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Team:Alberta/Neurospora
From 2011.igem.org
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the one gene, one enzyme theory. The organism they chose | the one gene, one enzyme theory. The organism they chose | ||
to prove their hypothesis in was the crux of genetics at | to prove their hypothesis in was the crux of genetics at | ||
| - | the time, Neurospora crassa. A model organism entrenched in | + | the time, <i>Neurospora crassa</i>. A model organism entrenched in |
scientific history that has been used in over one hundred | scientific history that has been used in over one hundred | ||
years of research. </p> | years of research. </p> | ||
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<br> | <br> | ||
| - | <p> N. crassa is a suitable chassis. It is listed as a | + | <p> <i>N. crassa</i> is a |
| - | biosafety level 1 organism, and possesses a fully sequenced | + | suitable chassis. It is listed as a <a |
| - | genome. Neurospora is an easily manipulated | + | href="https://2011.igem.org/Team:Alberta/Safety">biosafety |
| - | eukaryotic organism. However, the most | + | level 1 organism</a>, and possesses a fully sequenced |
| - | of Neurospora crassa is its natural ability to both degrade | + | genome. <i>Neurospora</i> is an easily manipulated, |
| - | + | multicellular, eukaryotic organism. However, the most | |
| - | + | distinguishing aspect of <i>Neurospora crassa</i> is | |
| - | + | its natural ability to both degrade and use cellulose | |
| - | + | as a feedstock; a characteristic that makes it ideal for <a | |
| - | strains, knockout cassettes, genes, and | + | href="https://2011.igem.org/Team:Alberta/HumanPractices/Biofuels">biofuel</a> |
| - | but a quick search of the University of Alberta | + | and bioremediation studies. The lists of resources relating |
| - | yielded over 7000 peer-reviewed articles alone. The | + | to <i>Neurospora</i> are endless. Not only is there the <a |
| - | and dedication that science has to Neurospora is | + | href="http://www.fgsc.net/">Fungal Genetic Stock Center</a>, |
| - | evident.</p> | + | which supplies strains, knockout cassettes, genes, and |
| + | information, but a quick search of the University of Alberta | ||
| + | library yielded over 7000 peer-reviewed articles alone. The | ||
| + | research and dedication that science has to Neurospora is | ||
| + | clearly evident.</p> | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
| - | <p>Neurospora’s most difficult challenge in the face of | + | <p><i>Neurospora’s</i> most difficult challenge in |
| - | + | the face of synthetic biology was gene synthesis; but, | |
| - | + | as Team Alberta has shown in the past, the construction | |
| - | + | of genetic constructs doesn’t have to be difficult (see | |
| - | Genomikon). We modified our genetic construction | + | <a href="https://2010.igem.org/Team:Alberta">Team Alberta |
| - | to fit Neurospora genes and proposed it as a standard for | + | 2010: Genomikon</a>). We modified our genetic construction |
| - | + | system to fit <i>Neurospora</i> genes and proposed it as | |
| - | + | a standard for synthetic biology (see <a href="">BBF RFC | |
| + | 82:</a> Reusable, rapid assembly of genetic parts for | ||
| + | <i>Neurospora crassa</i>).</p> | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
| - | <p>Throughout the summer, Team Alberta has learned a variety of techniques, methods, and protocols (see Methodology) for dealing with N. Crassa. It has been an exciting and eventful learning curve and we are proud to be presenting Neurospora to the synthetic biology community as a viable and useful chassis.</p> | + | <p>Throughout the summer, Team Alberta has learned |
| + | a variety of techniques, methods, and protocols | ||
| + | (see <a href="https://2011.igem.org/Team:Alberta/Methodology/Parts">Methodology</a>) for dealing with | ||
| + | <i>N. Crassa</i>. It has been an exciting and eventful | ||
| + | learning curve and we are proud to be presenting | ||
| + | <i>Neurospora</i> to the synthetic biology community as a | ||
| + | viable and useful chassis.</p> | ||
</div> | </div> | ||
Revision as of 03:27, 27 September 2011
Neurospora Overview
In 1958, Tatum and Beadle won the Nobel Prize for proving the one gene, one enzyme theory. The organism they chose to prove their hypothesis in was the crux of genetics at the time, Neurospora crassa. A model organism entrenched in scientific history that has been used in over one hundred years of research.
What better organism to introduce to synthetic biology than one that stands at the basis of genetics?
N. crassa is a suitable chassis. It is listed as a biosafety level 1 organism, and possesses a fully sequenced genome. Neurospora is an easily manipulated, multicellular, eukaryotic organism. However, the most distinguishing aspect of Neurospora crassa is its natural ability to both degrade and use cellulose as a feedstock; a characteristic that makes it ideal for biofuel and bioremediation studies. The lists of resources relating to Neurospora are endless. Not only is there the Fungal Genetic Stock Center, which supplies strains, knockout cassettes, genes, and information, but a quick search of the University of Alberta library yielded over 7000 peer-reviewed articles alone. The research and dedication that science has to Neurospora is clearly evident.
Neurospora’s most difficult challenge in the face of synthetic biology was gene synthesis; but, as Team Alberta has shown in the past, the construction of genetic constructs doesn’t have to be difficult (see Team Alberta 2010: Genomikon). We modified our genetic construction system to fit Neurospora genes and proposed it as a standard for synthetic biology (see BBF RFC 82: Reusable, rapid assembly of genetic parts for Neurospora crassa).
Throughout the summer, Team Alberta has learned a variety of techniques, methods, and protocols (see Methodology) for dealing with N. Crassa. It has been an exciting and eventful learning curve and we are proud to be presenting Neurospora to the synthetic biology community as a viable and useful chassis.
