Team:Yale

Overview

Our iGEM research project involves porting Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering (MAGE) technology into two prokaryotic organisms—Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 and Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002—for the production of industrially-relevant small molecules. MAGE was developed as a rapid, high efficiency tool for increasing the genetic diversity of a cell population at targeted loci within the genome. The technique has so far been ported into the model organism Escherichia coli and a few other members of the family Enterbacteriaceae. Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 is a nitrogen-fixing bacterium capable of forming root nodules with legume plants. Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 is a fast-growing marine cyanobacterium capable of photosynthesis. We envision numerous potential applications for MAGE in these organisms; for example, the nitrogen fixation mechanisms in Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 could be modified to enable plant growth in otherwise hostile environments, and the lipid biosynthesis pathway of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 could be optimized for the production of molecules that serve as precursors to lipid biofuels.