BioBuilding: Synthetic Biology for Students: Lab 5: Difference between revisions
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===Background on Vitamin A production=== | ===Background on Vitamin A production=== | ||
"Nature is a masterful and prolific chemist" [[http://mmbr.asm.org/content/69/1/51.short | "Nature is a masterful and prolific chemist" [[http://mmbr.asm.org/content/69/1/51.short doi: 10.1128/MMBR.69.1.51-78.2005]] and many laboratories work hard to mimic even the smallest bit of nature's range and skill. In this experiment we'll examine the biosynthesis of a carotenoid, a member of the isoprenoid family of chemicals that is responsible for many of the vibrant colors seen in plants and animals. Nature makes it look easy! There are more than 600 natural carotenoids, playing important roles in harvesting light for photosynthesis, as anti-oxidants to detoxify reactive species, and as regulators of membrane fluidity. The color of the carotenoids is directly related to their structure, in particular the number of conjugated double bonds. A minimum of 7 conjugated bonds is needed for any color so cis-phytoene with only 3 is colorless while trans-neurosporene with 9 is yellow, and lycopene with 11 is red. The structure of carotenoids makes them lipophilic so in the lab they're more soluble in organic solvents like acetone than they are in water. We'll exploit this fact when we measure the beta-carotene in a collection of cells that we'll grow. <br> | ||
[[Image:P103b.gif|thumb|350px | chemical structure of two carotenoids]] Plants can make their own carotenoids from scratch, but animals can't so we must eat all we need. Think of the bright orange color of carrots and you're thinking of the isoprenoid they make called beta-carotene. Cut beta-carotene in half and add a water molecule and you have Vitamin A ---which is why parents tell their kids to eat their vegetables. And why developing countries that have limited food supplies have high incidents of disease due to vitamin deficiencies. For example, between at least 250,000 children in the developing world go blind each year due to Vitamin A deficiency. It's a huge problem but not a new one. As we start this "Golden Bread" module, you may want to consider existing biotechnology approaches to this issue, including the story of "golden rice" and the social impact of GMOs in the US and in Europe. <br> | [[Image:P103b.gif|thumb|350px | chemical structure of two carotenoids]] Plants can make their own carotenoids from scratch, but animals can't so we must eat all we need. Think of the bright orange color of carrots and you're thinking of the isoprenoid they make called beta-carotene. Cut beta-carotene in half and add a water molecule and you have Vitamin A ---which is why parents tell their kids to eat their vegetables. And why developing countries that have limited food supplies have high incidents of disease due to vitamin deficiencies. For example, between at least 250,000 children in the developing world go blind each year due to Vitamin A deficiency. It's a huge problem but not a new one. As we start this "Golden Bread" module, you may want to consider existing biotechnology approaches to this issue, including the story of "golden rice" and the social impact of GMOs in the US and in Europe. <br> | ||
===The Science and Engineering of Golden Bread=== | ===The Science and Engineering of Golden Bread=== | ||
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It seems like the different colored yeast strains are probably making different amounts of the vitamin A precursor molecules and we'd like a quick, easy way to know for sure. Though it's not the most precise method, we'll be using thin layer chromatography (TLC) since it's a handy way to see qualitative differences between the carotenoids being made by the different colored yeast. TLC separates complex mixtures of chemicals based on how fast they move through a solid matrix (in our case silica). The matrix can be painted onto a solid support slide (paper or glass or aluminum foil) and the material you want to analyze gets moved through the matrix by a solvent as it "wicks" from one end of the slide. For comparison we'll use store-bought vitamin A that's sold as a dietary supplement. | It seems like the different colored yeast strains are probably making different amounts of the vitamin A precursor molecules and we'd like a quick, easy way to know for sure. Though it's not the most precise method, we'll be using thin layer chromatography (TLC) since it's a handy way to see qualitative differences between the carotenoids being made by the different colored yeast. TLC separates complex mixtures of chemicals based on how fast they move through a solid matrix (in our case silica). The matrix can be painted onto a solid support slide (paper or glass or aluminum foil) and the material you want to analyze gets moved through the matrix by a solvent as it "wicks" from one end of the slide. For comparison we'll use store-bought vitamin A that's sold as a dietary supplement. | ||
