Difference between revisions of "Team:UNC-Chapel Hill"

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<h3 style="color:#56A0D3;">Diabetes Mellitus</h3>
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<h3 style="color:#56A0D3;">Problem</h3>
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<p>Diabetes mellitus is prevalent throughout the world especially in the United States and Mexico. Current methods of treatments have largely remained the same. Patients prick their fingers to draw blood in order for a device to report their blood glucose levels. After the device gives them that information, they administer the appropriate amount of insulin to themselves. There has yet to be a unified system for the sensing of blood glucose levels and insulin administration. As a solution, we propose the following:</p>
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<p style="color:#56A0D3;">The UNC Chapel Hill team has devised a protein controlled system in which E coli detects high glucose levels in its environment, and in response release one of two proteins, insulin or glucagon-like peptide-1 <br><font color="black">(Find out more at our <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:UNC-Chapel_Hill/Project#background">project page</a>)</font> </p>
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Type-1 diabetes is a disease that affects the production of insulin in the body, requiring strenuous monitoring of glucose levels in order to prevent severe symptoms eventually ending in death. With the rise of solutions to produce insulin reminiscent of synthetic biology, the production of insulin is no longer problematic in developed countries; however, glucose monitoring is and continues to be a source of financial trouble for many people with Type-1 diabetes.
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    The current solution for measuring blood sugar involves the use of a blood sugar monitor and expensive test strips. The problem with this system is that it is expensive, monitors cost from 10 to 50$ and test stips-1.38 $/strip (One Touch Ultra)1. Furthermore, diabetics are recommended to take their blood sugar at least five times a day and these test strips are not reusable. This means the approximate cost of glucose monitoring is 2528.5$ per year (assuming new glucose monitor every three years). In addition, for developing countries, this cost does not reflect the cost of insulin, which may be an even greater burden to persons suffering Type-1 diabetes.
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<p style="color:#56A0D3;"> <br><font color="black">(Find out more at our <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:UNC-Chapel_Hill/Project#background">project page</a>)</font> </p>
 
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<h3 style="color:#56A0D3;">Why did we choose this project?</h3>
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<h3 style="color:#56A0D3;">Our Solution</h3>
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<p>In the National Diabetes Statistics Report of 2014 released by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion it was reported that 29.1 million Americans (9.3% of the US population) have diabetes mellitus. The cost both direct and indirect of diabetes treatment is estimated to be 245 billion dollars, and the disease remains the 7th leading cause of premature death in the United States. With the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in the US population the 2014 UNC Chapel Hill iGEM team as part of a University that prides itself in serving "North Carolina, the United States, and the world through teaching, research, and public service" felt an obligation to address this problem</p>
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<p>We will attempt to construct a synthetic biological system not dependent on expensive and non-reusable test strips, inspired by the durable nature of cells and ability to detect chemical changes in the environment. We plan to assemble a 3-part reporter system specific to diabetes-relevant levels of glucose in the blood, ranging from 30 ng/dL to 300 ng/dL2. Our system will utilize iGEM registry chromoproteins, which will allow for easy visual characterization and hence prevent the need for patients to have equipment outside of a standard fridge.
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Originality and Improvement
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Glucose-related reporter systems are not a new concept to iGEM, as is apparent from the 2011 Missouri Miners team, who tested an OmpR-based reporter system; the 2008 Edinburgh team, who constructed a synthetic cAMP reporter system; and WHU China 2012, who created a repressible cAMP reporter system. However, a three-part multi-color system is novel and would solve the qualitative characterization flaw inherent in one-color systems, especially those utilizing chromoproteins. Additionally, as Edinburgh’s cAMP inducible promoter3 and WHU China’s cAMP repressible promoter4 offer levels of sensitivity close to what we wish to achieve, we will seek to improve the existing characterization of those parts.
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Additional Endeavors
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In addition to our project and characterization goals, we will seek to model how our system can be used effectively in the real world and educate the community in order to further the possibility of this model becoming a reality. We also hope to have a lot of fun doing it!</p>
  
 
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Revision as of 02:46, 15 July 2015

Problem

Type-1 diabetes is a disease that affects the production of insulin in the body, requiring strenuous monitoring of glucose levels in order to prevent severe symptoms eventually ending in death. With the rise of solutions to produce insulin reminiscent of synthetic biology, the production of insulin is no longer problematic in developed countries; however, glucose monitoring is and continues to be a source of financial trouble for many people with Type-1 diabetes. The current solution for measuring blood sugar involves the use of a blood sugar monitor and expensive test strips. The problem with this system is that it is expensive, monitors cost from 10 to 50$ and test stips-1.38 $/strip (One Touch Ultra)1. Furthermore, diabetics are recommended to take their blood sugar at least five times a day and these test strips are not reusable. This means the approximate cost of glucose monitoring is 2528.5$ per year (assuming new glucose monitor every three years). In addition, for developing countries, this cost does not reflect the cost of insulin, which may be an even greater burden to persons suffering Type-1 diabetes.


(Find out more at our project page)

Our Solution

We will attempt to construct a synthetic biological system not dependent on expensive and non-reusable test strips, inspired by the durable nature of cells and ability to detect chemical changes in the environment. We plan to assemble a 3-part reporter system specific to diabetes-relevant levels of glucose in the blood, ranging from 30 ng/dL to 300 ng/dL2. Our system will utilize iGEM registry chromoproteins, which will allow for easy visual characterization and hence prevent the need for patients to have equipment outside of a standard fridge. Originality and Improvement Glucose-related reporter systems are not a new concept to iGEM, as is apparent from the 2011 Missouri Miners team, who tested an OmpR-based reporter system; the 2008 Edinburgh team, who constructed a synthetic cAMP reporter system; and WHU China 2012, who created a repressible cAMP reporter system. However, a three-part multi-color system is novel and would solve the qualitative characterization flaw inherent in one-color systems, especially those utilizing chromoproteins. Additionally, as Edinburgh’s cAMP inducible promoter3 and WHU China’s cAMP repressible promoter4 offer levels of sensitivity close to what we wish to achieve, we will seek to improve the existing characterization of those parts. Additional Endeavors In addition to our project and characterization goals, we will seek to model how our system can be used effectively in the real world and educate the community in order to further the possibility of this model becoming a reality. We also hope to have a lot of fun doing it!

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