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Latest revision as of 22:12, 18 September 2015

UNIQ handout

Synthetic Biology

Aims

  • To introduce the jargon of synthetic biology
  • To become familiar with the concepts of synthetic biology
  • To introduce gene structural elements and their function

Tasks

Discuss the answers to the following questions in your group.

  1. Define a Biobrick.
  2. Is there specific order that BioBricks needs to be arranged?
  3. Discuss the types of inputs to which a promoter can respond.
  4. How are the biological circuits constructed?
  5. In which cases might terminators be necessary in the biological part?

Sets of Group Questions

Group A: BioBrick Constructs

Aims:

  • To understand how multiple BioBricks can be used to build a biological circuit
  • To explain the flexibility of the terms ‘BioBrick’ and ‘system’ in synthetic biology

Tasks:

Study the follow biological system and answer the questions in your group. Plan a 2 minute talk to the rest of the class that includes:

  • Description of the part
  • Functions and applications

Info 1: Dichloromethane (DCM) is a highly volatile solvent which finds application in a wide variety of industrial and commercial processes

Q1: Why might it be important to remove solvents like DCM from the environment?

Q2: Does DCM need to stimulate or inhibit transcription of the coding sequence downstream ofthe promoter?

Q3: What might the function of the protein dcmA be?

Q4: Which part of the biological part needs to be sensitive to DCM?

Q5: Why might a strong RBS be used?

Q6: When would it be useful to include a reporter protein?

Q7: What parts could be changed or added to remove different contaminants from the environment?

Group B: BioBrick Constructs

Aims:

  • To understand how multiple BioBricks can be used to build a biological circuit
  • To explain the flexibility of the terms ‘BioBrick’ and ‘system’ in synthetic biology

Tasks:

Study the follow biological system and answer the questions in your group. Plan a 2 minute talk to the rest of the class that includes:

  • Description of the part
  • Functions and applications

Info 1: Bacteria produce and secrete certain signaling molecules, such as AI­2, to communicate with neighbouring bacteria. This is called quorum sensing. The quorum sensing molecules that bacteria release increase in concentration as a function of cell density.

Q1: What is the function of the “AI­2 induced” promoter?

Info 2: Holins are proteins produced by viruses that infect bacteria (bacteriophages) that cause the bacterial cell to burst (cell lysis)

Q2: Why might a weak RBS be used?

Q3: What is the function of GFP?

Q4: What is the function of the overall system?

Q5: What are the applications of this system and how might it be changed and expanded?

Group C: BioBrick Constructs

Aims:

  • To understand how multiple BioBricks can be used to build a biological circuit
  • To explain the flexibility of the terms ‘BioBrick’ and ‘system’ in synthetic biology

Tasks:

Study the follow biological system and answer the questions in your group. Plan a 2 minute talk to the rest of the class that includes:

  • Description of the part
  • Functions and applications

This biological system breaks down blood clot under hypoxic conditions.

Info 1: Hypoxia Response Element (HRE​) responds to a lack of oxygen in the environment

Info 2 : Fibrin is a fibrous protein and is a major component for the blood clotting.

Info 3: Plasmin is produced by tissue plasminogen activator (tPA​) and cuts the fibrin mesh at various places to break down a blood clot

Q1: What is the function of the HRE induced promoter?

Q2: Why would blood clots forming in blood vessels be a problem?

Q3: Why do you think it’s important to target an inactive enzyme rather than to express an enzyme which will act directly on the fibrin mesh?

Q4: What are the applications of this system and how might it be changed and expanded?

Group D: BioBrick Constructs

Aims:

  • To understand how multiple BioBricks can be used to build a biological circuit
  • To explain the flexibility of the terms ‘BioBrick’ and ‘system’ in synthetic biology

Tasks:

Study the follow biological system and answer the questions in your group. Plan a 2 minute talk to the rest of the class that includes:

  • Description of the part
  • Functions and applications

Info 1: PgolB senses toxic gold in the environment

Q1: What might the function of GolB protein be?

Q2: Why might you have a strong RBS?

Q3: What is the function of RFP?

Q4: Why can’t the arrow for GolB point in the other direction?

Q5: What are the applications of this system and how might it be changed and expanded?