=====Vitamin A stock===== | =====Vitamin A stock===== | ||
For experiments that need a stock of Vitamin A, you will have to snip the end of a capsule off, and squeeze the oily liquid into an eppendorf tube. There will likely be around 100 ul of solution that you can then pipet as needed. Be sure to label your eppendorf tube to note the contents of the tube and the date. A video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/VmehGinzn_o | For experiments that need a stock of Vitamin A, you will have to snip the end of a capsule off, and squeeze the oily liquid into an eppendorf tube. There will likely be around 100 ul of solution that you can then pipet as needed. Be sure to label your eppendorf tube to note the contents of the tube and the date. A video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/VmehGinzn_o here.]] | ||
=====Making a yeast lysate===== | =====Making a yeast lysate===== | ||
Since the vitamins are being made inside the yeast, we'll need a way to open the cells and use the solution that's on their insides (this is called a lysate). You can start with a solution of yeast that you've grown in liquid media (as described below) or you can scoop up some cells on a toothpick and put them into 500 ul of water (in which case you can start with step 3. You'll lyse the cells by vortexing them with small glass beads. A video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/dvYaUQh-IAs | Since the vitamins are being made inside the yeast, we'll need a way to open the cells and use the solution that's on their insides (this is called a lysate). You can start with a solution of yeast that you've grown in liquid media (as described below) or you can scoop up some cells on a toothpick and put them into 500 ul of water (in which case you can start with step 3. You'll lyse the cells by vortexing them with small glass beads. A video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/dvYaUQh-IAs here.]] | ||
#Mix the starting liquid overnight culture so it’s homogeneous. This can be done by swirling the culture if it’s in a flask, by inverting if the cap is tight, by flicking a small tube, or by vortexing if there is a vortex available. | #Mix the starting liquid overnight culture so it’s homogeneous. This can be done by swirling the culture if it’s in a flask, by inverting if the cap is tight, by flicking a small tube, or by vortexing if there is a vortex available. | ||
#Place a tip on your pipetman and move 500 ul of the culture to an eppendorf tube. | #Place a tip on your pipetman and move 500 ul of the culture to an eppendorf tube. | ||
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#Label the eppendorf tube that has your yeast lysate with its contents, your initials and today’s date. | #Label the eppendorf tube that has your yeast lysate with its contents, your initials and today’s date. | ||
=====Running the TLC slide===== | =====Running the TLC slide===== | ||
This experiment has been performed using TLC slides made from silica [[http://www.lablife.org/p?a=products_show&id=472346 such as these]] and a video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/xX4Tesb8TXQ | This experiment has been performed using TLC slides made from silica [[http://www.lablife.org/p?a=products_show&id=472346 such as these]] and a video of this procedure is [[http://youtu.be/xX4Tesb8TXQ here.]] | ||
[[Image:TLC slide set up.png|thumb|right|300px]] | [[Image:TLC slide set up.png|thumb|right|300px]] | ||
#Begin by putting on gloves to protect the TLC sheets from any oils or pigments on your hands | #Begin by putting on gloves to protect the TLC sheets from any oils or pigments on your hands | ||
