Difference between revisions of "Team:Pretoria UP"

 
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<IMG SRC="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/e/ec/Pretoria_UP_WattsAptamer_Logo_Transparent_White.png" width="60%">
 
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<h5 style="position:relative;top:-4em;">Synthetic laccases and DNA aptamers for thylakoid tethering in photo-electrobiochemical cells</h5>
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<h5 style="position:relative;top:-4em;">Synthetic laccases and DNA aptamers for thylakoid tethering in photo-bioelectrochemical cells</h5>
 
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<p>Recent improvements of photo-bioelectrochemical cells (PBEC), which harness electrons from photosynthesis to generate electricity, include synthetic attachment of chloroplast thylakoids to graphene electrodes. However, current attachment techniques require costly chemically synthesized linkers and PBECs are not yet efficient enough for industrial energy generation. In this project, DNA aptamers were designed and evaluated as low-cost biological linkers to tether plant photosystem II (PSII) complexes to graphene foam electrodes. This project aims to improve the attachment and orientation of the PSII complex to the graphene electrode for higher electron transfer efficiency, and serves as a prototype for the in planta expression of RNA aptamers for self-assembling thylakoid attachment.
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<p>As we all know fossil fuels are running out and we need to find alternative and green energy sources. We have found a solution! The solution lies in combining the thylakoid membrane of plants` chlorophyll to a graphene plate (a superconductive carbon plate). When sunlight shines on the thylakoid membrane free electrons are generated and these electrons can be harvested to generate electricity. The key is to bind the thylakoid membrane to the graphene plate (this becomes the anode). In order to bind the thylakoid membrane we have engineered the sequence of short DNA pieces, called aptamers. One end of the aptamer binds specifically to the electron producing protein in the thylakoid membrane and the other side to the graphene plate. When electrons are then produced by the thylakoid membrane, they travel through the aptamer and to the graphene plate. Laccases is attached to the cathode which acts as an electron acceptor. This creates a potential difference and so are electricity generated by plants!
 
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<p style="text-align: left"><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Description">Read more on our Project Description page.</a>
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<p style="text-align: center"><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Description">Read more on our Project Description page!</a>
 
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  <source src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b3/T--Pretoria_UP--GoPro_Generate_electricity_using_plant_materials.mp4" type="video/mp4" poster="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/ff/T--Pretoria_UP--Notebook_Photo_1.jpg">
 
  <source src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b3/T--Pretoria_UP--GoPro_Generate_electricity_using_plant_materials.mp4" type="video/mp4" poster="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/ff/T--Pretoria_UP--Notebook_Photo_1.jpg">
 
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<p style="font-size:14px !important;text-align: center">GoPro: Generate electricity using plant materials
 
<p style="font-size:14px !important;text-align: center">GoPro: Generate electricity using plant materials
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<video width="90%" controls autoplay loop>
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  <source src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/0/07/T--Pretoria_UP--PyMOL.mp4" type="video/mp4">
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<p style="font-size:14px !important;text-align: center">Animation depicting a single-stranded DNA aptamer bound to stromal side of thylakoid protein: CP47.
 
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<p class = "h2WM">Parts</p>
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<p>This year we submitted a total of <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Parts">17 parts</a> to the iGEM registry. We added 5 new basic parts: an SP6 promoter which can be used for in vitro expression of genes, as well as 4 eukaryotic Laccase proteins from Eucalyptus grandis. We designed and added 12 new composite parts to the registry: four eukaryotic laccase genes from Eucalyptus grandis, as well eight prokaryotic laccase genes, all of which has an SP6 promoter and a His(x6) tag at the 5’ end and a T7 terminator at the 3’ end.
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Parts">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/5/57/T--Pretoria_UP--Basic_Parts.jpg">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/87/T--Pretoria_UP--Composite_Parts.jpg">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/e/e0/T--Pretoria_UP--Improving_Part.jpg">
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</a>
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<br><br>Check out our <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Parts">Parts page</a> for more information!
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</p>
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<p class = "h2WM">Human practices</p>
 
<p class = "h2WM">Human practices</p>
 
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<p>During our <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices">Human Practices project</a> we gained valuable knowledge from experts in the field. We held a synthetic biology workshop and symposium, and presented to 40 high school learners at our university's "UP with Science" day. We also used various platforms of social media to create awareness of both our project and the fun we had during it!
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<p>During our <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/HP/Silver">Human Practices project</a> we gained valuable knowledge from experts in the field. We held a synthetic biology workshop and symposium, and presented to 40 high school learners at our university's "UP with Science" day. We also used various platforms of social media to create awareness of both our project and the fun we had during it!
 
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/HP/Silver"><i class="fa fa-industry" height= "100" style="color:#C0A16B"></i></a>
 
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>Involving Industry</h3></a>
 
<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>Involving Industry</h3></a>
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/HP/Silver"><i class="fa fa-book" height= "100" style="color:#C0A16B"></i></a>
 
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>SynBio Education</h3></a>
 
<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>SynBio Education</h3></a>
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/HP/Silver"><i class="fa fa-bullhorn" height= "100" style="color:#C0A16B"></i></a>
 
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>Public Awareness</h3></a>
 
<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Human_Practices"><h3>Public Awareness</h3></a>
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<p class = "h2WM">Collaboration</p>
 
