Team:CHINA CD UESTC/Future
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FUTURE
In order to further improve our project, we gave two aspects outlook from the advances of our project and the prospects of enzyme biofuel cell, which also includes the potential value that we explored from this project. If you have any better ideas, please tell us.
Next work
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(1) Our project has already realized the fusion expression of red fluorescent protein and laccase, and laccase has great activity. We also successfully constructed the recombinant expression vector of mamW +RFP +laccase, but the expression quantity and activity failed to achieve the anticipative result. So next, we is planning to find the reason, optimize the induction condition, increasing the expression quantity of mamW+RFP+laccase fusion protein and realize their respective functions, making the RFP and laccase fusion protein locate on the membrane of magnetosomes.
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(2) Magnetosome formation related four gene clusters didn’t realize their anticipative functions. Through the experimental verification, we found that the promoters of magnetotactic bacteria’s four gene cluster can't control the transcription and translation of downstream gene in E. coli. So our next work is to find a suitable promoter (e.g., T7 promoter or LacI promoter) to make the downstream genes can transcribe and translate, realizing the magnetotaxis of E.coli.
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(3) We will clone single gene to further explore the function of every magnetosome formation related genes, mainly genes whose functions we haven’t know (such as mamB, mamU and else), to find the real mechanism of the formation of magnetosome.
(4) After the basic function of each gene was found, we will simplify the expression system of magnetosome formation, to find the essential genes of magnetosome formation and simplify the expression system.
Application Prospect
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(1) Energy: We made an enzyme biofuel cell ourselves, we used glucose oxidase at the anode, it can provide electrons to the cathode. Laccase was used at the cathode; it can catalyze the oxidation of a variety of aymolytes and at the same time reduce oxygen to water, with copper ion active center as a support group. Our purpose is to express laccase on the membrane of magnetosome, thus increases the concentration of laccase, increase the efficiency of electron transfer. Similarly, we can replace laccase with glucose oxidase and can fix glucose oxidase at the anode to improve electron transfer efficiency of the anode. If more efficient and stable enzymes could be found, the enzyme fuel cell will replace the existing lithium-ion batteries and others.
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(2) Medical treatment: Laccase of mamW + RFP + laccase expression vector can be replaced to antibody drugs, the expressed magnetosomes can carry antibody drugs. So it can realize target therapy under the action of outside or internal magnetic field.
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(3) Biosensor : We can refit our enzyme fuel cell into a small biosensor to detect the concentration of sugar and polyphenols in sewage. At the same time, if we can transplant these biosensors to human bodies, we can monitor blood glucose levels in diabetics in real time.
(4) Environment : Laccase can decompose many kinds of phenol and aromatic amine compounds, etc. Immobilizing laccase can realize the degradation of phenol and aromatic amine compounds and generate electricity at the same time.
(5) Food industry : Laccase can be used to remove phenol turbidity of fruit juice and beer, realizing the long-term storage of them. At the same time, the device can also generate electricity, realizing the energy recycling. In the papermaking industry, laccase can selectively degrade lignin to produce pulp.
In addition, we believe that our project has a lot of potential application values to be found. We believe that under the impetus of the science and technology, things seems impossible before will become possible.