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We don't know why the Vitamin A producing yeast system we are working with gives colonies of different colors. Perhaps some of the genes needed for vitamin production are no longer present. The strain we started with is thought to have at least one copy of all 3 genes needed for beta-carotene production. [[Media:Beta carotene Yeast AppEnvMicro 07.pdf| According to the original publication,]] these genes (crtYB, crtI and crtE) were integrated into the yeast genome using another gene (URA3) as a selectable marker. A second copy of crtI was integrated using LEU2 as a selectable marker. <br> | We don't know why the Vitamin A producing yeast system we are working with gives colonies of different colors. Perhaps some of the genes needed for vitamin production are no longer present. The strain we started with is thought to have at least one copy of all 3 genes needed for beta-carotene production. [[Media:Beta carotene Yeast AppEnvMicro 07.pdf| According to the original publication,]] these genes (crtYB, crtI and crtE) were integrated into the yeast genome using another gene (URA3) as a selectable marker. A second copy of crtI was integrated using LEU2 as a selectable marker. <br> | ||
We can look for the presence of these genes using the polymerase chain reaction ("PCR"). A nicely animated review of this technique is shown [[http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/pcr/ | We can look for the presence of these genes using the polymerase chain reaction ("PCR"). A nicely animated review of this technique is shown [[http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/pcr/ here.]] We will use short DNA pieces called primers to look for variations in crtYB. The primers are bases on the sequence of [[http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_K530000:Design| BBa_K530000,]] the version of the crtYB gene that was deposited in the [[http://partsregistry.org/Main_Page Registry of Standard Biological Parts.]] A sequence file for this gene is [[Media:CrtYB K530000.ape| here.]] The gene came from the Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous mRNA sequence of crtYB [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/nuccore/AY177204.1 that is here.]] Based on these links, what is the length of the crtYB product you are expecting from the PCR experiments? | ||
=====PCR===== | =====PCR===== | ||
We can expect no PCR product if we try to amplify crtYB from a strain that lacks the crtYB gene. Since a negative result could mean that the reactions themselves were not set up properly, we'll have to include a positive control and amplify crtYB from some plasmid DNA in a second reaction. We'll also want to compare colonies of different colors to look for different amounts of PCR product and how that might related to the colony colors. Can you anticipate any of the results? Perhaps you can make sketch of the agarose gel results you'll expect in advance of trying the experiment. That way you can more easily compare what you actually discover to what you predicted at the outset. <br> | We can expect no PCR product if we try to amplify crtYB from a strain that lacks the crtYB gene. Since a negative result could mean that the reactions themselves were not set up properly, we'll have to include a positive control and amplify crtYB from some plasmid DNA in a second reaction. We'll also want to compare colonies of different colors to look for different amounts of PCR product and how that might related to the colony colors. Can you anticipate any of the results? Perhaps you can make sketch of the agarose gel results you'll expect in advance of trying the experiment. That way you can more easily compare what you actually discover to what you predicted at the outset. <br> | ||
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*We next sent a note to the gene design experts at a company called "DNA 2.0" that said: | *We next sent a note to the gene design experts at a company called "DNA 2.0" that said: | ||
*''"Please codon randomize this sequence after bp 47 and until bp 1975. We want there to be no sequences for EcoRI, PstI, SpeI, XbaI restriction sites. We'd like the final gent to be controlled with a constitutive yeast promoter and cloned into the vector, pRS414."'' <br> | *''"Please codon randomize this sequence after bp 47 and until bp 1975. We want there to be no sequences for EcoRI, PstI, SpeI, XbaI restriction sites. We'd like the final gent to be controlled with a constitutive yeast promoter and cloned into the vector, pRS414."'' <br> | ||
