Team:HokkaidoU Japan/Preliminary Project Description
From 2010.igem.org
Preliminary Project Description
These are our projects!
Magneto-tactic E. coli
Based on large and unsuccessful efforts of other scientists on introduction of magnetosome and magnetotaxis to E.coli we decided to abandon this project.
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 catalyst. This technology could be also applied 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.