Team:Newcastle/Meetings/1 April 2010

Formal Meeting - 1st April 2010

• Room: CBCB; Start: 4 p.m.
• Chair: Da, Minutes: Alan, Computer: Younus
• Agenda

Roll call and apologies

• Present: Jen, Janetta, Steven, Younus, Da, Alan, Richard, Rachel, Jem, Matt
• Apologies: Phil, Harsh and Zoltan (Holiday); Neil

Approval of agenda and minutes

• Approved

Research Feedback

Nutrient

• Using a glucose and starch concentration gradient. Uses the catabolic repression system to allow glue production. *Have to test and find suitable starch and chemoattractant!!!!!!!!

Sporulation, germination and secretion control

• AbrB gene maybe a suitable gene to repress sporulation by overexpressing it.
• Can also activate antimicrobial peptides like TasA.
• Need to find what other genes that are involved in the pathway of AbrB.

Quorum Sensing

• Number of competence cells not an issue. Sin operone to control a lot of pathway.

Other points

1. FtsZ knockout to allow filamentous growth, thereby forming a mesh with glue either secreted out or remains in the cells until lysis.
2. Is spider silk able to resist the alkali conditions?
3. Is it possible to produce spider silk in Bacillus?

Voigt paper feedback

• Salmonella to secrete spider silk contained in SPI through T3SS. SPI to contain ADF1, ADF2 and ADF3 genes.
• Does Bacillus have a T3SS? Can we allow proteins to fold in the cells then induce lysis? To check out Bacillus secretion system.

Travel Plans

• Too early to book flights and hotels. May have other members joining.
• Visa/Passport update: Harsh to apply on May, June period

Tutorial

Next tutorial to be on the wiki after

Flowchart

• Flow Chart
• Need to be more in depth. i.e. The problems, what the bacteria need to do to achieve the goal and the genes that are needed and why.
• Another flow chart to show the different stituation and how the bacteria response to it.

Other business

• Foxit not working
• Sponsors on T-shirt: contact sponsors next week (Jannetta)

Action points

1. To draft email to Colin and Chris and show it to instructors first(everyone)
2. To continue to develop flow chart(everyone)
3. Tutorial on Wiki

Next Meeting

• Informal meeting: 070410 at 11 a.m. in Walton library
• Formal meeting: 070410 at 3 p.m. in CBCB
• Chair: Richard, Minutes: Rachel, Computer: Jannetta