Team:NYMU-Taipei/Project

From 2010.igem.org

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== Project overview by animation ==
== Project overview by animation ==
== Motivation ==
== Motivation ==
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Our motivation can summarize as follow:
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*We need some detail rules for “big circuit” design, for improve the development of synthetic biology.
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*We need more detail information of the interaction between parts in vivo.
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*Studying the gene expression mechanism by traditional methods takes too much time.
The biobrick parts registry is beginning to overflow with parts. However, every team that has used to parts registry knows how complex it is. Even we follow the correct arrangement of parts (i.e. regulator-RBS-coding sequence-terminator), some parts just won’t work together in a big circuit design. Current iGEM teams are favor to do a big project which has a complex circuit design. However, these excellent projects almost turn out to be just design ultimately. So much time is wasted trying to guess blindly at which parts can interact together, and which parts cannot. We need some detail rules for “big circuit” design, for improve the development of synthetic biology.
The biobrick parts registry is beginning to overflow with parts. However, every team that has used to parts registry knows how complex it is. Even we follow the correct arrangement of parts (i.e. regulator-RBS-coding sequence-terminator), some parts just won’t work together in a big circuit design. Current iGEM teams are favor to do a big project which has a complex circuit design. However, these excellent projects almost turn out to be just design ultimately. So much time is wasted trying to guess blindly at which parts can interact together, and which parts cannot. We need some detail rules for “big circuit” design, for improve the development of synthetic biology.

Revision as of 11:55, 27 October 2010


Contents

Project overview by animation

Motivation

Our motivation can summarize as follow:

  • We need some detail rules for “big circuit” design, for improve the development of synthetic biology.
  • We need more detail information of the interaction between parts in vivo.
  • Studying the gene expression mechanism by traditional methods takes too much time.

The biobrick parts registry is beginning to overflow with parts. However, every team that has used to parts registry knows how complex it is. Even we follow the correct arrangement of parts (i.e. regulator-RBS-coding sequence-terminator), some parts just won’t work together in a big circuit design. Current iGEM teams are favor to do a big project which has a complex circuit design. However, these excellent projects almost turn out to be just design ultimately. So much time is wasted trying to guess blindly at which parts can interact together, and which parts cannot. We need some detail rules for “big circuit” design, for improve the development of synthetic biology.

With this in mind, we are interested in more specific design rules of a genetic circuit. We want to look closely at the central dogma, and more specifically, mRNA.

Modern research is focused on using genes as a reporter, but we want to quantitative description of gene expression in both space and time. Base on the more detail information of gene expression, we can know the interaction between parts in vivo. However, studying the gene expression mechanism by traditional methods takes too much time. To reduce the times of dealing this problem we have come up with our project: SpeedyBac.

Overview

For iGEM2010, the NYMU-Taipei team has created a novel assay that can speed up the expression cycle of a gene. Furthermore, the assay also reveals the location and quantity of both mRNA and Proteins. Between the mRNA level and protein level of our gene expression cycle, we have integrated a riboswitch that allows us to stop, start and control the translation of protein. Using this switch, we can study mRNA and protein in one cycle without the interference of one on the other. Lastly, we have built a speedy degradation system that stops the gene expression quickly, and cleanly.

Design

To achieve our goals, our design can split into three parts:

  • Speedy switch
    • Controls and speends up protein translation via a riboswitch between mRNA and protein level of gene expression.
  • Speedy reporter
    • Using mRNA aptamers and split GFP-eIF4A reporter systems to quickly promoter activity.
  • Speedy protein degrader
    • Fast, specific, and constitutive proteolysis achieved by engineering fluorescent proteins with LVA tags.

Acknowledgements

Dr. Chris Proud, for providing us pGEX-eIF4A for experiment.