After some back and forth and some further refinements, the crtYB' DNA arrived in the mail about 4 weeks after the initial request was made. The sequence of the crtYB' gene is linked [[Media:CrtYB'.ape| here.]] Using the programs below from [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/ | After some back and forth and some further refinements, the crtYB' DNA arrived in the mail about 4 weeks after the initial request was made. The sequence of the crtYB' gene is linked [[Media:CrtYB'.ape| here.]] Using the programs below from [[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/ NCBI]] and [[https://www.neb.com/ NEB,]] we double checked that the DNA was, in fact, different but the amino acid sequence was, in fact, identical. We further checked that the restriction enzyme recognition sites that we wanted excluded from the sequence were really missing. Here are the programs we used to do that: | ||
**Check codon variation with [[http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/Blast.cgi?PAGE_TYPE=BlastSearch&PROG_DEF=blastn&BLAST_PROG_DEF=megaBlast&BLAST_SPEC=blast2seq | **Check codon variation with [[http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/Blast.cgi?PAGE_TYPE=BlastSearch&PROG_DEF=blastn&BLAST_PROG_DEF=megaBlast&BLAST_SPEC=blast2seq BLAST 2n.]] | ||
**Check aa conservation with [[http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/Blast.cgi?PROGRAM=blastp&BLAST_PROGRAMS=blastp&PAGE_TYPE=BlastSearch&SHOW_DEFAULTS=on&BLAST_SPEC=blast2seq&LINK_LOC=blasttab&LAST_PAGE=blastn&BLAST_INIT=blast2seq | **Check aa conservation with [[http://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.libproxy.mit.edu/Blast.cgi?PROGRAM=blastp&BLAST_PROGRAMS=blastp&PAGE_TYPE=BlastSearch&SHOW_DEFAULTS=on&BLAST_SPEC=blast2seq&LINK_LOC=blasttab&LAST_PAGE=blastn&BLAST_INIT=blast2seq BLAST 2p]] | ||
**Check for restriction sites with [[http://tools.neb.com/NEBcutter2/ | **Check for restriction sites with [[http://tools.neb.com/NEBcutter2/ NEB cutter.]] | ||
=====Part 2B: Transforming yeast with crtYB'===== | =====Part 2B: Transforming yeast with crtYB'===== | ||
<i>S. cerevisiae</i> does not naturally uptake new DNA from its environment but can be made competent by chemical treatment. These instructions are written for a kit sold by [[https://webshop.fishersci.com/insight2_uk/mainSearch.do?keywords=MBR-236-240Y&utm_source=fisher_web&utm_medium=product_page&utm_campaign=all_product_promote | <i>S. cerevisiae</i> does not naturally uptake new DNA from its environment but can be made competent by chemical treatment. These instructions are written for a kit sold by [[https://webshop.fishersci.com/insight2_uk/mainSearch.do?keywords=MBR-236-240Y&utm_source=fisher_web&utm_medium=product_page&utm_campaign=all_product_promote Q-biogene]] to prepare competent cells. The contents of the kit are proprietary but the protocol seems most like ones for [http://dunham.gs.washington.edu/yeasttransformation.htm chemically competent cells]<br> | ||
Unlike transformations that you might be familiar with using bacteria, yeast that have been transformed are selected for using "drop out" media. In our case, the Vitamin A producing yeast also have a defect in a gene for tryptophan biosynthesis. If we grow the yeast on "rich" media, like YPD, there is enough tryptophan provided by the media for the cells to grow. If we grow the yeast on media that lacks tryptophan (called "SC-trp," where SC stands for synthetic complete), then the Vitamin A producing yeast will not live. Finally, if we transform our yeast with a plasmid like [[http://www.addgene.org/vector-database/3983/ | Unlike transformations that you might be familiar with using bacteria, yeast that have been transformed are selected for using "drop out" media. In our case, the Vitamin A producing yeast also have a defect in a gene for tryptophan biosynthesis. If we grow the yeast on "rich" media, like YPD, there is enough tryptophan provided by the media for the cells to grow. If we grow the yeast on media that lacks tryptophan (called "SC-trp," where SC stands for synthetic complete), then the Vitamin A producing yeast will not live. Finally, if we transform our yeast with a plasmid like [[http://www.addgene.org/vector-database/3983/ pRS414]] or a [[Media:PRS414 crtYB' PlasmidMap.pdf| version of pRS414 that also carries the crtYB' gene,]] then cells with the plasmid will grow and we can test them for Vitamin A production. | ||
