Difference between revisions of "Team:NYMU-Taipei/Description"

 
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<h2> Project Description </h2>
 
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<p>We are the 2015 National Yang Ming University iGEM team from Taiwan. iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) is an international synthetic biology competition hosted by the iGEM Foundation where renowned universities around the world participate. All iGEM teams concretize their creative ideas with synthetic biology and realize their concepts using scientific methods. NYMU has taken part in iGEM since 2007 and has been constantly rewarded for outstanding performances. </p>
 
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This year, we shifted our focus to disease problems of potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), one of the world’s major grain crops. We hope to establish a well-rounded defense system via transformed microbes with synthetic biology techniques to reduce the prevalence of the potato late blight disease, a consequence of water mold (Phytophthora infestans) infection. Given the 2012 North Carolina, US and the recent Zhangjiakou, China outbreaks, we fervently hope to first construct the biological defense system in our local main producing origins of potatoes, Taichung City and Yunlin County, Taiwan. We seek to not only secure the supply of our food sources, but also to help farmers ride through the predicament.</p>
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    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Phytophthora infestans is the causal agent of late blight disease of several members from the Solanaceae family. Potato, the third most important food crop in the world and one of the sources of major agricultural income in many countries, easily falls victim to P. infestans when temperature and moisture is suitable. Yet most existing biological control methods are ineffective and may even have further negative effects. This year, the NYMU-Taipei iGEM team creates a new systematic way to fight against potato late blight. We have characterized a new defensin in order to block the nutrient absorption and further growth of the oomycete. Inspired by competitive inhibition in pharmacology, we designed and improved a ligand with higher affinity aiding the entrance of P. infestans avirulence protein. To detect whether the potato is susceptible to late blight, we devised a soil-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) detecting salicylic acid emission and producing oscillating current. In our project design, we strive to cover every aspect that can prevent, fight against, and detect potato late blight. Furthermore, we will provide a standard procedure that can easily be followed by anyone without advanced knowledge in biology. </p>
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Latest revision as of 05:02, 12 July 2015

Project Description

    Phytophthora infestans is the causal agent of late blight disease of several members from the Solanaceae family. Potato, the third most important food crop in the world and one of the sources of major agricultural income in many countries, easily falls victim to P. infestans when temperature and moisture is suitable. Yet most existing biological control methods are ineffective and may even have further negative effects. This year, the NYMU-Taipei iGEM team creates a new systematic way to fight against potato late blight. We have characterized a new defensin in order to block the nutrient absorption and further growth of the oomycete. Inspired by competitive inhibition in pharmacology, we designed and improved a ligand with higher affinity aiding the entrance of P. infestans avirulence protein. To detect whether the potato is susceptible to late blight, we devised a soil-based microbial fuel cell (MFC) detecting salicylic acid emission and producing oscillating current. In our project design, we strive to cover every aspect that can prevent, fight against, and detect potato late blight. Furthermore, we will provide a standard procedure that can easily be followed by anyone without advanced knowledge in biology.