Team:Alberta

From 2012.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)
 
(52 intermediate revisions not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{:Team:Alberta/Templates/Header}}
{{:Team:Alberta/Templates/Header}}
-
 
-
Welcome to the 2012 Alberta iGEM team Wiki!
 
-
 
-
This wiki is still under construction, and as such may contain missing pages or information. Do not grieve, we are still working on expanding it.
 
-
 
<html>
<html>
<div class="roundBox">
<div class="roundBox">
-
<font size=4>
+
<font size=5>
-
&nbsp;Towards a Microbial Color Wheel: Spatial Control of Gene Expression
+
Towards a Microbial Colour Wheel: Spatial Control of Gene Expression
</font>
</font>
</div>
</div>
Line 15: Line 10:
<html>
<html>
-
<div class="underline">
+
&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"/>
-
<font size=4>
+
-
Abstract
+
-
</font>
+
-
</div>
+
</html>
</html>
<br>
<br>
-
<font size=2>
 
-
As a young team composed of high schoolers and junior undergraduates, we selected a project aimed at giving ourselves a firm understanding in the fundamentals of genetic engineering and control. The end goal of our project was to create spatial color patterns using bacteria, such as a color wheel and a rainbow, that required control over several color outputs in response to spatial gradients of chemical inducers. Colour gradients were achieved using a high-copy plasmid that contained both an inducible colour gene and its corresponding repressor. Colour banding was achieved by a novel means of adjusting gene expression through plasmid copy number control that varied from 0 to ~1000 copies/cell as a function of inducer concentration. Note that the rapid loss of plasmid that occurs in the absence of inducer also constitutes a novel and extremely effective safety switch for genetically engineered organisms which might enter the environment.
 
-
</font>
 
<html>
<html>
<div class="underline">
<div class="underline">
<font size=4>
<font size=4>
-
Finished work
+
Concept
</font>
</font>
</div>
</div>
</html>
</html>
<br>
<br>
-
 
<font size=2>
<font size=2>
-
description
+
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>
</font>
 +
<br>
<br>
<br>
Line 44: Line 32:
<div class="underline">
<div class="underline">
<font size=4>
<font size=4>
-
Future plans
+
Approach
</font>
</font>
</div>
</div>
</html>
</html>
<br>
<br>
-
 
<font size=2>
<font size=2>
-
description
+
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>
</font>
<br>
<br>
Line 84: Line 71:
</a>
</a>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ualberta.ca/">
&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="60" />
+
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2012/e/e9/U_of_a.jpg" alt="U oF A" width="150" height="50" />
</a>
</a>
     </div>
     </div>
</div>
</div>
</html>
</html>
-
<br>
 
-
 
-
 
-
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
-
<br>
 
<br>
<br>

Latest revision as of 03:01, 4 October 2012




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