#For each transformation you want to perform (positive control, negative control, experimental), begin by swirling a toothpick full of Vitamin A producing yeast into 500 ul of water in an eppendorf tube. | #For each transformation you want to perform (positive control, negative control, experimental), begin by swirling a toothpick full of Vitamin A producing yeast into 500 ul of water in an eppendorf tube. | ||
#Harvest the yeast by spinning the eppendorf for 30 seconds in a microfuge. | #Harvest the yeast by spinning the eppendorf for 30 seconds in a microfuge. | ||
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#Incubate your petri dishes, media-side up, at room temp or in a 30° incubator for 2 days. | #Incubate your petri dishes, media-side up, at room temp or in a 30° incubator for 2 days. | ||
#After you return to collect your data, determine the number and color of colonies on each dish. You can undertake the same analysis that you did in Part1 for the starting strain but will have to grow your colonies on SC-trp instead of YPD to maintain the plasmid in the yeast. | #After you return to collect your data, determine the number and color of colonies on each dish. You can undertake the same analysis that you did in Part1 for the starting strain but will have to grow your colonies on SC-trp instead of YPD to maintain the plasmid in the yeast. | ||
=====Part 2C: Considering alternative strategies for reliability===== | =====Part 2C: FOOD FOR THOUGHT===== | ||
As a thought exercise, research and then consider how you might implement a "kill switch" as a way to keep the Vitamin A producing yeast stable. | ======Considering alternative strategies for reliability====== | ||
As a thought exercise, research and then consider how you might implement a "kill switch" as a way to keep the Vitamin A producing yeast stable. <br> | |||
And thanks to Samira Kiani for these great thought questions!: | |||
*What other explanations could there be for the unstable phenotype? | |||
*What could you modify the genes we have, by changing the promoter for instance, and in that way increase stability? | |||
*Are organisms other than Xanthophyllomyces that have genes we could use to make our golden bread? Maybe those genes would express more reliably <br> | |||
*Add your questions and ideas here! | |||
====Part 3: Producing Golden Bread®==== | ====Part 3: Producing Golden Bread®==== | ||
A handful of genes, a cup of flour and voila-- Golden Bread®! Sounds like a million dollar idea, and one that could help address world hunger. But not so fast: what does it really take to bring this clever food product to market. Could a successful company be built around this technology? <br> | A handful of genes, a cup of flour and voila-- Golden Bread®! Sounds like a million dollar idea, and one that could help address world hunger. But not so fast: what does it really take to bring this clever food product to market. Could a successful company be built around this technology? <br> |
Revision as of 07:19, 28 February 2013
Eau That Smell Lab |
Lab 5: Golden Bread
Acknowledgments: This lab was developed with materials from the Johns Hopkins 2011 iGEM team, as well as guidance and technical insights from BioBuilder teachers around the countryObjectivesBy the conclusion of this laboratory investigation, the student will be able to:
IntroductionOne goal in the synthetic biology community is to convert scientific discoveries into practical solutions that meet real world needs. The world’s needs are many -- our population is aging, we’re putting increased pressures on our environment and there are widening economic inequalities -- but biology is a challenging material to work with. Our understanding of nature is incomplete and evolving. Our tools for engineering it are primitive. Biology is not perfectly predictable. And as a society we’re often awkward or misguided when we interface with emerging technologies. We’d like to use our powers for good, to benefit all people and the planet, but what a complex challenge that is! Background on Vitamin A production"Nature is a masterful and prolific chemist" [doi: 10.1128/MMBR.69.1.51-78.2005] and many laboratories work hard to mimic even the smallest bit of nature's range and skill. In this experiment we'll examine the biosynthesis of a carotenoid, a member of the isoprenoid family of chemicals that is responsible for many of the vibrant colors seen in plants and animals. Nature makes it look easy! There are more than 600 natural carotenoids, playing important roles in