Difference between revisions of "Team:Imperial College/SingleCell"

This year one of our mathematical model extensively describes the intracellular interactions of our Genetically Engineered Artificial Ratio (G.E.A.R.) system. The model was built using Simbiology, a MATLAB toolbox. The model has provided us with timescale information and it’s results allowed us to review our assembly strategies in the wet lab. Experiments conducted in the wet lab fed back into the model and improved the accuracy of our parameters. We are very proud to present you our model, worth weeks of very hard work!

Single Cell Modelling Overview

The first stage of our modelling process was to construct a single cell in silico model of our circuit. Our model was built using mass action kinetics in Simbiology (Matlab toolbox) and built up reaction by reaction.

Once, the models were built they were first used to test and compare the time taken for four different growth regulators (GP0.4, GP2, Leucine B Auxotrophy and Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase antibiotic resistance) that we shortlisted in order to determine which of them would work the fastest.

This allowed us to optimize our assembly experiments allowing us to achieve a faster route to a working prototype circuit. We decided to focus our attention on the GP2 and GP0.4 systems as they were predicted by our single cell model to work the fastest.

We performed sensitivity analysis on each of our circuit designs. We only analysed the parameters that we can change in lab (transcriptions rates via promoter strength, translation rates via RBS strength, copy numbers and degradation rates via the inclusion of degradation tags). This allows us to identify which parameters should be tweaked in order to balance our system in order to set the population ratios that we want.