Team:Tokyo Metropolitan/Project/Rice

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Rice Master of E.coli Project

Introduction

　Japanese unique project
Rice is Japanese staple food, and one of the farm products that the rate of food self-sufficiency is high. It is said that rice is symbol of Japan, and it is not too much to say that this is the center of the gastronomic culture in my country. A unique project in Japan was completed by making E. coli that is evaluate the quality of such rice. Delectable Japanese rice may well appeal to the world through this project.

　Ratio of amylose
The principal ingredient of rice is starch. Starch consists of the two components which are amylose and amylopectin . Rice (nonglutinous rice) in Japan is richer ratio of amylopectins than the Indica rice in foreign country, and This Japanese rice consists in 80% amylopectin and about 20% amylose. The ideal balance of this amylopectin and amylose decide its quality of rice. One of the most delectable rice in Japan is Koshihikari, which consists of the 17~19% amylose and 81~83% amylopectin so the content balance is ideal.

Mechanism

　The role of the amylase
The primary component of rice is starch, the starch consists of amylose and amyropectin(reference to right side). Amylase resolves these two ingredients into the simple structure of glucose. E.coli can propagate by using glucose, but cannot use polymer of glucose. There are some kinds of amylase, and we choose α-amylase as suitable for this project. Although the α-amylase cut off α1-4　combination from end and resolve all of the amylose into glucose, it cannot cut off α1-6 combination and cannot dissolve amylopectin. The difference of glucose is decided by the propotion between amylose and amylopectin. As a result, the amount of E.coli is fluctuating. Here, so called E. coli “A” is rice maister, and it can make glucose as their baits, which enables to get them to E.coli “B”. In fact, B emit a certain colorful matearial. Therefore, A secreate α-amylase as its primary work.

　

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