Team:CSU Fort Collins
What if the bacteria in this pond could be harnessed to create biofuels?
Lights, Quorum, Action! Boolean logic is used in computer processes by stipulating necessary inputs to produce a desired outcome. We designed a logic gate in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 to optimize product production. Utilizing the Boolean operator AND, gene expression accommodates the organism’s natural metabolic regulation combined with the quorum sensing mechanism from Vibrio fischeri to create an autoinduction system. With the cost of large scale production in mind, our system eliminates the need for expensive induction molecules, such as IPTG. Under the control of light and a quorum of cells, the T7 promoter, from T7 bacteriophage, drives production of a wide range of products from biofuels to pharmaceuticals. CyanoLogic, coming soon to a lab near you!
