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Team:Edinburgh/tech/Hints
From 2011.igem.org
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<div class="hint" id="def_hint">Hover over words in italics to see explanation</div> | <div class="hint" id="def_hint">Hover over words in italics to see explanation</div> | ||
| - | <div class="hint" id="phage_hint"> | + | <div class="hint" id="phage_hint"><i>Bacteriophage</i> are viruses that infects bacteria. They are the world's most numerous biological replicators, believed to outnumber bacteria 10 to 1.</div> |
<div class="hint" id="bioreactor_hint">A <i>bioreactor</i> (as defined by Edinburgh) is a microscopic system containing multiple enzymes that work together in synergy to catalyse some reaction.<br><br><small>Note though that others use the term to mean a large container in which biological processes occur.</small></div> | <div class="hint" id="bioreactor_hint">A <i>bioreactor</i> (as defined by Edinburgh) is a microscopic system containing multiple enzymes that work together in synergy to catalyse some reaction.<br><br><small>Note though that others use the term to mean a large container in which biological processes occur.</small></div> | ||
<div class="hint" id="synergy_hint">Two or more enzymes act in <i>synergy</i> if their efficiency is increased in the presence of each other.</div> | <div class="hint" id="synergy_hint">Two or more enzymes act in <i>synergy</i> if their efficiency is increased in the presence of each other.</div> | ||
Revision as of 11:36, 17 July 2011
Hover over words in italics to see explanation
Bacteriophage are viruses that infects bacteria. They are the world's most numerous biological replicators, believed to outnumber bacteria 10 to 1.
A bioreactor (as defined by Edinburgh) is a microscopic system containing multiple enzymes that work together in synergy to catalyse some reaction.
Note though that others use the term to mean a large container in which biological processes occur.
Note though that others use the term to mean a large container in which biological processes occur.
Two or more enzymes act in synergy if their efficiency is increased in the presence of each other.
A flagellum is a long appendage that allows bacteria to move.
M13 is a filamentous (long tubular) phage that infects E. coli but does not kill it.
Cellulases are a group of enzymes that break down the common plant material cellulose, ultimately producing glucose sugar.
A biorefinery is any system that converts biomass into useful products.
A promoter is a DNA sequence causing the following sequence to be transcribed into RNA.
A ribosome binding site is a region of RNA where the ribosome binds to start translation into protein.
The pVIII protein is the major coat protein of M13, present in about 2,700 copies per phage.
A leader or signal peptide is a sequence of amino acids present at the start of a protein which instructs the cell to send it to some specific location.
A linker is a chain of amino acids used to connect two protein domains while giving them space to fold.
A fusion protein contains the amino acid sequences of two or more proteins, effectively joining them together.
Ice Nucleation Protein is a protein isolated from the plant-pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. It is present on the outer membrane of the bacteria and causes the formation of ice crystals. However, we will use it as a carrier to get other proteins displayed on the cell surface.
malS is a gene coding for amylase, which breaks down starch into its component glucose sugars.
The pIII protein is a minor coat protein of M13, present in 5 copies at the end of the phage.
An oligonucleotide is a short piece of DNA or RNA. DNA oligonucleotides are often used as primers for PCR.
The Polymerase Chain Reaction is a method for amplifying a section of DNA, producing many copies with the same sequence.
Ligation Independent Cloning is a method of assembling DNA fragments into a plasmid, which does not involve a ligase enzyme. Instead, long overhangs of homologous DNA are used to join the fragments, and the transformed bacterium repairs the phosphate backbone.
The F plasmid is present in some bacteria, and contains genes coding for a sex pilus, which the plasmid uses to spread itself to other bacteria. The M13 phage requires the pilus to be present in order to infect E. coli.
Recombination is the joining of two DNA sequences. Homologous recombination is used by bacteria to repair DNA damage; this process uses the recombinase enzyme.
A codon is a sequence of three DNA bases, coding for one amino acid in a protein. Since there are four types of base, there are 64 possible codons. Three of these are stop codons which terminate translation (protein production).
The amylase family of enzymes break down starch into its component glucose sugars.
A BioBrick is a reusable biological part, containing a DNA sequence. BioBricks are designed to be joined together to produce new (composite) BioBricks.
Pseudomonas syringae is a species of Gram-negative bacteria and a pathogen of several plant species.
Escherichia coli is a species of Gram-negative bacteria commonly found in the mammalian gut. Most strains are harmless or even beneficial (though this is not a good reason to consume them). They have been well-studied and are often used in genetic engineering.
Help! Help! I'm being held prisoner in an iGEM laboratory! They make me do minipreps and agarose gels all day long!
The C terminal of a protein is one end of the protein chain. That part of the protein is coded for by the end of the relevant DNA sequence.
The N terminal of a protein is one end of the protein chain. That part of the protein is coded for by the start of the relevant DNA sequence.
Sorbitol is a naturally occuring derivative of glucose. It can be used as a sweetener.
High Fructose Corn Syrup is a syrup containing a high level of fructose, making it very sweet.
