Template:FAQ/Adding Parts

What's the difference between a basic and composite part?

• Basic Parts are discrete functional units of DNA. They cannot be subdivided into smaller component parts.
• Composite Parts are functional units made from an ordered series of basic parts or other composite parts.

In order to create a composite part, each basic part that composes it must already be added and documented to the Registry.

Can I add RNA parts or Proteins (AA)?

No the Registry only accepts DNA. For RNA, you would use the DNA sequence that transcribes your RNA sequence, and give it a part type of RNA.

Tip: Avoid special characters when adding a part

Special characters like ' / - _ in the short description may cause issues with generating the part pages.

How do I delete a part?

You can delete a part by going to a part's "Information" page and setting the DNA status to "deleted".

I synthesized my entire device. Can I add it as a basic part and give it the correct part type?

No, this should be added as a composite part. You should make sure that the basic parts that compose these parts are on the Registry (already exist or you'll be adding them as new basic parts if necessary). You can can go to part tools > edit sequence and features and generate your composite part without BioBrick scars (Blunt Assembly). You can create a small basic part(s) with a part type of "Scar," and enter those in between the basic parts that constitute your composite part.

I want to add a part but do not know the sequence

All users should know their part's sequence before working with it. However, you can still add and document your part and add/edit the sequence later by going to part tools >> edit sequence and features.

How do I document an improvement on an existing part on the Registry?

There are many different ways to improve an existing part, from adding measurement data to codon-optimization. Please see our help page on contributions. Note that the following page is on how to document different types of contributions or improvements. Make sure to read through the medal criteria for a given iGEM year to understand what the judges are looking for.

How do I see if my part is compatible?

The Sequence & Features box will show you assembly compatibility.

The Assembly Compatibility checks that a part will meet the requirements for the Registry's supported assembly standards. It will show if there are any illegal restriction sites for a part. The above image shows a basic part the is compatible with RFC 10 and 1000, amongst others.

Note: All parts submitted to the Registry for competition evaluation (medal criteria, awards) must be BioBrick (RFC[10] compatible or Type IIS RFC[1000], unless an exemption has been given.

See the competition delivearbles page for part requirements

We have a part that we'd like to add, but it is not BioBrick RFC10 compatible or iGEM Type IIS compatible

Yes, please add and document it on the Registry. But make sure to see the parts deliverables page for competition requirements.

Should I include the BioBrick prefix and suffix or iGEM Type IIS prefix and suffix in my part's sequence?

No, your part's sequence should not include the prefix and suffix. While your parts should be assembly compatible, the prefix and suffix are an element of the plasmid backbone, not the part.

How do I upload images to part pages

Use uploads.igem.org to access your upload space. You can then use html tags in the wiki code:

< html ><img src = "url goes here">< /html > (removing the spaces in the html tags)

I have made a part, but cannot edit a wiki page

Make sure to follow the login instructions here, as you need to login to igem.org, and then into the part wiki.