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<p>We are developing a cell-free sensor that conditionally expresses a chromoprotein only in the presence of thallium. The metal ion detection is based on a DNAzyme that is cleaved in the presence of thallium. The released DNA strand activates a toehold switch regulated by the T7 promoter system, which will promote transcription of T3 and T7 RNA polymerases. The transcription of additional T7 RNA polymerase will amplify the signal from thallium. The T3 RNA polymerase will activate the expression of a chromoprotein. Our circuit will also incorporate a differential amplifier to remove noise from other heavy metals such as mercury. For the differential amplifier, a second DNAzyme with a greater affinity for other metals will be cleaved and produce a DNA strand complementary to that from the thallium DNAzyme. This will remove noise from other heavy metals that may also cleave the thallium DNAzyme.</p> | <p>We are developing a cell-free sensor that conditionally expresses a chromoprotein only in the presence of thallium. The metal ion detection is based on a DNAzyme that is cleaved in the presence of thallium. The released DNA strand activates a toehold switch regulated by the T7 promoter system, which will promote transcription of T3 and T7 RNA polymerases. The transcription of additional T7 RNA polymerase will amplify the signal from thallium. The T3 RNA polymerase will activate the expression of a chromoprotein. Our circuit will also incorporate a differential amplifier to remove noise from other heavy metals such as mercury. For the differential amplifier, a second DNAzyme with a greater affinity for other metals will be cleaved and produce a DNA strand complementary to that from the thallium DNAzyme. This will remove noise from other heavy metals that may also cleave the thallium DNAzyme.</p> | ||
Revision as of 15:07, 27 July 2016
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Project Description
We are developing a cell-free sensor that conditionally expresses a chromoprotein only in the presence of thallium. The metal ion detection is based on a DNAzyme that is cleaved in the presence of thallium. The released DNA strand activates a toehold switch regulated by the T7 promoter system, which will promote transcription of T3 and T7 RNA polymerases. The transcription of additional T7 RNA polymerase will amplify the signal from thallium. The T3 RNA polymerase will activate the expression of a chromoprotein. Our circuit will also incorporate a differential amplifier to remove noise from other heavy metals such as mercury. For the differential amplifier, a second DNAzyme with a greater affinity for other metals will be cleaved and produce a DNA strand complementary to that from the thallium DNAzyme. This will remove noise from other heavy metals that may also cleave the thallium DNAzyme.
Early in the brainstorming process, our team wanted to develop a biosensor, since previous projects that hijacked glucometers and pregnancy tests sparked our interest. In deciding what to detect, we looked for analytes that were less widely studied and eventually decided upon thallium. Thallium, like lead and mercury, its neighbors on the periodic table, is toxic to humans. Because it has a similar atomic radius as potassium, thallium follows potassium pathways in the body. Thallium poisoning in low dosages results in hair loss and damage to the peripheral nervous system. In high doses, thallium is lethal. Thus, detection of thallium is important, especially in areas with industries that use thallium.
We are also looking for collaborators. If you are interested, please contact us at pitt.igem.2016@gmail.com. We look forward to an exciting summer!
Welcome to iGEM 2016!
Your team has been approved and you are ready to start the iGEM season!
Before you start:
Please read the following pages:
Styling your wiki
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.
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.
Wiki template information
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 Pages for awards 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!
Editing your wiki
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!
Use WikiTools - Edit in the black menu bar to edit this page
Tips
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:
- State your accomplishments! Tell people what you have achieved from the start.
- Be clear about what you are doing and how you plan to do this.
- You have a global audience! Consider the different backgrounds that your users come from.
- Make sure information is easy to find; nothing should be more than 3 clicks away.
- Avoid using very small fonts and low contrast colors; information should be easy to read.
- 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 iGEM 2016 calendar
- Have lots of fun!
Inspiration
You can also view other team wikis for inspiration! Here are some examples:
Uploading pictures and files
You can upload your pictures and files to the iGEM 2016 server. Remember to keep all your pictures and files within your team's namespace or at least include your team's name in the file name.
When you upload, set the "Destination Filename" to T--YourOfficialTeamName--NameOfFile.jpg. (If you don't do this, someone else might upload a different file with the same "Destination Filename", and your file would be erased!)
