Difference between revisions of "Team:Kent"

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  <a name="#ref"></a> <h1 align="center"> Application </h1>
 
  <a name="#ref"></a> <h1 align="center"> Application </h1>
 
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With rapid technological advancement in the electrical and computing industry there is pressure to increase processing power while downscaling circuitry. The recent discovery of nanowires has fuelled progress in downscaling electrical circuit boards. Currently most circuit boards use copper clad laminates which create large connections and take up a significant amount of space, leading to large boards. Nanowires provide a solution to downscaling. In practical application nanowires must be in perfect shapes with non-varying cross sections. Despite recent advancements in nanowire production, deformations and imperfections are almost unavoidable.
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With rapid technological advancement in the energy, electrical and computing industry there is pressure to increase processing power while downscaling circuitry, and at the same time make components and circulatory biocompatible for medical or biological applications. The recent advances in fabrication of nano-wires have fuelled the need for biocompatible wires that can interface with cellular components. Currently most electronic components use copper clad laminates, and rare earth metals, which are finite resources and require significant amount of space, energy, metals and rare resources. Nano-wires formed from proteins by bacteria provide a solution to the fabrication of a Nano-material in terms of miniaturization, improved efficiency, renewable use of energy and materials, and biocompatibilty.
 
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</a><h1 align="center">Our Solution</h1>
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</a><h1 align="center">Our Answer To Biocompatible Nano-wire</h1>
 
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Our amyloid nanowire provides an alternative material and method of production, whilst being environmentally friendly and self-assembling. We use an amyloid forming protein, Sup35-NM, which is exported by our engineered E. coli into a solution where the proteins polymerise to form amyloid. Amyloid fibres are well-suited for using as nanowire due to their high heat stability.</p>
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Our amyloid nano-wire provides an alternative material and method of producing nano-wire, whilst being environmentally friendly as a renewable resource, and can self-assemble. We utilized the amyloid forming protein, Sup35-NM, which can be exported by <i>E. coli</i> into a solution, where the protein self-assembles to form amyloid fibres. Amyloid fibrils are well-suited for use as nanowire due to their high heat stability, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and ease of functionalization.</p>
 
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<h1 align="center">Future</h1>
 
<h1 align="center">Future</h1>
 
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With further engineering, in the future it would be possible to insert an electron carrier into the periplasm, allowing electrons from the electron transport chain to be sequestered into the amyloid nanowire directly. This could be achieved using strains of <i>E.coli</i> that allow amyloid fibres to bind to the outside of the cell at specific points. Ultimately this will produce a self-powering unit that would generate and transport its own electricity that could be used in consumer products, such as mobile phones, eliminating the need for chargers. </p>
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With further engineering, in the future it would be possible to insert an electron carrier into the periplasm, allowing electrons from the electron transport chain to be sequestered into the amyloid nanowire directly. This could be achieved using strains of <i>E.coli</i> that allow amyloid fibres to bind to the outside of the cell at specific points. Ultimately this will allow self-powering bio-electronic devices that could be used in products such as mobile phones, energy plants that generates green bio-energy, and small self-contained batteries that generate and transport its own electricity and eliminates the need for chargers. </p>
 
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Revision as of 16:56, 18 September 2015


iGEM Kent 2015





























Application

With rapid technological advancement in the energy, electrical and computing industry there is pressure to increase processing power while downscaling circuitry, and at the same time make components and circulatory biocompatible for medical or biological applications. The recent advances in fabrication of nano-wires have fuelled the need for biocompatible wires that can interface with cellular components. Currently most electronic components use copper clad laminates, and rare earth metals, which are finite resources and require significant amount of space, energy, metals and rare resources. Nano-wires formed from proteins by bacteria provide a solution to the fabrication of a Nano-material in terms of miniaturization, improved efficiency, renewable use of energy and materials, and biocompatibilty.

































Our Answer To Biocompatible Nano-wire

Our amyloid nano-wire provides an alternative material and method of producing nano-wire, whilst being environmentally friendly as a renewable resource, and can self-assemble. We utilized the amyloid forming protein, Sup35-NM, which can be exported by E. coli into a solution, where the protein self-assembles to form amyloid fibres. Amyloid fibrils are well-suited for use as nanowire due to their high heat stability, mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and ease of functionalization.






























Future

With further engineering, in the future it would be possible to insert an electron carrier into the periplasm, allowing electrons from the electron transport chain to be sequestered into the amyloid nanowire directly. This could be achieved using strains of E.coli that allow amyloid fibres to bind to the outside of the cell at specific points. Ultimately this will allow self-powering bio-electronic devices that could be used in products such as mobile phones, energy plants that generates green bio-energy, and small self-contained batteries that generate and transport its own electricity and eliminates the need for chargers.