https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/index.htmlAbout me I am originally from Poland and spent six years living in the UK, where I studied BA in Media & Communication at De Montfort University, Leicester before completing an MA in Innovation Management at Central Saint Martins, London. I am now based in Barcelona.Hugoenhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-01-hw-project-ideas/index.htmlFashion Feeds on Pollution Starting point I grew up in Silesia, a region whose landscape, economy and sense of itself were built by coal. As Poland moves away from coal, I find myself less interested in how an industry ends than in what it leaves behind, and whether any of that residue can be put to work.https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-02-hw-dna-design/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-02-hw-dna-design/index.htmlThis week focused on DNA Design — understanding how DNA can be organised into functional parts and combined to control how a biological system behaves. Coming from design rather than biology, what interested me most was the shift in perspective: DNA is not only something to observe and understand, but something that can also be designed. A simple genetic construct can be built from four main elements: Promoter → RBS → CDS → Terminator Promoter — controls where transcription begins. RBS (Ribosome Binding Site) — influences how efficiently a protein is produced. CDS (Coding Sequence) — contains the DNA instructions for producing a protein. Terminator — signals the end of transcription. Figure 1. Common components of a genetic circuit.https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-03-hw-cell-free/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-03-hw-cell-free/index.htmlOverview This week I worked on designing cell-free protein synthesis reactions for sfGFP, PETase and Reteplase. I started from Ginkgo reference formulations and used AI to help explain the biology, compare ingredients and check the volume calculations. My aim was to propose affordable reactions that could still produce functional protein. At this stage, I have submitted my sfGFP design and chosen a PETase design. The reactions have not been tested, and I do not yet have experimental results.https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-04-lab-cloud-lab/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-04-lab-cloud-lab/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-05-hw-digital-microfluidics/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-05-hw-digital-microfluidics/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-06-lab-nuclera/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-06-lab-nuclera/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-07-hw-mass-spec/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-07-hw-mass-spec/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-08-lab-bacterial-manufacturing/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-08-lab-bacterial-manufacturing/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-09-hw-genetic-circuits/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-09-hw-genetic-circuits/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-10-lab-mammalian-manufacturing/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/week-10-lab-mammalian-manufacturing/index.htmlhttps://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/final-project/index.htmlMon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/aleksandra-piotrowska/final-project/index.html