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<p><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Collaborations">We collaborated with three different teams in the 2016 iGEM season.</a> We assisted the MacQuarrie iGEM team by making a graphical user interface on MatLab® showing how the concentration of various intermediates, including ALA, (Y-axis) changes over time (X-axis) in chlorophyll.
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<p><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Collaborations">
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<br><br>
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We collaborated with three different teams in the 2016 iGEM season.</a>  
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We assisted team <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Macquarie_Australia">Macquarie</a> by making a graphical user interface on MatLab showing how the concentration of various intermediates including ALA (Y-axis) changes over time (X-axis) in chlorophyll.  
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We created a documentary for team <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Aix-Marseille">Aix-Marseille</a> focusing on the socio-economic and political issues facing the current platinum sector, including the Marikana strikes.
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Team <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:Heidelberg">Heidelberg 2015</a> ran their MAWS software to provide us with a target specific aptamer, in exchange for numerous candidate PDB files for them to test their system on, as wells as valuable feedback about how well their aptamer performed in our thylakoid binding experiments.
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Collaborations">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/dd/T--Pretoria_UP--Collab_2.jpg" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d6/T--Pretoria_UP--Collab_1.jpg" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<img height="200px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/8/87/T--Pretoria_UP--Collab_3.jpg" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<p style="text-align: center">Click <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Collaborations">here</a> to read more.
 
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<p class = "h2WM">SIMULATION MODEL</p>
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<p>We constructed a simulation model of a photo-bioelectrochemical cell (PBEC) using AnyLogic to illustrate how different parameters would effect the efficiency of our cell. Changeable parameters include: light intensity
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<math>(&mu; mole photons.m<sup>&minus;2</sup>.s<sup>&minus;1</sup>),
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</math>
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casing material (Perspex or glass), electrode size and whether or not to select thylakoid attachment by making use of aptamers. Read more about this on our <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Model">Model page .</a>
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</p>
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<p style="text-align: center">
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Model">
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<img height="400px" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d9/T--Pretoria_UP--Simulation_Model_7.jpg">
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<p class="h2WM">Medal Criteria</p>
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Collaborations">
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<img style="max-width:25%" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b8/T--Pretoria_UP--Medals_1.png" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<img style="max-width:25%" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/5/58/T--Pretoria_UP--Medals_2.png" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<img style="max-width:25%" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/f/f3/T--Pretoria_UP--Medals_3.png" style="padding-left:10px;padding-right:10px">
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<p><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Medal_Criteria">We're very proud of all of our accomplishments during this project! Click here to learn more about what we did to reach our goals.</a></p>
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<br>
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<p><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Medal_Criteria">We're very proud of all of our accomplishments during this project! Click here to learn more about what we did to reach our goals.</a>
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<p class="h2WM">Team</p>
 
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Team"><p style="text-align: center">Click here to learn more about our team.</p></a>
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<p style="text-align: center">We had tons of fun getting to know each other while working throughout the winter and spring here in South Africa.
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<br><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pretoria_UP/Team">Click here to learn more about our team members.</a>
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<p>We would like to extend special thanks to the following organizations for their support:</p>
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<p>We would like to extend special thanks to the following organizations for their support:
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Latest revision as of 16:21, 19 October 2016

WATTS-APTAMER - PRETORIA_UP iGEM

WATTS-APTAMER - PRETORIA_UP iGEM

Synthetic laccases and DNA aptamers for thylakoid tethering in photo-bioelectrochemical cells

Parts

This year we submitted a total of 17 parts to the iGEM registry. We added 5 new basic parts: an SP6 promoter which can be used for in vitro expression of genes, as well as 4 eukaryotic Laccase proteins from Eucalyptus grandis. We designed and added 12 new composite parts to the registry: four eukaryotic laccase genes from Eucalyptus grandis, as well eight prokaryotic laccase genes, all of which has an SP6 promoter and a His(x6) tag at the 5’ end and a T7 terminator at the 3’ end.



Check out our Parts page for more information!




Human practices

During our Human Practices project we gained valuable knowledge from experts in the field. We held a synthetic biology workshop and symposium, and presented to 40 high school learners at our university's "UP with Science" day. We also used various platforms of social media to create awareness of both our project and the fun we had during it!


Involving Industry

SynBio Education

Public Awareness



Collaboration

We collaborated with three different teams in the 2016 iGEM season. We assisted team Macquarie by making a graphical user interface on MatLab showing how the concentration of various intermediates including ALA (Y-axis) changes over time (X-axis) in chlorophyll. We created a documentary for team Aix-Marseille focusing on the socio-economic and political issues facing the current platinum sector, including the Marikana strikes. Team Heidelberg 2015 ran their MAWS software to provide us with a target specific aptamer, in exchange for numerous candidate PDB files for them to test their system on, as wells as valuable feedback about how well their aptamer performed in our thylakoid binding experiments.




SIMULATION MODEL

We constructed a simulation model of a photo-bioelectrochemical cell (PBEC) using AnyLogic to illustrate how different parameters would effect the efficiency of our cell. Changeable parameters include: light intensity (μ mole photons.m−2.s−1), casing material (Perspex or glass), electrode size and whether or not to select thylakoid attachment by making use of aptamers. Read more about this on our Model page .


Medal Criteria


We're very proud of all of our accomplishments during this project! Click here to learn more about what we did to reach our goals.

Team

We had tons of fun getting to know each other while working throughout the winter and spring here in South Africa.
Click here to learn more about our team members.

...

We would like to extend special thanks to the following organizations for their support:




WATTS-APTAMER - PRETORIA_UP iGEM