We aim to transform protein expression in bacterial systems into an elegant, fast and affordable process. By eliminating routine use of expensive materials, this novel assay will utilize sustainable laboratory equipment and widespread His-Tag technology.
As part of our considerations in biosafety and security we found that good conduct in research and development is a matter of personal motivation. This was incentive for us to propose something akin to the Hippocratic Oath for Biologists.
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What can the Lab in a Cell do?
We are creating a genetically engineered organism that will work as a tool for the expression of any desired His-tagged protein, plus a lysis casette and a precipitator that binds to his-tags on one end and the plastic of pipette-tips on the other, making washing and purification a simple process with no need for either centrifuges or purification columns. If successful, this will drastically improve the on-site impact of synthetic biology, taking the lab to where it is needed - even if that is a long way away from high-tech facilities. In order to get the desired protein, all that is needed will be a plasmid encoding the wanted protein with an added his-tag and the light-sensitive promoter in front which can be specifically induced by our light switch. If the principle proves sound, it may even be introduced to yeast cultures, enabling the researcher to take the needed cultures with him in lyophilized form, making even refrigerators unnecessary – just add water + sugar and the needed proteins can be expressed and purified by means of a few handheld devices such as a thermometer, an LED-set with the specified wavelengths and pipettes. Imagine being able to get all the enzymes necessary for cloning from powders, requiring no more than a dry place for storage and a few simple devices and ingredients for the activation of our tool:
- an LED device able to give off six specific wavelengths
- an incubator (although the right choice of host-organisms may also enable a field researcher to use his own body temperature)
- a pipette and a couple of tips
- some wash- and elution buffer
- plastic tubes
Although not a stand-alone creation, we believe we can give a nifty little piece of equipment to the community of synthetic biologists and pharmacists, saving time and effort for small-scale experimentation and on-site research as well as facilitating low budget pharmaceutical research and production, a boon to places where access to equipment and consumables is limited.
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