Team:OLS Canmore AB CA/Experiments

Experiments and Protocols

All protocols followed can be found in the Alberta Innovates Technology Futures Synthetic Biology Guidebook for High School iGEM. The protocols followed are on pages 121 to 142.

Here is a link to access the guidebook:

 

https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/igem.org/7/71/AITF_iGEMHS_Guidebook_Final.pdf

 

 

Moving forward from this year, we plan to complete a qualitative assay and a quantitative assay for our parts. The first of these would simply determine if the Keratinase is effectively breaking down keratin by comparing it against a control flask containing keratin, and non-Keratinase producing E.coli K12. The second, and quantitative assay will provide us with information on speed of keratin breakdown due to Keratinase activity. This will help determine the effectiveness of our construct and its viability as an alternative to current keratin waste treatment methods. From this, we will move forward with optimization tests for pH, temperature, and other enzymatic conditions.

 

The following links are to two different viable quantitative assays to measure keratin breakdown due to enzyme activity:

 

  • http://www.hindawi.com/journals/er/2011/523780/
  • http://www.scielo.br/pdf/bjmbr/v44n3/394.pdf
  • Contact us at alinaarvisais@isidore.redeemer.ab.ca or taliadixon@isidore.redeemer.ab.ca, or even send a message to our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OLeSsence