Team:TU Delft
TU Delft 2016
OPTICOLI
We use DNA from sponges to create a little glass-like layer around our cells.
BIOLENSES
The goal of our microlenses is to increase the fraction of light captured by solar cells and cameras. To produce microlenses, we expressed the enzyme silicatein in our engineered cells, which catalyzes polymerization of silicic acid (Cha et al., 1999). This resulted in a biosilica layer around the cell (MULLER et al., 2008). We also overexpressed the gene bolA in our silica covered cells, which produces a round cell shape when overexpressed (Aldea & Concha, 1988). Together this allows the cell to function as a microlens. When we make a grid of lenses, a microlens array, we can use the lens for a coating for solar panels, thin lightweight cameras with high resolution or 3D screens.
BIOLASERS
The goal of our biolasers is to improve current imaging techniques by increasing the fluorescence output of the cells and by narrowing the wavelength spectrum of the light emitted by the cells. We did this by expressing fluorescent proteins within our biosilica-covered cells. When exciting the fluorophores, a fraction of the photons are trapped inside the cell by the biosilica layer. These photons excite other fluorescent proteins and stimulated emission occurs. This process results in light with a higher intensity and a narrower colour spectrum compared to conventional fluorescence.
References
- Aldea, M., & Concha, H. C. (1988). Identification, Cloning, and Expression of bolA, an ftsZ-Dependent Morphogene of Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology.
- Cha, J. N., Shimizu, K., Zhou, Y., Christiansen, S. C., Chmelka, B. F., Stucky, G. D., & Morse, D. E. (1999). Silicatein filaments and subunits from a marine sponge direct the polymerization of silica and silicones in vitro. Biochemistry, 96, 361–365.
- MULLER, W., ENGEL, S., WANG, X., WOLF, S., TREMEL, W., THAKUR, N., … SCHRODER, H. (2008). Bioencapsulation of living bacteria (Escherichia coli) with poly(silicate) after transformation with silicatein-α gene. Biomaterials, 29(7), 771–779. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.10.038
