Team:Johns Hopkins/Vit/Bg

Background

Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in more than half of all countries, especially in Africa and Southeast Asia, and it especially affects young children and pregnant women in low-income countries. The numbers associated with this problem are staggering. Two hundred and fifty million preschool children are Vitamin A deficient, and every year, 250,000 to 500,000 Vitamin A deficient children become blind. Over half of them die with 12 months of the onset of blindness. It is also a major cause of maternal mortality. Another major causes of malnutrition in developing nations is Vitamin C deficiency. It is most prevalent in south east asia in the countries of India and Pakistan. The reason is a simple one.

The root of the problem lies in poverty and a lack of awareness. Most people in impoverished countries are not aware of what a balanced diet should contain and cannot purchase the fruits and vegetables they require for such a diet. Even if they did, these commodities are generally much more expensive than staple like grain. As a result, malnutrition is very prominent in these developing countries.

We aim to combat this tragic and preventable loss of life by designing a strain of yeast that can produce a Vitamin A precursor, beta-carotene, that our body can convert into vitamin A in large enough quantities that it meets the daily required amounts. We also aim to install a vitamin C biosynthesis pathway in yeast. We hope that by doing this, we will be able to introduce Vitamin C into staples that people eat and drink, such as bread and beer, at no extra cost, as yeast are already used in these processes.