Team:WashU StLouis/Measurement
Measurement Award
Creating innovative approaches to difficult measurement problems
Our team had three key measurement achievements:
- Characterization of an HSP BioBrick
- Determination of electron donor metabolic impact via abiotin assay
- Participating in the Interlab study
BioBrick Characterization
Part BBa_K873002 was distributed in the 2016 iGEM DNA distribution kit, but it had no data or previous uses on the registry. In order to improve the registry entry, we decided to create a protocol to further characterize the effectiveness of the HSP. A brief summary of our protocol and results is given below.
- Combined BBa_K873002 with BBa_E0840 (GFP) to create a testable device
- Transformed device into DH10B
- Tested GFP fluorescence at 42C, 37C, and 30C to check HSP activation
- BBa_K873002 had slight activation at 42C but fluorescence decreased greatly over time
Biotin Assay
For a part of our project this summer, we needed to find a way to measure the amount of reduced electron donors present in cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time there has been an attempt to measure reduced electron donors. After some modeling experiments, it was determined that biotin, which is produced in an electron donor-dependent synthesis, would be a good target for measurement. By using a biotin assay, we found that our reduced electron donor producing cells were also producing increased biotin. Check out our proof of concept page to see our data and conclusions from this innovative measurement approach.
The Interlab Study
Lastly, we participated in the annual iGEM interlab study. Check out our Interlab Page to see the results and read our suggestions for improvements.
