Team:Alberta

From 2012.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)
 
(147 intermediate revisions not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
-
{{:Team:Alberta/Templates/headerpicture}}
+
{{:Team:Alberta/Templates/Header}}
-
{{:Team:Alberta/Templates/boxcatogories}}
+
<html>
 +
<div class="roundBox">
 +
<font size=5>
 +
Towards a Microbial Colour Wheel: Spatial Control of Gene Expression
 +
</font>
 +
</div>
 +
</html>
 +
<br>
 +
<html>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/b/b2/Rainbow_copy_copy_2.jpg" alt="rinbow picture" height="400" width="600"/>
 +
</html>
 +
<br>
-
== The Project of future ==
 
 +
<html>
 +
<div class="underline">
 +
<font size=4>
 +
Concept
 +
</font>
 +
</div>
 +
</html>
 +
<br>
 +
<font size=2>
 +
What can we do with synthetic biology, and how easily can we do it? We picked a straightforward test: making and combining gradients of color to create patterns such as a rainbow and a color wheel. Doing this would require gaining control over several color outputs in a smoothly varying manner, and being able to pattern the inputs to create the pattern desired. Achieving this would demonstrate a degree of fine control over engineered organisms.
 +
</font>
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
-
This year the University of Alberta team is developing a biological sensor circuit with three pigment colours to generate multiple coloured output results. We developed this idea because traditional biological reporters have been limited to a small set of fluorescent proteins and colour genes, which produce only an all-or-none output. Furthermore, having only a single channel of output limits the application of other sensors in a single biological device. Therefore, this is clear that the traditional sensor system requires easy to use bioreporters that are capable of responding to chemical gradients and mixing independent output channels. As a result, we used existing genetic parts to construct a biosensor circuit, such as the Uppsala chromoproteins, the Cambridge colours, switching mechanism (transcriptional activation competition) discovered by the 2010 iGEM team, and assembly methods pioneered by the 2009 and 2010 iGEM teams. Moreover, the biosensor circuit is designed to be regulated by chemical gradients and produce an output of various colours to generate a colour wheel. This biosensor will become the new age of easy–to-read reporter that are incorporated into new versions of the Genomikon kit, which direct impact both research and education usage.
+
<html>
 +
<div class="underline">
 +
<font size=4>
 +
Approach
 +
</font>
 +
</div>
 +
</html>
 +
<br>
 +
<font size=2>
 +
We used and improved the great colors from Uppsala 2011 as outputs. We first tried putting them under IPTG control, which was successful, but the dynamic range was disappointing. Next, we developed and tested a means of controlling copy number, which allowed us to both increase the dynamic range of control, and also create a permanently settable switch through plasmid loss. (Incidentally, this could make a great safety switch for environmental release.) Finally, we designed a system that would use these parts to create a rainbow of color, although we didn’t have time to finish putting the pieces together.
 +
</font>
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
-
== Team Bio==
+
<html>
-
 
+
<div class="roundBox">
-
This year our iGEM team consists of four undergraduate students, as well as four high school students who will be joining our team later in the summer. We are being advised by two professors and a PhD student. It will be an interesting year for our team as only three of the eight team members have a background in biological sciences. Through being a smaller team however, we are all able to get lots of experience both in lab and office duties. We are looking forward to having a great time representing the University of Alberta this fall in the coming regional and hopefully championship jamborees.
+
<font size=4> 
 +
2012 Sponsors
 +
</font>
 +
</div>
 +
</html>
 +
<html>
 +
<div class="roundBox">
 +
    <div class="roundBoxInner">
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.albertatechfutures.ca/Home.aspx">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/8/8b/Alberta_innovates.jpg" alt="Alberta innovates" width="150" height="75" />
 +
</a>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://geneious.com/web/geneious/home">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/5/5e/Sponsor_geneious.png" alt="Geneious" width="150" height="75" />
 +
</a>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.idtdna.com/site">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/2/22/IDT-Logo.jpg" alt="IDT" width="150" height="75" />
 +
</a>
 +
<br>
 +
<br>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.neb.ca/">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/b/bb/Bioenb.png" alt="NEB" width="150" height="75" />
 +
</a>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.osli.ca/">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/8/82/OSLI.png" alt="OSLI" width="150" height="75" />
 +
</a>
 +
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ualberta.ca/">
 +
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/e/e9/U_of_a.jpg" alt="U oF A" width="150" height="50" />
 +
</a>
 +
    </div>
 +
</div>
 +
</html>
 +
<br>

Latest revision as of 03:01, 4 October 2012

   Team Alberta




Towards a Microbial Colour Wheel: Spatial Control of Gene Expression

               rinbow picture


Concept

What can we do with synthetic biology, and how easily can we do it? We picked a straightforward test: making and combining gradients of color to create patterns such as a rainbow and a color wheel. Doing this would require gaining control over several color outputs in a smoothly varying manner, and being able to pattern the inputs to create the pattern desired. Achieving this would demonstrate a degree of fine control over engineered organisms.

Approach

We used and improved the great colors from Uppsala 2011 as outputs. We first tried putting them under IPTG control, which was successful, but the dynamic range was disappointing. Next, we developed and tested a means of controlling copy number, which allowed us to both increase the dynamic range of control, and also create a permanently settable switch through plasmid loss. (Incidentally, this could make a great safety switch for environmental release.) Finally, we designed a system that would use these parts to create a rainbow of color, although we didn’t have time to finish putting the pieces together.

2012 Sponsors
                Alberta innovates             Geneious             IDT

                NEB             OSLI             U oF A

Retrieved from "http://2012.igem.org/Team:Alberta"