Difference between revisions of "Team:Austin UTexas"

 
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<h2> Description </h2>
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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 in Kombucha tea, various cyanobacteria, and other organisms that are more commonly used in the lab. 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>
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<p> 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. Similarly, a sub-team whose goal is to create an organism that can detect GMOs is having to work and rework the system they are using, and they are having to troubleshoot just like many other sub-teams. 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. </p>
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<p> 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. </p>
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<h2> Welcome to iGEM 2016! </h2>
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<p>Your team has been approved and you are ready to start the iGEM season! </p>
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<h5>Before you start: </h5>
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<p> Please read the following pages:</p>
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<li>  <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Requirements">Requirements page </a> </li>
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<li> <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Wiki_How-To">Wiki Requirements page</a></li>
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<a href = "https://igem.org/Main_Page"> <IMG class = "iGemLogo" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/b/b2/T--Austin_UTexas--iGemLogo.png"> </a>
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<p>You may style this page as you like or you can simply leave the style as it is. You can easily keep the styling and edit the content of these default wiki pages with your project information and completely fulfill the requirement to document your project.</p>
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<IMG class="teamName" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/3/3c/T--Austin_UTexas--teamLogo.png">
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<p>While you may not win Best Wiki with this styling, your team is still eligible for all other awards. This default wiki meets the requirements, it improves navigability and ease of use for visitors, and you should not feel it is necessary to style beyond what has been provided.</p>  
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<a href="#homeText"><IMG class="scroll" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/d/d0/T--Austin_UTexas--scroll.png"></a>
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<h5> Wiki template information </h5>
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<p>We have created these wiki template pages to help you get started and to help you think about how your team will be evaluated. You can find a list of all the pages tied to awards here at the <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Judging/Pages_for_Awards/Instructions">Pages for awards</a> link. You must edit these pages to be evaluated for medals and awards, but ultimately the design, layout, style and all other elements of your team wiki is up to you!</p>
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<p><h2>Here’s the story of a lovely iGEM team...</h2></p>
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<p>
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...who cultured kombucha in the hot Texas summer to learn more about the drink’s microbial makeup. Kombucha, a drink made when a diverse community of yeast and bacteria ferments sweetened tea, has recently exploded in popularity, especially in our hometown of Austin, Texas. Despite the drink’s popularity, not much is known about the population of microbes responsible for giving sweet tea a vinegar-like tang. As students at The University of Texas, we were interested in finding out more about the drink that is rapidly becoming ingrained in our city’s culture. Along the way, we’ve explored ways to improve the drink with synthetic biology.</p>
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<p><h2>That’s the way we became the ‘Bucha Bunch!</h2></p>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/6/6d/T--Austin_UTexas--Timeline.png">
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<h2> What is Kombucha?</h2>
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<p> <br>Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains a symbiotic community which is characterized by the relationship between ethanol-producing yeast and bacteria. These different species of bacteria create bacterial cellulose and convert the ethanol produced from yeast, into acetic acid. Due to this unique microbiome, many claims have been made regarding the health benefits that come from drinking this beverage. However, none of these claims have been proven scientifically. Even so, these claims have contributed to the rising popularity of the beverage. The Kombucha Brewers International, a non-profit trade association, has reported a growth of 50% per year in the kombucha industry with no signs of slowing down in the near future.<sup>1</sup> We believe that our research can not only add to the field of synthetic biology, but also help grow the kombucha industry through the implementation of scientific rigor to the process of creating kombucha. Our goal is to create a designer beverage with added benefits that come from either the genetic modification of the microbiome present or through naturally altering the population of the microbiome present during the brewing of kombucha. The timeline above outlines the steps taken to achieve our goals.  Several of our goals evolved during the course of our project in direct response to our discussions with those in the kombucha industry. </p>
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<p><b>1. Isolate and identify different microbes in kombucha through various growth mediums and antibiotics, while using 16s sequencing to reveal the identities of the microorganisms.</b>
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So far, we have identified the yeasts <i>Lachancea fermentati</i> and <i>Schizosaccharomyces pombe</i> and the bacteria <i>Gluconobacter oxydans.</i></p>
  
