Team:Tokyo-NoKoGen/Project/Abstract

From 2010.igem.org

We propose an entirely new Escherichia coli micro machine that behaves like a tanker, the EcoTanker.

The EcoTanker takes up a target compound from the environment and delivers it to a desired location for easy harvesting. The target compound is taken up and stored inside the cell in an EcoTank, a bacterial microcompartment (pduABJKNU).

Blue light then directs the delivery of the 'cargo' to a desired destination by phototaxis, using the N. pharaonis blue light responsive domain (NpSRII-NpHtrII-Tar) linked to an E. coli two component system.

The EcoTankers are then signaled by green light to self-aggregate and autolyse in response to quorum sensing.

We can then easily collect the EcoTanks filled with the target compound, which could be an environmentally toxic substance or an industrially desirable chemical.

We expect that EcoTanker to be a powerful machine in various bioremediation and industrial applications.