"

From 2011.igem.org

Project description

Non-coding RNA is an active area of research with untapped possibilities for application in biotechnology. In prokaryotes a growing number of small RNA (sRNA) have revealed unsuspected layers of regulation.

We at the iGEM DTU-Denmark team are designing an sRNA based regulatory system compatible with the BioBrick standard. Our core ideas are inspired by a novel mechanism of sRNA mediated post-transcriptional regulation found in E. Coli and Salmonella. The naturally occurring system consists of a regulation topology where one sRNA inhibits another sRNA, which in turn inhibits a third RNA that is translated. The inhibitions might be codable on the sequence level and therefore the system may provide design solutions enabling efficient regulatory control and specificity towards any BioBrick module. To test whether this is the case, we are constructing a biological E. Coli model enabling us to control the synthesis of both sRNAs and measure the outcome of the regulatory system.

In interplay with the experimental efforts, we are setting up models to test hypotheses about the system and to guide the design process. Modeling should also provide a quantitative understanding useful for those who wish to employ our final BioBrick.