Team:Pitt/Skin Probiotic/Cathelicidin/Intro

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<div class = "central_section">
<div class = "central_section">
<h2>Cathelicidin</h2>
<h2>Cathelicidin</h2>
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<p>The natural tendency for P. acnes to reside in the skin makes P. acnes an ideal candidate for a skin probiotic. Using the transformation protocol optimized by our team, we can insert novel genes for beneficent functions into P. acnes. One such function is the secretion of an anti-microbial peptide, which would reduce inflammation by inhibiting the growth of bacteria in the area.</p>
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<img src = "https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/thumb/9/91/Pitt_cath_intro.png/800px-Pitt_cath_intro.png" style = "width:500px;">
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<p>Cathelicidin is a natural antibiotic produced by the immune cells of many mammals, including humans. The antimicrobial peptide gene will be constructed into the plasmid along with an inducible blue-light promoter. If successful, the bacteria containing the plasmid will produce the cathelicidin when exposed to blue light and in turn suppress the P. acnes population when it becomes elevated.</p>
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<p>The objective of this part of the project was to engineer P. Acnes already on our skin to produce an anti-microbial peptide, which would reduce inflammation by inhibiting local bacteria growth. We chose Cathelicidin as our anti-microbial peptide because it is a natural antibiotic produced by the immune cells of many mammals, including humans.</p>
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<p>A key factor of this construct was making sure that the cathelicidin production was not constitutive, leading to the death of all bacteria and destruction of our skin’s natural biome. Therefore, we decided to combine the cathelicidin production with the YF1/FixJ and FixK2 blue light induction system. This allows regulation of cathelicidin production by blue light, giving the means to suppress the P. Acnes when, and only when, it becomes elevated. </p>
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<p>When designing this system, four main parts were going to be objectives:</p>
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<ol><li>hsp60 (no RBS) – mRFP1<br>
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<center><img src = "https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/6/69/Pitt_cath_intro2.png"></center><br>
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This objective of this part was to test the novel promoter hsp60 with the fluorescence of mRFP1.</li>
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</ol>
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<a href = "https://2014.igem.org/Team:Pitt/Skin_Probiotic/Cathelicidin/Methods">
<a href = "https://2014.igem.org/Team:Pitt/Skin_Probiotic/Cathelicidin/Methods">

Revision as of 07:23, 17 October 2014

Cathelicidin

The objective of this part of the project was to engineer P. Acnes already on our skin to produce an anti-microbial peptide, which would reduce inflammation by inhibiting local bacteria growth. We chose Cathelicidin as our anti-microbial peptide because it is a natural antibiotic produced by the immune cells of many mammals, including humans.

A key factor of this construct was making sure that the cathelicidin production was not constitutive, leading to the death of all bacteria and destruction of our skin’s natural biome. Therefore, we decided to combine the cathelicidin production with the YF1/FixJ and FixK2 blue light induction system. This allows regulation of cathelicidin production by blue light, giving the means to suppress the P. Acnes when, and only when, it becomes elevated.

When designing this system, four main parts were going to be objectives:

  1. hsp60 (no RBS) – mRFP1

    This objective of this part was to test the novel promoter hsp60 with the fluorescence of mRFP1.


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