Team:SVCE Chennai

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Welcome to SVCE iGEM 2015!

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Minicells are achromosomal cells formed by aberrant cell division in living cells. Several mutant strains of E. coli (P678-54, χ925) have been isolated that have been shown to harbor a mutation in a particular set of genes. FtsZ, one of the proteins involved in cell division has been shown to be one of those. Overexpression of this protein leads to septation at the poles, leading to the formation of the so-called minicells. The non-replicative behaviour of the minicells gives rise to a broad spectrum of applications. Our project focusses on engineering minicells to produce certain novel peptides called bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) produced by almost all bacteria having specific detrimental effect on the surrounding microbial community. Hence engineering minicells to produce bacteriocins can have a wide range of applications in fields like animal husbandry, human probiotics and strain selection.

Minicells will be engineered as probiotics to produce bacteriocins and can be used as a defence against common infections and diseases in the gastro-intestinal tract. Because the minicells do not have the ability to multiply, there is no risk of infection associated with children and immune-compromised people. Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been selected as a model gastro-intestinal pathogen. The appropriate bacteriocin has been chosen to be Thuricin S, produced by Bacillus thuringiensis.

One of the most common issues in the field of Medicine and in general, Biology, the formation of MRSA biofilms, can also be addressed with this approach. Studies have shown that a bacteriocin, Lysostaphin, can penetrate the biofilm and act on Staphylococcus aureus. But, the organism has already developed resistance towards lysostaphin. Building on that premise, we will be engineering minicells to produce Bactofencin A, a novel cationic bacteriocin produced by Staphylococcus simulans and test its functionality.

Aside from the above areas, there are other prospective areas where minicells producing bacteriocins can be applied. Bacteriocins are highly specific with respect to their target organism and will selectively kill the undesired organism to which it is directed against. This property can be utilized for strain selection on petri-plates. In addition, Clostridium botulinum – specific bacteriocin producing minicells can also be engineered to prevent botulism through packaged foods.

Before you start:

Please read the following pages:

• Requirements page
• Wiki Requirements page

Styling your wiki

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Editing your wiki

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See tips on how to edit your wiki on the Template Documentation page.

Templates

This year we have created templates for teams to use freely. More information on how to use and edit the templates can be found on the Template Documentation page.

Tips

This wiki will be your team’s first interaction with the rest of the world, so here are a few tips to help you get started:

• State your accomplishments! Tell people what you have achieved from the start.
• Be clear about what you are doing and how you plan to do this.
• You have a global audience! Consider the different backgrounds that your users come from.
• Make sure information is easy to find; nothing should be more than 3 clicks away.
• Avoid using very small fonts and low contrast colors; information should be easy to read.
• Start documenting your project as early as possible; don’t leave anything to the last minute before the Wiki Freeze. For a complete list of deadlines visit the iGEM 2015 calendar
• Have lots of fun!

Inspiration

You can also view other team wikis for inspiration! Here are some examples:

• 2014 SDU Denmark
• 2014 Aalto-Helsinki
• 2014 LMU-Munich
• 2014 Michigan
• 2014 ITESM-Guadalajara
• 2014 SCU-China

Uploading pictures and files

You can upload your pictures and files to the iGEM 2015 server. Remember to keep all your pictures and files within your team's namespace or at least include your team's name in the file name.
When you upload, set the "Destination Filename" to Team:YourOfficialTeamName/NameOfFile.jpg. (If you don't do this, someone else might upload a different file with the same "Destination Filename", and your file would be erased!)

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