Team:TU-Delft/Project

Project Overview

In life one is bound to encounter problems. Nature knows this more than any other and her problem-solving ingenuity is impressive. With synthetic biology we are able to combine the best of all Nature's solutions. Designing these combinations with utility for humans in mind results in so-called “Genetically Engineered Machines”, the core of iGEM.

In our project we strive for full control of the attachment and detachment of cells. In nature attachment consists of a complex network involving an extracellular matrix containing a wide variety of compounds. This complexity has hindered easy regulation. We will give Escherichia coli a much simpler but equally effective way of binding: mussel glue. Expressing the strongest protein responsible for the attachment of mussels to rocks, we can allow E coli to strongly attach to even glass and plastic, whenever we want it, and subsequently releasing it again. This system should be viewed in the same category as “ the wheel”, by itself it is just a neat trick, but combination is key. Combining it for example with an E coli capable biocatalytic conversion , one can create microbial production lines, use attachment for temporary rapid settling of biomass before product removal, or achieve fundamental premiers like bacterial cells forming a micro circle on command.