Within the next decade we are set to see the launch of a vast number of human missions to Mars. However a major issue associated with prolonged space travel is Osteoporosis, which results in the bone becoming more fragile. Although this condition can be treated with calcitonin pills and nasal sprays, it is not effective treatment or environmentally friendly due to the calcitonin being harvested from salmon.
We will use CRISPR/Cas9 to create a model that will stimulate the upregulation of calcitonin production within E.coli as a new treatment to tackle Osteoporosis. We will construct plasmids that contain the calcitonin promoter region and the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These plasmids will be transformed into E.coli where we will test for the upregulation of calcitonin secretion using GFP absorption assays.
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