IGEM:IMPERIAL/2009/Brainstormings

Brainstorming Sessions

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Auto-encapsulating pills

Continuation on idea from the forum.

Calcium encapsulation; in yeast cells (S.cerevisiae); use artificial cell. Create artificial cell for yeast, control time that it releases the molecules for auto-encapsulation. Individual cell coated with calcium layer. Layer by layer process.
Cells enter stationary phase and extends their lifetime. Use as scaffold.
Embed into calcium carbonate layer.
Design membrane protein covered in nucleation sites and control release.

Applications:
Drugs (oral delivery - dissolve coat in stomach acid, delvier drug. Ideally cell would be dead, but required drug contents would be present and released upon breakdown on coat), storage, improve efficiency of transport. Burn off with acid. Put acidic receptors - can model and adjust parameters.
Paper looked at artificial way. Charge to outer layer for deposition at nucleation sites. Adapt this to enable the cell to do it itself.

Further research:

• Look more into coat formation.
  
• Find any existing membrane proteins that could be upregulated and singly negatively charged amino acids.
  
• Modules.
  
• Release, transport, application.
  
• Probiotic release of myelrosinase?
  
• pH at which shell is broken down and induction of restriction enzyme to break down all DNA in the chassis.
  
• Once encapsulated is there possible reaction with anything?
  
• Drug synthesis?
  
• Feasibility.
  

Useful Papers:

Yeast Encapsulation

The Organic-Mineral Interface in Biominerals

Bacterial and Archaeal S-Layers as a Subject of Nanobiotechnology

MATERIALS ASSEMBLY AND FORMATION USING ENGINEERED POLYPEPTIDES

Biologically Induced Mineralization by Bacteria

Surfaces functionalized with self-assembling S-layer fusion proteins for nanobiotechnological applications

Genetic Circuits & Directed Evolution

Highly mutatable polymerase. Use GFP protein to select. Strength of fluorescence determines whether mutation has increased or decreased fitness.
Intuitively pick best function.
Parallels with theories in systems biology. Introduce mutations to optimise the circuit. Link in with idea of small world networks - optimisation of systems. Test robustness of genetic circuits.

Further research:

• Determine nodes/genetic circuit to be optimised.
  
• Jumping genes/transposons.
  
• Feasibility.
  
• Find more rational approach - determine exactly how to optimise system rather than using directed evolution.
  
• As a stress test?
  
• Applications.

Hydrogen from Biomass

magA...! Full two-page report from James. Increase hydrogen yield.

Further research:

• How is it SB more than metabolic engineering.
  
• Other solutions to producing hydrogen - diatoms. Used currently in water purification - production of hydroxy radicals.
  
• Difficulty in separating titanium oxide from water - use magnetite and use this to remove from water. Reduces efficiency.
  
• Added layer of silicon to overcome this - retain magnetic properties but doesn't heat up. Could introduce magA to diatoms?
  
• Genetic engineering approaches to produce hydrogen.
  
• Feasibility.
  

Bioelectricity

Harvard '08 iGEM project.
Produce electricity. Wild-type - mtrB gene. Wild type which contains the mtrB gene produces more electricity. Increase temperature and more electricity is produced.
Also, microbial fuel cell.
Exact mechanism unknown. But knock out certain genes or introduce others can increase electricity production.
Anaerobic anode, exploitation of lac to transfer electrons to cathode.
Different classes of bacteria that produce electricity.

Further research:

• Find applications.
  
• Feasibility.
  
• Difficulties surrounding chassis and which strain would be used.
  
• Combination with magnets?
  
• Find novel and exciting application.
  
• Stabilisation of production?
  
• Electricity as output module of camera idea or magnetometer.
  
• Use as quantification tool?

Camera

Couple with output to computer.
Level of fluorescence.
Heigh resolution of cell input and output.
Measure high numbers of cells, eg each cell acts as a pixel.

Further research:

• Think of what to detect.
  
• How precise would it be?
  
• How to get as high a resolution as possible?
  
• Possibility of measurement of pH of single cells. Although pH will diffuse.
  
• Have source of electrons as output.
  
• Link to flagella?
  
• Why link biology to electronics? Reasoning - Why have a biological camera?
  
• Feasibility.
  

Royah Vaezi