Team:WITS-CSIR SA

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<!DOCTYPE html> Biotweet


A defining characteristic of humanity is the constantly evolving sophistication with which human beings communicate and store information. Biologically, data communication networks exist too. The transfer of data occurs via signalling molecules incorporated into highly regulated and integrated networks.Our goal is to construct a bacterial communication network that will allow a group of engineered bacteria to transport messages in a directed manner, with the final aim of completing location-based functional tasks.We have focused on one aspect of this network: the directed transport of the message-carrying “communication modules” within our biological network. These communication modules will take the form of bacteria, which can move over physical distances carrying information. We have achieved this through engineering the exogenously controlled chemotactic behaviour of bacteria using synthetic riboswitches to regulate the expression of the CheZ protein required for bacterial motility.


  • Project Image
    Project

    Biotweet is a biological networking framework. Our project page details all laboratory and modelling aspects of this project [Read more]

  • Meet the team

    Our team consists of five enthusiastic undergraduate students each having their own area of expertise. Four of the members are studying science and one is studying engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. [Read more]

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    Parts submitted

    We submitted 16 parts to the registry. We also characterized a number of parts, including two theophylline riboswitches! [Read more]

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    Modelling

    A thorough understanding of bacterial chemotaxis riboswitches is essential in predicting the behaviour of our machine. The team has created a simulation tools which enables a visual representation of our machine at work! [Read more] or [go straight] to the simulation