Team:UCAS
The discovery and mass production of antibiotics has saved the life of hundreds of millions of people. However, antibiotic residues in nature and industrial products put people under exposure to varied antibiotics on a daily basis. The impact of such exposure is yet unclear, but some research have shed light on its role in antibiotic resistance or obesity. UCAS iGEM is devoted to degrading antibiotic residues in exhausted water in waste water treatment plants(WWTPs) or hospitals. We mainly focuses on tetracycline, which is one of the most abundant antibiotics detected in Chinese city rivers. Screen of enzymes including TetX makes the system MORE EFFICIENT, whilst the design of a sensor with a T7 RNAP-derived amplifier and a TA module-based kill-switch makes the system SAFER and SMARTER. Our engineered bacteria will not express degrading enzymes unless the antibiotic is presented, and it effectively kills itself after leaking into wrong places.
