Team:Nanjing-China

siGEM at a glance

The essential and expanding roles of small non coding RNAs are becoming clearer to us. More interestingly, plant endogenous small RNAs through food intake directly influence gene expression in animals (especially in liver) , as a recent study showed.  

We took advantage of this phenomenon, and made engineered lettuce producing artificial small RNA for therapeutic purpose. We in this case chose PGC1-alpha, whose high expression in liver can cause insulin resistance, as target. (More... in project section)

Parts at a glance

Our team designed three main modules for our project, si/mi RNA and green plant synthetic biology. They may serve as a bit of ground work for future teams working on plant.

They are RNA generating module, T-DNA module, and Barcode 2 module.

 RNA generating module make vegetable a small RNA producing factory.

Parts in T-DNA module are used for constructing customized binary vector for plant.

Barcode 2 module is a signature system for engineered plant.

(Read more in Parts and project)

Sharing

You can simply use overlapping PCR to switch the sequence of small RNAs in part BBa_K788002 to make your own parts and plant. (Detail is available in the part registry BBa_K788002). Also, you can use part BBa_K788010 and BBa_K7880005 to make new binary vectors. And you may put the signature on the plant you work with by adding a barcode 2 part at the end of your system according to rules BBa_K880007 gave.