Team:UofC Calgary
Giant Jamboree Results
We are honoured to announce that the UofC_Calgary 2016 iGEM was incredibly successful at this year's iGEM Giant Jamboree. We received a gold medal, a nomination for Best Applied Design, and the award for Best Integrated Human Practices! We are beyond thrilled to continue the University of Calgary's tradition of excellence at iGEM, and extend our deepest gratitude to those who aided us in any form during this journey.
Our Project
Mars and the cosmos are a tantalizingly close goal for Mankind to reach in the next century; however, there are several glaring problems that we must overcome to reach such an objective. Radiation is chief among them. On Earth, individuals annually receive 2.4 mSv of ionizing radiation (IR), which is easily tolerated by the human body. Unfortunately, without the protection of the magnetosphere, astronauts in space are exposed to high levels of IR in the range of 50 to 2000 mSv. This level of radiation causes the accumulation of deleterious double strand breaks in DNA. Despite current research into methods of IR protection, many solutions such as radiation shield coating are quite expensive, especially to transport to space. Even existing biological solutions are insufficient, such as the use of ingestible or injectable radioprotectors, which are subject to sinusuoidal pharmacokinetics. Our project is based on the administration of the naturally occuring peptide Bowman-Birk Protease Inhibitor (BBI), which has been shown to confer protection against DNA damage following radiation exposure. (Dittmann et al., 2003).
References
Dittmann, K.H., Mayer, C., and Rodemann, H.P. (2003). Radioprotection of normal tissue to improve radiotherapy: the effect of the Bowman Birk protease inhibitor. Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anticancer Agents, 3(5), 360-363.
OUR CHASSIS
To express mBBI, we had to choose a biological system that was not only capable of high expression but was robust, adaptable, and easily genetically manipulated for ease of transport and use in remote and extreme environments. After creating a list of different types of cells which could be used for the expression of our peptide, we found that Bacillus subtilis was especially suited for our patch design. This is due to many reasons. B. subtilis is able to express high amounts of recombinant protein which can be secreted into surrounding media by its own well-characterized secretion system, making it ideal for producing and delivering the correct dosage of mBBI into the user. B. subtilis is capable of forming spores—which have been found in arctic permafrost dating tens of thousands of years and yet are still viable—making it easy to store in a desiccated or frozen manner. Additionally, B. subtilis expresses high amounts of recombinase A, a protein which allows genes to be stably integrated into the chromosome.
Our strain of B. subtilis (WB800) is particularly suited for high production because it is deficient in eight extracellular proteases which could lead to the premature degradation our radioprotective peptide. Our strain will allow the peptide to be stable in the media within the patch. We conducted tests on the growth patterns of B. subtilis in the novel environment of a patch and optimized patch media to simulate an ideal growth conditions. We have also designed a genetic construct which provides inducible competency to the B. subtilis strain upon the addition of xylose, making this bacterium much easier to work with for future teams.
Design Overview
We designed our project to overcome common issues in existing technologies such as cost, portability, and durability. Our patch is portable, lightweight, safe to use, can be stored long-term, and produces and delivers peptides at a steady rate to maintain a constant concentration in the body. We worked with professionals within NASA and the CSA to integrate our solution with current space travel infrastructure, and with companies specializing in transdermal delivery to optimize the patch system. We also consulted with professionals and researchers in biomedical fields to better understand the unknown effects our delivery system would have when in use. Using this system, our project has future applications here on Earth for other occupations and individuals exposed to high levels of ionizing radiation, such as pilots, flight attendants, and miners. Our project can also be used to deliver hormones and other small molecules for use in space, serving as a "biological pharmacy."
Our Project
Project Description
Our Experiments
Modelling
Human Practices
About us
The 2016 U of C Calgary iGEM team is a multidisciplinary team based out of the University of Calgary. Our team is made up of undergraduate students from all years of study, hailing from the broad backgrounds of biology, microbiology, biomedical sciences, bioinformatics, and engineering. We are based out of the O'Brien Centre Labs within the U of C's Health Science Centre.
Our Sponsors
