Revision as of 09:44, 20 July 2011

Project Abstract.

For our project we wished to introduce two new model organisms: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Phycomitrella patens, an algae and a moss, respectively. Both are eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms. At present, the majority of iGEM model organisms, and therefore the majority of the biobrick parts submitted to the registry, are prokaryotic. While these are often invaluable for a multitude of situations, such as testing protein function, they can never absolutely tell you how a given gene will be expressed in a eukaryotic organism. Different responses to promoters, a different codon bias, or methylation can all have an adverse effect on expression, as well as a variety of other contributing factors. The use of Biobricks as an easy way of genetically manipulating organisms could one day prove to be a vital tool in the adaptation of species commonly used in instances such as human agriculture. The Moss and Algae we are introducing will pave the way for including plant species in the iGEM competition. We felt this would be a good direction for iGEM to take as plant genetics will always be a vital area of research for the future, impacting on areas such as crop growth, drug production and combating global warming.

We plan to introduce two new destination plasmids. These will consist of the 2011 iGEM plasmid complete with chloramphenicol resistance, and both will contain the current iGEM prefix and suffix. They will contain selection markers which can be universally used. We plan to submit a range of Biobricks within these two plasmids. These will include promoters, terminators, reporters, generators and composites. We will be testing around 60 of the current iGEM Biobricks in our two organisms and selecting those that work to be submitted. Of those that fail in our two organisms, we will attempt to either optimise these or place them behind promoters specific to each species to try and increase their expression. We also plan to introduce a series of promoters specific to our two species in these plasmids for future iGEM competitions to use. We plan to focus most on light production in the algae and moss as an example of the ability to use the Biobrick structures in these organisms.

Our Model Organisms

Escherichia coli.

This is a single celled species of bacteria. It is a prokaryotic model organism. It is easily transformable, either by: electroporation or the use of unorthodox salts.It can also be genetically manipulated by conjugation and transduction.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

This is a single celled species of green algae. It is a eukaryotic, photosynthetic organism. It is easily transformable, either by: electroporation; the bacterium Agrobacterium tumorfaciens; glass beads; or by the use of a biolistic particle delivery system (gene gun).

Physcomitrella patens.

This is a multicellular species of moss. It is a eukaryotic, photosynthetic organism.

@@ Line 118: / Line 118: @@
 <h1>Project Abstract.</h1>
-<p>For our project we wished to introduce two new model organisms: <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i> and <i>Phycomitrella patens</i>, an algae and a moss, respectively. Both are eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms. These will pave the way for including plant species in the iGEM competition. We felt this would be a good direction for iGEM to take as plant genetics will always be a vital area of research for the future, impacting on areas such as crop growth, drug production and combating global warming. </p>
+<p>For our project we wished to introduce two new model organisms: <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i> and <i>Phycomitrella patens</i>, an algae and a moss, respectively. Both are eukaryotic, photosynthetic organisms. At present, the majority of iGEM model organisms, and therefore the majority of the biobrick parts submitted to the registry, are prokaryotic. While these are often invaluable for a multitude of situations, such as testing protein function, they can never absolutely tell you how a given gene will be expressed in a eukaryotic organism. Different responses to promoters, a different codon bias, or methylation can all have an adverse effect on expression, as well as a variety of other contributing factors. The use of Biobricks as an easy way of genetically manipulating organisms could one day prove to be a vital tool in the adaptation of species commonly used in instances such as human agriculture. The Moss and Algae we are introducing will pave the way for including plant species in the iGEM competition. We felt this would be a good direction for iGEM to take as plant genetics will always be a vital area of research for the future, impacting on areas such as crop growth, drug production and combating global warming. </p>
 <p>We plan to introduce two new destination plasmids. These will consist of the 2011 iGEM plasmid complete with chloramphenicol resistance, and both will contain the current iGEM prefix and suffix. They will contain selection markers which can be universally used. We plan to submit a range of Biobricks within these two plasmids. These will include promoters, terminators, reporters, generators and composites. We will be testing around 60 of the current iGEM Biobricks in our two organisms and selecting those that work to be submitted. Of those that fail in our two organisms, we will attempt to either optimise these or place them behind promoters specific to each species to try and increase their expression. We also plan to introduce a series of promoters specific to our two species in these plasmids for future iGEM competitions to use. We plan to focus most on light production in the algae and moss as an example of the ability to use the Biobrick structures in these organisms. </p>
+<h2>Our Model Organisms</h2>
+<p><h3><i>Escherichia coli.</i></h3>
+This is a single celled species of bacteria. It is a prokaryotic model organism. It is easily transformable, either by: electroporation or the use of unorthodox salts.It can also be genetically manipulated by conjugation and transduction.</p>
-<p>The aim of our project is to genetically modify three organisms so that they become luminescent when in the dark. Currently we are aiming to work with the species <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Escherichia coli, and Physcomitrella patens</i>. We will simultaneously attempt to incorporate the light sensing and light producing systems into these organisms. There are a range of uses for this.</p>
-<p>1. Practical applications: A system causing part or all of a plant to glow in certain situations has obvious pragmatic benefits: if a crop were designed so that when in the presence of a pathogen it emitted light, then at night a farmer would be able to quickly ascertain areas of infection.</p>
-<p>2. If the system could be engineered into, for example, grass, then patches of this glowing grass could be planted along the sides of winding country roads. There are safety aspects of this to consider, including the ability of our luminescent grass to mate with other species of grass and transfer the gene system.</p>
-<p>2. Energy Conservations: Imagine walking down a street where half of the lampposts have vanished and been replaced with glowing trees. This would reduce the energy required to power street lighting, lowering the carbon footprint of any town or city.</p>
-<p>3. Novel applications: These are the less practical, more quirky aspects of the technology we’re creating. This includes uses such as glowing house plants, which could then be used either as nightlights for children, as romantic ‘mood setters’, or as useful homing beacons when you’re drunkenly stumbling towards your bedroom. Though these too would likely have an effect on energy consumptions of individual households, the impact would be less intense.</P>
 <p><h3><i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.</i></h3>
 This is a single celled species of green algae. It is a eukaryotic, photosynthetic organism. It is easily transformable, either by: electroporation; the bacterium Agrobacterium tumorfaciens; glass beads; or by the use of a biolistic particle delivery system (gene gun).</p>
-<p><h3><i>Escherichia coli.</i></h3>
-This is a single celled species of bacteria. It is a prokaryotic model organism. It is easily transformable, either by: electroporation or the use of unorthodox salts.It can also be genetically manipulated by conjugation and transduction.</p>
 <p><h3><i>Physcomitrella patens.</i></h3>
 This is a multicellular species of moss. It is a eukaryotic, photosynthetic organism.</p>

Team:UEA-JIC Norwich/Project

From 2011.igem.org