harvesting light for photosynthesis, as anti-oxidants to detoxify reactive species, and as regulators of membrane fluidity. The color of the carotenoids is directly related to their structure, in particular the number of conjugated double bonds. A minimum of 7 conjugated bonds is needed for any color so cis-phytoene with only 3 is colorless while trans-neurosporene with 9 is yellow, and lycopene with 11 is red. The structure of carotenoids makes them lipophilic so in the lab they're more soluble in organic solvents like acetone than they are in water. We'll exploit this fact when we measure the beta-carotene in a collection of cells that we'll grow. The Science and Engineering of Golden BreadXanthophyllomyces dendrorhous is a naturally red fungi that grows on tree stumps and other places. It's red because it can make its own carotenoids but it's not a particularly useful fungi in the lab or in industry. A much more useful yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. That's the fungi also known as baker's yeast since it can be used to bake bread or brew beer. Based on how much Wonderbread and Budweiser is made each year, it seems like this S. cerevisiae would be a better chassis choice for large scale production efforts. So the reasonably simple idea to move the genes over was first published by van Ooyen in 2007 pdf is here and then developed further by the 2011 iGEM team from Jef Boeke's lab at Johns Hopkins, iGEM 2011 project. The goal was to transfer the genes that make carotenoids from the red fungi, Xyanthophylomyces, into the strain that we know how to work with, namely S. cerevisiae.There are three enzymes that the red fungi makes which allow it to convert simple molecules into beta-carotene. The genes that encode the enzymes are called crtE, crtI and crtYB. One of the enzymes, encoded by crtE is already made by baker's yeast from the native BTS1 gene. The other genes are needed in a couple of places on the metabolic path from starting material (Farnesyl-PP) to beta-carotene. Then lo and behold: The baker's yeast that has crtI and crtYB and an extra copy of crtE turns out to be bright orange in color...a great indication that it's making b-carotene. But this simple idea turns out to be more complicated (of course!) and before you start baking golden bread to feed people in parts of the world with Vitamin A deficiencies, there are number of things to consider.
ProcedurePart 1: Discovering the reason for the strain's genetic instabilityPart 1A: Characterizing the genetic variability
How to restreak cellsA video showing you how to restreak cells is here.
Part 1B: Measuring with TLC variations in vitamin productionIt seems like the different colored yeast strains are probably making different amounts of the vitamin A precursor molecules and we'd like a quick, easy way to know for sure. Though it's not the most precise method, we'll be using thin layer chromatography (TLC) since it's a handy way to see qualitative differences between the carotenoids being made by the different colored yeast. TLC separates complex mixtures of chemicals based on how fast they move through a solid matrix (in our case silica). The matrix can be painted onto a solid support slide (paper or glass or aluminum foil) and the material you want to analyze gets moved through the matrix by a solvent as it "wicks" from one end of the slide. For comparison we'll use store-bought vitamin A that's sold as a dietary supplement. Vitamin A stockFor experiments that need a stock of Vitamin A, you will have to snip the end of a capsule off, and squeeze the oily liquid into an eppendorf tube. There will likely be around 100 ul of solution that you can then pipet as needed. Be sure to label your eppendorf tube to note the contents of the tube and the date. A video of this procedure is [here.] Making a yeast lysateSince the vitamins are being made inside the yeast, we'll need a way to open the cells and use the solution that's on their insides (this is called a lysate). You can start with a solution of yeast that you've grown in liquid media (as described below) or you can scoop up some cells on a toothpick and put them into 500 ul of water (in which case you can start with step 3. You'll lyse the cells by vortexing them with small glass beads. A video of this procedure is [here.]
Running the TLC slideThis experiment has been performed using TLC slides made from silica [such as these] and a video of this procedure is [here.]
