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| − | <h2> Welcome to iGEM 2015! </h2> | + | <h2> PROINSULITRON </h2> |
| − | <p>Your team has been approved and you are ready to start the iGEM season! </p> | + | <p>Welcome to UNAM-CU TEAM </p> |
| | <h4>Our project: </h4> | | <h4>Our project: </h4> |
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| − | <p> The main goal of our project is to modify a bacteria in order to make it capable of sensing the level of glucose in the nearby area, produce a quantity of insuline according to the glucose levels and take that insuline to the outer side. In a right context, the abilities of this (or these) bacteria would allow body cells to take advantage of the glucose overriding hyperglycemia.
| + | Every 7 seconds one person dies from diabetes” (IDF, 2014). Among others, Type 1 Diabetes is the result of a partial or complete lack of insulin production that leads to deregulation of glucose levels in blood. Current available solutions for this disorder are based on complicated and expensive devices of external use. We propose the use of an innovative system based on the construction of a bacterial sensor capable to respond to glucose concentrations; secondly this sensor aims to induce the production of insulin according to glucose levels. The bacteria are going to be contained in a modular device composed by contention, communication, extraction and change sections. For the design of the device, a bio-compatible material was searched. This device is designed specifically to prevent an immune response of the patient. The system designed combines mechanical engineering and biotechnology, ensuring an appropriate and secure insulin dosage for the patient. |
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| − | <p> In recent years, bacteria modified by means of biotechnology are used as the main system to obtain artificial insuline, which is possible to administrate to people who can't produce insuline by themselves, like people with type 2 diabetes.
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| − | One of the main disadvantages of that production system is the constant patient's need for injections with specific dosis. The dosis might change through time due to the patient's diet and metabolism.
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| − | <p> The correct folding of insulin requires an oxidative environment that allows the formation of two disulfide bonds between the two different polypeptide chains that build the insulin structure as well as a third disulphide bond within a single chain, a reason why it becomes harder for biotechnologists to produce it in large quantities.
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| − | <p> Under those circumstances, and because we want to use E. coli to build a circuit, we decided to use the SHuffle strain of E. coli, characterized by its capability to grow having an oxidative cytoplasmic environment, allowing the creation of functional disulphide bonds in many proteins.
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| − | <p> Using mathematical modeling, we expect to be able to theorize the interaction between the different factors implicated in our system, such as the glucose levels in blood resulting from a response to the insulin generated by the bacteria.
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| − | <p> In summary, the final result that is expected from our investigation is the possibility to stablish an useful alternative for insuline dependant people, allowing them to maintain more suitable glucose levels, improving their health and quality of life.
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| | <h4>Before you start: </h4> | | <h4>Before you start: </h4> |
| | <p> Please read the following pages:</p> | | <p> Please read the following pages:</p> |
PROINSULITRON
Welcome to UNAM-CU TEAM
Our project:
Every 7 seconds one person dies from diabetes” (IDF, 2014). Among others, Type 1 Diabetes is the result of a partial or complete lack of insulin production that leads to deregulation of glucose levels in blood. Current available solutions for this disorder are based on complicated and expensive devices of external use. We propose the use of an innovative system based on the construction of a bacterial sensor capable to respond to glucose concentrations; secondly this sensor aims to induce the production of insulin according to glucose levels. The bacteria are going to be contained in a modular device composed by contention, communication, extraction and change sections. For the design of the device, a bio-compatible material was searched. This device is designed specifically to prevent an immune response of the patient. The system designed combines mechanical engineering and biotechnology, ensuring an appropriate and secure insulin dosage for the patient.
