Team:Imperial College London/Templates/Kill
From 2011.igem.org
Module 3: Gene Guard
Containment is a serious issue concerning the release of GMOs into the environment. To prevent horizontal gene transfer of the genes we have expressed in our chassis, we have developed a toxin/anti-toxin system based on the genes encoding holin and anti-holin. We are designing our bacteria to contain anti-holin (the anti-toxin) within its genome and holin & endolysin on the plasmid with the Phyto-Route and Auxin Xpress genes. In the event of horizontal gene transfer with a soil bacterium, holin and endolysin would be transferred without anti-holin, effectively killing the recipient cell.