Part 1C: Identifying the genetic variant with PCRWe don't know why the Vitamin A producing yeast system we are working with gives colonies of different colors. Perhaps some of the genes needed for vitamin production are no longer present. The strain we started with is thought to have at least one copy of all 3 genes needed for beta-carotene production. According to the original publication, these genes (crtYB, crtI and crtE) were integrated into the yeast genome using another gene (URA3) as a selectable marker. A second copy of crtI was integrated using LEU2 as a selectable marker. We can look for the presence of these genes using the polymerase chain reaction ("PCR"). A nicely animated review of this technique is shown [here.] We will use short DNA pieces called primers to look for variations in crtYB. The primers are bases on the sequence of [BBa_K530000,] the version of the crtYB gene that was deposited in the [Registry of Standard Biological Parts.] A sequence file for this gene is here. The gene came from the Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous mRNA sequence of crtYB [that is here.] Based on these links, what is the length of the crtYB product you are expecting from the PCR experiments? PCRWe can expect no PCR product if we try to amplify crtYB from a strain that lacks the crtYB gene. Since a negative result could mean that the reactions themselves were not set up properly, we'll have to include a positive control and amplify crtYB from some plasmid DNA in a second reaction. We'll also want to compare colonies of different colors to look for different amounts of PCR product and how that might related to the colony colors. Can you anticipate any of the results? Perhaps you can make sketch of the agarose gel results you'll expect in advance of trying the experiment. That way you can more easily compare what you actually discover to what you predicted at the outset.
3. Prepare lysate: scoop a small colony you'd like to study into 50 ul H2O and microwave for 15 seconds with the lid of the eppendorf closed. Prepare lysate for any yeast you'd like to study.
5. Add 5 ul loading dye to each sample Part 2: Engineering reliabilityA person who wears both a belt and suspenders may be WAY too worried about his pants falling down, but for system engineers, such redundancies are commonly used to avoid catastrophic failures. Car manufacturers didn't take out seat belts once air bags were invented. And in biology, many cells are diploids since haploids are more prone to suffer (i.e. die!) from deleterious mutations. Part 2A: Designing a redundant version of crtYBWith these steps, you'll see how the crtYB gene was recoded using degeneracies in the standard genetic code. With conservative substitutions, we kept the amino acid code the same but changed the DNA sequence enough to inhibit homologous recombination -- at least that's the hope! We call the new copy " crtYB' " with the "prime" indicating a codon shuffled version of the original sequence.
After some back and forth and some further refinements, the crtYB' DNA arrived in the mail about 4 weeks after the initial request was made. The sequence of the crtYB' gene is linked here. Using the programs below from [NCBI] and [NEB,] we double checked that the DNA was, in fact, different but the amino acid sequence was, in fact, identical. We further checked that the restriction enzyme recognition sites that we wanted excluded from the sequence were really missing. Here are the programs we used to do that:
Part 2B: Transforming yeast with crtYB'S. cerevisiae does not naturally uptake new DNA from its environment but can be made competent by chemical treatment. These instructions are written for a kit sold by [Q-biogene] to prepare competent cells. The contents of the kit are proprietary but the protocol seems most like ones for chemically competent cells
Part 2C: FOOD FOR THOUGHTConsidering alternative strategies for reliabilityAs a thought exercise, research and then consider how you might implement a "kill switch" as a way to keep the Vitamin A producing yeast stable.
Part 3: Producing Golden Bread®A handful of genes, a cup of flour and voila-- Golden Bread®! Sounds like a million dollar idea, and one that could help address world hunger. But not so fast: what does it really take to bring this clever food product to market. Could a successful company be built around this technology? Imagine you’ve just pitched this idea for a nutritionally-enhanced bread to a venture capital firm and a panel of angel investors. These are groups or individuals who invest their money in early stage initiatives, with expectations that they’ll make many times their investment in returns. These investors are looking for the next “Facebook.” Happily, they thought that genetically engineered yeast capable of baking vitamins into bread was an attractive idea. They were impressed by the fluffy and bright orange loaves of bread you brought. They looked yummy, even with a hearty dose of beta-carotene. They’d like you to compete with other biotech groups for next month’s round of $100,000 seed funding, but there’s a lot of work to do if you’re going to make a successful company from this synthetic organism. Here are some starter ideas for your work on this aspect of the module. Perhaps as a class you'll work through these or perhaps they'll be assigned as a project or report. Either way, if you have ideas to share, there are places on the BioBuilder website to do that! Should we engineer food? GMO debate
Who decides? FDA, EPA
How to make $: Business models
How to market? Logo designLab ReportI. Introduction
II. Methods
III. Results
IV. Discussion
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