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Team:Harvard/allergy/aboutallergy
From 2010.igem.org
allergy: overview
what is an allergy?
Allergy is an immune system disorder marked by hypersensitivity to normally harmless and everyday substances, such as pollen or latex. Contact with such allergens can cause an immediate and rapid reaction. Allergic reactions range from relatively mild (itchy eyes, runny nose) to life threatening (anaphylaxis).
Allergic reactions are caused by exposure to certain proteins that the body mistakenly marks as dangerous. This hypersensitivity can be inherited or developed. Exposure to certain allergens at a young age can increase the possibility of developing allergies later in life. Interestingly enough, insufficient exposure to bacteria and viruses that stimulate metabolic pathways of the immune system can also increase the likelihood of developing allergic disease.
the iGarden solution
Our goal is to use biobricks to deliver modular RNA interference against particular allergens into plants in order to produce plants that do not express allergen proteins.
