Preliminary Project Description

These are our projects!

Magneto-tactic

There are micro organisms called magneto-tactic bacteria which can make nano-magnets in their body. These organisms have a property to move in a certain direction associated with magnetic field. Our idea is to introduce this property into E. coli. Therefore, we want E. coli to show magneto-taxis. Nano-magnets could be used as a recording device, a catalysts. And this technology could be applicable also for environmental re-mediation and drug delivery. These are the applications we would like to explore. But just being able to play with bunch of nano-magnets would be loads of fun.

Type lll Secretion Apparatus

Next project is about Type lll Secretion Apparatus which is one of the most amazing biological devices. It can pass a whole protein molecule from a bacterial cell to a target eukaryotic cell. This apparatus which looks like a syringe is an organelle of gram-negative bacterium. We are aiming at making this device available for E. coli thus developing a new way for interaction between cells by injection of desired proteins directly into another cell.

E. coli as a pet

This project is about rethinking the relationship between humans and bacteria. We want to do something away with the classical image of bacteria. By improving its genome we want to rethink its existence as something close to you, a heart worming companion. We are determined not only to construct a genetic function, but also to build the new relationship.