Team:HKU-Hong Kong

From 2010.igem.org

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<h1>Abstract of our project</h1>
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| Our team picked out the idea of engineering a mechanism that can act as a safety net to prevent genetically modified bacteria from performing undesired tasks in "inappropriate" environments.  
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| Our team’s project is a “bio-safety net” that limits the survival of bacteria according to tailored conditions.
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|Bacteria are genetically engineered to perform various functions.Prospective functions include biodegradation of crude oil and killing of cancer cells. Yet, undesired tasks might be performed by the baterium itself as well. The idea of the introduction of a "suicide" mechanism under specific conditions would serve the purpose of a "bio-safety net".
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Bacteria could be designed to perform promising tasks, such as the biodegradation of oil to clean up oil spills. Yet, there are risks associated with the possibility of living bacteria performing undesired activities. Our goal is to introduce a “bio-safety net” that will be applicable to virtually all genetically engineered bacteria as a vital termination step after their tasks have finished.
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|Mechanism and conditions for cell destruction were investigated. We found the biopart Bba_k112808 from the UC Berkeley team, (i.e. an enterobacteria phage T4 Lysis Device with no promotor)useful in attaining cell destruction. The idea of a bio-safety net is to limit the survival of the bacteria to (some) customized and specific condition(s).
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We have made this possible by introducing a "suicide" mechanism, that will be triggered under specific conditions. By combining different promoters, the system can respond to changes in  environmental factors and control expression specific to chosen factors. Such mechanism can be easily assembled and incorporated to bacteria through the use of biobricks.  
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|Matching of different promotors, corresponding to different environmental factors with the expression control of the lysis device, gives possibilities in designing biobricks that provide a "bio-safety net" to virtually all genetically engineered bacteria.
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Revision as of 15:51, 18 October 2010

The Bio-Safety Net

Welcome to the wiki of the HKU igem team 2010

The title of our project this year is "The Bio-Safety Net"

We are from the University of Hong Kong. Our team was formed in early April with 12 student members from different areas of studies.

Contact us

Abstract of our project

The "Bio-Safety Net"
Bacteria could be designed to perform promising tasks, such as the biodegradation of oil to clean up oil spills. Yet, there are risks associated with the possibility of living bacteria performing undesired activities. Our goal is to introduce a “bio-safety net” that will be applicable to virtually all genetically engineered bacteria as a vital termination step after their tasks have finished. We have made this possible by introducing a "suicide" mechanism, that will be triggered under specific conditions. By combining different promoters, the system can respond to changes in environmental factors and control expression specific to chosen factors. Such mechanism can be easily assembled and incorporated to bacteria through the use of biobricks.
Our team’s project is a “bio-safety net” that limits the survival of bacteria according to tailored conditions.


 

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