Team:Exeter/Achievements

From 2012.igem.org

Revision as of 16:05, 26 September 2012 by Freddie (Talk | contribs)

Protocol 6

Achievements and Failures
  • Successfully cloned and submitted 14 biobricks into the registry
  • Successfully cloned over 32 more Biobricks waiting to be transferred into pSB1C3 plasmids
  • Using PCR we obtained wbbC gene from BL21 genome
  • Created GlycoBase; a database containing a list of over 100 different glycosyltransferase enzymes mainly from E.coli strains demonstrating the vast linkages we could achieve with just E.coli enzymes
  • Created GlycoWeb, an interface for an online user to access Glycobase. Glycoweb has the ability to tell you which enzymes are needed to create your bespoke polysaccharide.
  • Created GlycoApp; an application for a handheld device to access the Glycobase giving the user distance access and enhanced ordering capabilities
  • The project evolved with human practices for the consideration of the ethical, societal, environemntal and business aspects of our project. We held a human practice panel, Café Scientifique talk, met with various company members from different business sectors, led an A level master class and worked with several work experience students.
  • The discussions with various businesses had a very positive response and we received several letters of support.
  • We created devices to test our proteins, test our natural polysaccharides and to help construct our 3 gene inducible plasmid. These included BBa_K094120_BBa_B0034_ WclY_BBaB0014, BBa_J13002_ Wbnk_BBaB0014, BBa_J23119_BBa_B0034_ WbnJ_BBaB0014 BBa_J13002_ompA_BBa_J322921 and BBa_K20600_ompA_BBa_J322921.
  • We managed to obtain 7 of 9 fragments for Gibson assembly through PCR. The different annealing temperatures of the primers made this hard but showed how important the preparation for Gibson has to be
  • In touching distance of completing our operons. Only time stopped this happening.
  • We were one construct away from being able to complete our 3 gene inducible plasmid.


  • Synthesis of a previously well characterised small polysaccharide, which can be physically and also biochemically characterised, to show that the product will act in biological systems as expected. Once a fully characterised polysaccharide is produced, we would be in a much stronger position to offer novel products and to start to address the exciting possibilities of our method.
  • We were not able to fully test our constructs and properly characterise our biobricks.