Team:Tokyo Metropolitan/Project

From 2010.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)

Revision as of 19:15, 20 September 2010

Abstract

We are the team "Tokyo Metropolitan" from the Tokyo Metropolitan University. We have three projects.First, producing useful nanofiber, "E. coli fiber." Second, creating animal pattern, "E. coli pattern formation." Finally, distingishing rice, "E. coli rice master."

E.coli Fiber Project

We started "E.coli Fiber Project" which has the approach to make a parts for having E.coli produce bacterial cellulose,one of nanofiber. Bacterial cellulose is the celllulose produced by bacteria, for example Acetobacter. This bacterio cellulose is very fine fiber, one hundred to twenty nanometers in diameter. This is good material for industrial and medical products. For instance, filter, paper, medicine and so on. "E.coli Fiber Project" is one of the developments of nanofiber technology.

E.coli Pattern Formation Project

Do you know how the animal specific skin patterns of animals such as the zebra and the giraffe developed?? This mechanism was unclear for long time. Recently, the leading mechanism of the fore-mentioned pattern formation has been advocated. It is the "Reaction -Diffusion equation", proposed by A.Turing in 1842. Using this equation, we can reproduce animal specific animal skin patterns. Our goal is to reproduce this model in E. coli using the synthetic biological approach. To create the model, there are some rules;
1. There are two components- the activator and inhibitor
2.Activator's self activation
3.Inhibitor's activation by activator
4.activator's inhibition by inhibitor
5.diffusion speed: Inhibitor>Activator
We use two types of E.coli as the Activator and the Inhibitor, which have different plasmid gene. Our system regulates their transcription each other, and creates interaction between the Activator and the Inhibitor.

E.coli Rice Master Project

Rice, our staple food, is a supporter of the rich Japanese rich food life, as a well-balanced healthy food and the only foodstuff which Japan can be self-sufficient for. Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regards to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species. There are many varieties of rice; for many purposes the main distinction is between high and low-amylose rice. The grains of high-amylose tend to remain intact after cooking. In contrast, the grains of low-amylose tend to remain less intact after cooking. Also, Japanese like low-amylose rise, and it suits for valuous foods. In general, Japanese rice contains lower amylose than rice from other countries. The lower amyrose rice is the higher quality rice in Japan and other countries. In fact, the export of Japanese rice is increasing. High quality Japanese rice is part of Japanese pride!!! Here, we here suggest a new way to distinguish between high and low amylose rice. Rice master of E. coli distinguishes Japanese rice( low-amylose) and foreign rice( high-amylose). Rice master can detect difference of a value of amylose . Rice master shows us the quality of the rice by colors. In the future, you'll have your own original master. If you are vegetarian, you will have Vegetable master. It is happy your original master protect our safe of food.

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 	<table align="center">
-<hr>
 	<tr>
 		<td width="900" colspan="2" align="left">