p>