Team:UCL/Project/Xenobiology
From 2014.igem.org
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Steps in which xenobiology can intervene: | Steps in which xenobiology can intervene: | ||
- | Genetic firewall | + | <ol> |
- | + | <li> Genetic firewall <ol> | |
+ | <li> XNA used with synthetic nucleotides that can’t be found (either new letters or different sugar backbone)</li> | ||
+ | <li> Extend the alphabet of nucleotides ACGTXY | ||
Semantic firewall: genetic code is different, means something else (e.g. change tRNA synthetase --> triplet means different amino acid) | Semantic firewall: genetic code is different, means something else (e.g. change tRNA synthetase --> triplet means different amino acid) | ||
Metabolic firewall: synthetic auxotrophies; uses a synthetic vitamin as key cofactor/ synthetic amino acids etc | Metabolic firewall: synthetic auxotrophies; uses a synthetic vitamin as key cofactor/ synthetic amino acids etc | ||
Line 42: | Line 44: | ||
<li>Søballe, B. , Poole, K. R. (1999). Microbial ubiquinones: multiple roles in respiration, gene regulation and oxidative stress management. (Review) <em>Microbiology</em>, <strong>145</strong>, 1817-1830. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10463148">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10463148 </a></li> | <li>Søballe, B. , Poole, K. R. (1999). Microbial ubiquinones: multiple roles in respiration, gene regulation and oxidative stress management. (Review) <em>Microbiology</em>, <strong>145</strong>, 1817-1830. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10463148">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10463148 </a></li> | ||
<li>Schmidt, M (2010). Xenobiology: A new form of life as the ultimate biosafety tool <em>Bioessays</em>, <strong>32</strong>, 322-331. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909387/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909387/ </a></li> | <li>Schmidt, M (2010). Xenobiology: A new form of life as the ultimate biosafety tool <em>Bioessays</em>, <strong>32</strong>, 322-331. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909387/">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909387/ </a></li> | ||
+ | <li>Malyshev, D.A., Dhami, K., Lavergne, T. et al. (2014). A semi-synthetic organism with an expanded genetic alphabet <em>Nature</em>, <strong>509</strong>, 385-388. <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v509/n7500/full/nature13314.html">http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v509/n7500/full/nature13314.html </a></li> | ||
+ | |||
</ol> | </ol> | ||
Revision as of 15:08, 12 September 2014
A Xenobiological approach to biosafety
Laboratory Team
Summary
The wide use of genetically modified organisms causes concerns on how they will interact in the natural environment. In particular could the genetically modiefied microbes escape our constrains, and outcompete the organisms found in the natural ecosystem? Could the DNA we inserted into a specific bacteria be transmitted, with unknown spread of information?
Biological strategies
Explain kill switches and summarise review/paris bettencourtXenobiological strategies
Must be solved by: needs deadman switch = auxotrophy (can be metabolic) no exchange of information = incompatibility Steps in which xenobiology can intervene:- Genetic firewall
- XNA used with synthetic nucleotides that can’t be found (either new letters or different sugar backbone)
- Extend the alphabet of nucleotides ACGTXY
Semantic firewall: genetic code is different, means something else (e.g. change tRNA synthetase --> triplet means different amino acid)
Metabolic firewall: synthetic auxotrophies; uses a synthetic vitamin as key cofactor/ synthetic amino acids etc
reference to add
Reference:
- Wright, O., Stan, G.-B., and Ellis, T. (2013). Building-in biosafety for synthetic biology. (Review) Microbiology, 159, 1221-1235. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23519158
- Okada, K., Minehira, M., and Zhu, X. (1997). The ispB gene encoding octaprenyl diphosphate synthase is essential for growth of Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology, 179, 3058–3060. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9139929
- Søballe, B. , Poole, K. R. (1999). Microbial ubiquinones: multiple roles in respiration, gene regulation and oxidative stress management. (Review) Microbiology, 145, 1817-1830. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10463148
- Schmidt, M (2010). Xenobiology: A new form of life as the ultimate biosafety tool Bioessays, 32, 322-331. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909387/
- Malyshev, D.A., Dhami, K., Lavergne, T. et al. (2014). A semi-synthetic organism with an expanded genetic alphabet Nature, 509, 385-388. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v509/n7500/full/nature13314.html