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Team:IIT Madras/Human practices
From 2011.igem.org
Human Practices
A Safe Screening Technique
We propose a light-based transformant screening technique in our project. This technique uses a vector designed by our team, pSB1Pc, wherein the Antibiotic resistance gene is replaced by Green-light absorbing Proteorhodopsin. The stress used for screening is the substrate limitation in minimal media, and the survival advantage is the ability to use light as an energy source.Antibiotic Resistance gene has been conventionally in use for screening for transformants in cloning. Dependence on antibiotic, which are chemical toxins, has the following disadvantages.
Due to these disadvantages, we discourage antibiotic based screening and propose an alternative light-based screening, which is cleaner and environmentally responsible. The only chemical input for this technique, other than the media itself, is Retinal, or Vitamin A aldehyde, it can be bio-synthesized and also degraded endogenously and is safe and non toxic. Using the LED based lighting system which we designed, modifying existing bioreactors and incubators to adapt to the light-dependent screening in the lab and industrial levels is feasible. This makes the adapting to the new technique easier.
We hope that in the near future, synthetic biology will be toxin-free and environmentally more responsible, using our light based screening technique.
Spreading the Word
To encourage the scientists, engineers and researchers to apply their minds to Synthetic biology, we presented our project at the "Research Expo, Shaastra 2011 (The annual technical festival of IIT Madras)". It was an exhibit for innovative projects from around the country, which had an audience of about 60,000 students, young researchers, engineers, biology enthusiasts and senior scientists.
Team Members Sonia and Avaneesh at the Research Expo during Shaastra 2011 (The annual technical festival of IIT Madras)
