Difference between revisions of "Team:Austin UTexas"
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| + | <p> Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains a symbiotic community which includes both bacterial and yeast cells. There are many claims about the potential health benefits that kombucha provides, but none of these assertions have been proven scientifically. Due to the growing popularity of kombucha, these microbes pose a valuable opportunity to use synthetic biology in order to create a designer beverage. During this research, we have isolated and identified various types of bacteria and fungi from store bought kombucha. We have also attempted to conjugate GFP into these microbes to prove that genetically engineering the bacterial cells is possible. By proving that we can genetically engineer the bacteria, we can design constructs such as a genetic device that makes Brazzein, a sweet-tasting protein, or even increase the rate at which acetic acid is produced in the tea. We are also attempting to recapitulate kombucha by adding specific bacterial and fungal strains to sweetened tea in order to learn what species of microbes are required for tea to turn into kombucha.</p> | ||
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<p> Our team has been pursuing several different research avenues this summer. We are working with a variety of organisms, including microbial communities, in an attempt to engineer a system that may be useful to the world in some way. Currently, we are discovering and attempting to engineer the organisms that make up the SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast) in Kombucha tea. Though this may seem to cover a very broad range, UT’s iGEM team is united under one front: we aim to improve something in the world through genetic engineering </p> | <p> Our team has been pursuing several different research avenues this summer. We are working with a variety of organisms, including microbial communities, in an attempt to engineer a system that may be useful to the world in some way. Currently, we are discovering and attempting to engineer the organisms that make up the SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast) in Kombucha tea. Though this may seem to cover a very broad range, UT’s iGEM team is united under one front: we aim to improve something in the world through genetic engineering </p> | ||
Revision as of 04:10, 10 October 2016
Description
Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains a symbiotic community which includes both bacterial and yeast cells. There are many claims about the potential health benefits that kombucha provides, but none of these assertions have been proven scientifically. Due to the growing popularity of kombucha, these microbes pose a valuable opportunity to use synthetic biology in order to create a designer beverage. During this research, we have isolated and identified various types of bacteria and fungi from store bought kombucha. We have also attempted to conjugate GFP into these microbes to prove that genetically engineering the bacterial cells is possible. By proving that we can genetically engineer the bacteria, we can design constructs such as a genetic device that makes Brazzein, a sweet-tasting protein, or even increase the rate at which acetic acid is produced in the tea. We are also attempting to recapitulate kombucha by adding specific bacterial and fungal strains to sweetened tea in order to learn what species of microbes are required for tea to turn into kombucha.
Our team has been pursuing several different research avenues this summer. We are working with a variety of organisms, including microbial communities, in an attempt to engineer a system that may be useful to the world in some way. Currently, we are discovering and attempting to engineer the organisms that make up the SCOBY (symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast) in Kombucha tea. Though this may seem to cover a very broad range, UT’s iGEM team is united under one front: we aim to improve something in the world through genetic engineering
Thus far, each sub-project has accomplished something different, but we are all ultimately experiencing successes and failures. One of our sub-teams is developing a process by which gellan gum (a substitute for agar) can be made at home for novice biochemists, but there have been several issues with the process. Additionally, through weeks of trial and error, many teams have become very familiar with non-model organisms that the lab has never before worked with. Furthermore, we are very proud of a partnership that we are developing in the Kombucha industry, as this will be an invaluable resource as we proceed in this area.
In the coming weeks, many of our projects will need to adjust and improve our Golden Gate Assembly system because the whole lab has been having problems in that respect. Furthermore, many projects will need to create a process to transform their organisms as these organisms have either not been used in our lab previously or are new isolates from the environment. A few of our sub-teams have shown successful conjugation, though. Finally, it is clear that we will need to consolidate our sub-projects to bring to the iGEM Jamboree. While each of our aims is valuable and interesting, not all will be ready to present and only some will yield results of a quality that we are proud of.
In the coming weeks, many of our projects will need to adjust and improve our Golden Gate Assembly system because the whole lab has been having problems in that respect. Furthermore, many projects will need to create a process to transform their organisms as these organisms have either not been used in our lab previously or are new isolates from the environment. A few of our sub-teams have shown successful conjugation, though. Finally, it is clear that we will need to consolidate our sub-projects to bring to the iGEM Jamboree. While each of our aims is valuable and interesting, not all will be ready to present and only some will yield results of a quality that we are proud of.