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<p><b>2. Prove that genetic engineering is possible with the bacteria in kombucha by using conjugation to transfer a plasmid with a gene that produces GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein)</b>
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We are still attempting conjugation, however, there has yet to be a successful attempt in <i>Gluconobacter oxydans</i> or <i>Gluconacetobacter hansenii</i> ( a close relative of <i>Ga. xylinus</i>).</l></p>
  
  
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<p><b>3. Confirm successful conjugation by utilizing 16s sequencing to reveal the identities of the potential transconjugants.</b>
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We have only sequenced <i> E. coli</i>, which means conjugation has not been successful.</p>
  
  
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<p><b>4. Design a construct(s) in bacteria endogenous to kombucha that adds a beneficial aspect to the drink.</b>
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<h5> Editing your wiki </h5>
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<p>On this page you can document your project, introduce your team members, document your progress and share your iGEM experience with the rest of the world! </p>  
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We are currently in the process of designing a construct that produces Brazzein, a sweet tasting protein that can serve as an artificial sweetener. Another construct would include a part that increases the efficiency at which <i> G. oxydans </i> converts ethanol into acetic acid in order to decrease the ABV of the beverage.</p>
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<p> <a href="https://2016.igem.org/wiki/index.php?title=Team:Example&action=edit"> </a>Use WikiTools - Edit in the black menu bar to edit this page</p>
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<p><b>5. Recapitulate create kombucha from scratch by adding specific strains of bacteria and yeast, including the transconjugants that contain our construct(s).</b>
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We have successfully recapitulated kombucha with a mixture of our strains that has been isolated from store. However, due to the fact that there has not been a successful conjugation, there has not been a recapitulation with a transconjugant.</p>
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====References====
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#[https://kombuchabrewers.org/about-us/history-of-kombucha-brewing/ Kombucha Brewers International]
  
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<h5>Tips</h5>
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<p>This wiki will be your team’s first interaction with the rest of the world, so here are a few tips to help you get started: </p>
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<li>Start documenting your project as early as possible; don’t leave anything to the last minute before the Wiki Freeze. For a complete list of deadlines visit the <a href="https://2016.igem.org/Calendar">iGEM 2016 calendar</a> </li>
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<li> <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:LMU-Munich">2014 LMU-Munich</a> </li>
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<li> <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Michigan"> 2014 Michigan</a></li>
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Latest revision as of 15:05, 19 October 2016




Here’s the story of a lovely iGEM team...

...who cultured kombucha in the hot Texas summer to learn more about the drink’s microbial makeup. Kombucha, a drink made when a diverse community of yeast and bacteria ferments sweetened tea, has recently exploded in popularity, especially in our hometown of Austin, Texas. Despite the drink’s popularity, not much is known about the population of microbes responsible for giving sweet tea a vinegar-like tang. As students at The University of Texas, we were interested in finding out more about the drink that is rapidly becoming ingrained in our city’s culture. Along the way, we’ve explored ways to improve the drink with synthetic biology.

That’s the way we became the ‘Bucha Bunch!





What is Kombucha?


Kombucha is a fermented tea that contains a symbiotic community which is characterized by the relationship between ethanol-producing yeast and bacteria. These different species of bacteria create bacterial cellulose and convert the ethanol produced from yeast, into acetic acid. Due to this unique microbiome, many claims have been made regarding the health benefits that come from drinking this beverage. However, none of these claims have been proven scientifically. Even so, these claims have contributed to the rising popularity of the beverage. The Kombucha Brewers International, a non-profit trade association, has reported a growth of 50% per year in the kombucha industry with no signs of slowing down in the near future.1 We believe that our research can not only add to the field of synthetic biology, but also help grow the kombucha industry through the implementation of scientific rigor to the process of creating kombucha. Our goal is to create a designer beverage with added benefits that come from either the genetic modification of the microbiome present or through naturally altering the population of the microbiome present during the brewing of kombucha. The timeline above outlines the steps taken to achieve our goals. Several of our goals evolved during the course of our project in direct response to our discussions with those in the kombucha industry.

References

  1. Kombucha Brewers International