Team:WashU

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Revision as of 20:07, 4 June 2012

Team

The third ever Washington University iGEM team is composed of six undergraduate sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in Biology, Biochemistry, and Biomedical Engineering. With the help of two mentors, Dr. Joe Jez and Dr. Gautam Dantas, and several graduate students (Brian Landry, Bert Berla, and Larry Page), the team decided to synthesize the components of saffron in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis.

Project Abstract

Description of the project will then follow.

Saffron is renowned as one of the worlds best spices, contributing both intense color and distinctive flavor to food. Unfortunately, it also has a reputation for being the world's most expensive spice. This is especially troubling given that recent research has suggested that extracts of saffron could serve a clinical role as both an anticarcinogenic and anti depressive drug candidate. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2025883] [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01133.x/abstract][http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3484/abstract;jsessionid=72474E49AC0D97B4252349D86064C49B.d02t04][http://www.actahort.org/books/650/650_54.htm]. In particular safranal and crocin, which also contribute to the flavor and color of saffron, have shown promise as clinical therapeutics. Expression of these two products in an alternative species holds promise as a way to generate the supply needed for the clinical effects of saffron to be fully studied at a reasonable cost. Similarly, they could also be used to make the flavor and color of saffron more widely available to those that cannot afford the natural product.

Synechocystis, a model cyanobacteria, is a promising candidate for production of safranal and crocin. It is routinely used for cloning and already produces the precursor of both of these products, Zeaxanthin. Using the tools of synthetic biology, it is the hope that WashU iGEM 2012 can successfully develop Synechocystis as a way to produce these valuable products.

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Saffron

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 Description of the project will then follow.
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 Saffron is renowned as one of the worlds best spices, contributing both intense color and distinctive flavor to food.  Unfortunately, it also has a reputation for being the world's most expensive spice.  This is especially troubling given that recent research has suggested that extracts of saffron could serve a clinical role as both an anticarcinogenic and anti depressive drug candidate.  [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2025883] [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01133.x/abstract][http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3484/abstract;jsessionid=72474E49AC0D97B4252349D86064C49B.d02t04][http://www.actahort.org/books/650/650_54.htm].  In particular safranal and crocin, which also contribute to the flavor and color of saffron, have shown promise as clinical therapeutics.  Expression of these two products in an alternative species holds promise as a way to generate the supply needed for the clinical effects of saffron to be fully studied at a reasonable cost.  Similarly, they could also be used to make the flavor and color of saffron more widely available to those that cannot afford the natural product.
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