Team:Exeter/Achievements

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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
  • Considered human practice approaches and discussed with several experts the human practice considerations, hosted a human practice panel and discussed with the wider community at Café Scientifique.
  • Discussed our project with various businesses including Shell and we received letters of support from DSTL, ISCA Biochemical Ltd.
  • Made promoter-RBS-gene-terminator constructs for two of the genes with more in construction
  • 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.