Team:Warwick/Project
Brixells
Our team's aim is to create a tool box allowing the selective allocation of specific cell types with an engineered oligonucleotide adhesive (DNA glue), using zinc finger binding proteins on an E. coli model. Our research would potentially allow for the self assembly of complex multi-type cell structures. The project will advance in progressive bands of complexity: designing and cloning the zinc finger coated E. coli cells, creating a DNA structure to allow for the cells to bind, further development of the zinc finger binding proteins allowing for multiple cell types to coexist on the DNA structure, and finally designing complex 3-D structures that the cells will be able to coalesce into. This has possible applications throughout medicine, microbiology, and microbial community research. Our research could potentially contribute to 3-D printing organic tissues, allowing for customised living tissues to be engineered.
The team name is a portmanteau of the words "brick" and "cell". Yes we do feel very clever.
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We have chosen to use E. coli as the model for our concept for multiple reasons:
It is the one of the most studied microorganisms, any changes we make to the genome are unlikely to have unexpected results.
When made electrocompetent or chemically competent it readily accepts plasmids.
It has a rapid generation time so we can grow a lot of it in a short time period.
And most importantly:
It can be cultured easily and inexpensively in a lab, so any mistakes we make when experimenting won't bankrupt us!