Team:Exeter/Lab Book

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ExiGEM2012 Lab Book Home

Showcasing Polysaccharides |   Contributors: Becca Philp, Alex Clowsley, Freddie Dudbridge

Evolution has provided us with a remarkable variety of polysaccharides that have unique properties and countless uses. Their applications are visible all around us with countless examples in medicine, industry, food, cosmetics and engineering to name a few. The aim of this mini-project was to highlight some of these important polysaccharides; Hyaluronan, Levansucrase and Cyclodextrin.

GlycoBase/GlycoWeb |  Contributors: Liam Stubbington, James Lynch

The purpose of the database was to improve the user friendliness of our product. In the future we envisaged a database containing thousands of enzymes, all expressible in our E.coli, leading to a wealth of sugar production possibilities.

The purpose of the database was to improve the user friendliness of our product. In the future we envisaged a database containing thousands of enzymes, all expressible in our E.coli, leading to a wealth of sugar production possibilities.

Single Gene Plasmids and Enzyme Characterisation  |  Contributors: Alex Baldwin, Freddie Dudbridge, Alex Clowsley

With: Ryan Edginton, Alice Bond, James Lynch and Liam Stubbington

The aim of this mini-project was the construction of single gene plasmids using the glycosyltranseferase (GTase) genes we had synthesised. The aim was to put the gene behind a promoter and RBS sequence and in front of a terminator. After construction of these plasmids we aimed to determine the protein expression of the particular genes and futher characterise promoter and terminator when supplemented with appropriate inducers.

Operon Construction |   Contributors: Mary Beton, Freddie Dudbridge, Ryan Edginton

The aim of this section of the project was to construct three glycosyltransferase operons. This would be done using two different assembly methods with identical aims; first by Biobrick construction and then by the Gibson assembly method. The purpose if this was for a comparison of the assembly methods intended for future use by iGEM teams. Construction of a complete operon by both methods was attempted with the hope that they yielded the predicted three polysaccharides, synthesised by our chosen sequence of glycosltransferases.

The 3-Gene Inducible Plasmid |   Contributors: Freddie Dudbridge, Alex Clowsley, Ryan Edginton, James Lynch

The aim of this mini project was to create a three gene inducible plasmid. Each gene on the plasmid would be controlled by a unique promoter, thereby giving the capability to turn each gene on and off. Why is this important? The ability to turn the genes on and off would allow the creation of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide and a trisaccharide. We hoped that this would provide a proof of concept for a larger model, maybe 100 genes in a genome with the ability to produce a polysaccharide of choice at will.