Team:BostonU/Chimera

From 2014.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)

Revision as of 00:25, 1 October 2014

Project Chimera

Synthetic biology research revolves around design-build-test cycles for the production of genetic devices. An effective process often depends on protocol robustness and a thorough understanding of individual genetic components. Currently, limited software integration and part characterization represent significant stymying factors to the growth of the field, particularly as researchers endeavor to construct increasingly complex devices with behavior that is difficult to predict.

We seek to strengthen the traditional design-build-test cycle by developing a workflow that utilizes bio-design automation software tools and builds upon a thoroughly characterized library of parts.

Motivation and Background

We will complete a library of basic parts currently composed of existing ribosomal binding sites and terminators from the CIDAR Lab by adding a series of tandem promoters, fusion proteins, and vector backbones. These parts will will then be cloned using the MoClo assembly method in multiplexing reactions to create a library of transcriptional units. Data will be gathered for these TUs using flow cytometry in conjunction with the TASBE Tools developed at BBN Technologies to characterize all the parts in our library. The TASBE Tools allow for calibrated measurement of gene expression in absolute units of fluorescence, and will allow for effectively designing multi-TU genetic circuits. We hypothesize that guiding the design and construction of complex circuits with our characterization data and workflow will streamline the traditional design-build-test cycle and aid in a more efficient process for the assembly of novel devices.

As a measurement team, we will also use our flow cytometer and the TASBE Tools to enhance the documentation of existing Registry parts. We will contribute our entire basic parts and TU libraries to the Registry to enable other synthetic biology groups to rely on well-characterized parts and methods for their research.

Our Sponsors

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
      <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="15" cellpadding="0">
        <tr>
-         <th scope="col">Synthetic biology research revolves around design-build-test cycles for the production of genetic devices. An effective process often depends on protocol robustness and a thorough understanding of individual genetic components. Currently, limited software integration and part characterization represent significant stymying factors to the growth of the field, particularly as researchers endeavor to construct increasingly complex devices with behavior that is difficult to predict.
+         <th scope="col">Synthetic biology research revolves around design-build-test cycles for the production of genetic devices. An effective process often depends on protocol robustness and a thorough understanding of individual genetic components. Currently, limited software integration and part characterization represent significant stymying factors to the growth of the field, particularly as researchers endeavor to construct increasingly complex devices with behavior that is difficult to predict.<br><br>
 We seek to strengthen the traditional design-build-test cycle by developing a workflow that utilizes bio-design automation software tools and builds upon a thoroughly characterized library of parts. </th>
 <th scope="col"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/d/d9/Chimera_plasmid_BU14.png" height="300" width="300" alt="ChimeraPlasmid" style="float:right" style= "margin-left:10px"><br><br><capt></capt></th>