Team:UCL/Science/Results

From 2014.igem.org

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Latest revision as of 01:33, 18 October 2014

Goodbye Azodye UCL iGEM 2014

Characterisation

Degradation

Azo-sensor

Biosafety

Our characterisation was driven towards quantifying the toxicity of certain azo dyes and to what extent they can be degraded by bacterial enzymes, more specifically BsDyP, on its own and under the induction of a LacI promoter cassette.

Also, the possible re-purposing of the pre-existing part from UCL 2009 team BBa_K239009 as an azo-dye sensing device was evaluated.

Finally, two possible approaches to biosafety were tested; one of them, assaying the activity of UCL 2012 team nuclease BBa_K729004 in the presence of azo-dyes. The other, testing the performance of an RNAi sequence designed to knock down the expression of Octaprenyl diphosphate synthase, a crucial enzyme in one of the E. coli metabolic pathways, so that in the future we can develop a strain that is only able to use as a substrate synthetic compounds provided externally. More information on this on the Xenobiology page (link)

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+<h3>Characterisation</h3>
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-<p class="widthCorrect">Considering the complex and novel nature of scientific practices in synthetic biology there is a need to look at adapted forms of governance that deal with processes of innovation in a reflexive manner. This is seen as necessary in order to devise policies that can accommodate a sustainable development of the emerging technology within society. Considering the environmental risks to which they are ascribed, policy frameworks ought to engender effective governance that seeks to foster good science, not to hamper it. It also recognises that good science goes hand in hand with open, clear, transparent regulation to ensure both trust and accountability. Another prominent feature of synthetic biology is its ‘cross-borderness’, in addition to the embedded scientific uncertainty. It simultaneously crosses the borders of scientific disciplines, industrial sectors, and geopolitical areas. Considering the transboundary and uncertain nature of this emerging technology it might be interesting to look at how policies are being developed within the framework of transnational governance. Some views support the idea that synthetic biology policies should not only be regulated from a top down perspective through governments, but that non-governmental stakeholders and organisations should be able to engage in self-regulation. The transboundary – and transnational nature of synthetic biology practices makes it pertinent to examine biosecurity and sustainable innovation discourses at the level of transnational governance structures such as iGEM. The latter holds a series of promising characteristics with regard to innovative regulatory frameworks.</p>
+<p class="widthCorrect">Our characterisation was driven towards quantifying the toxicity of certain azo dyes and to what extent they can be degraded by bacterial enzymes, more specifically BsDyP, on its own and under the induction of a LacI promoter cassette.</p>
+<br>
+<p class="widthCorrect">Also, the possible re-purposing of the pre-existing part from UCL 2009 team BBa_K239009 as an azo-dye sensing device was evaluated.</p>
+<br>
+<p class="widthCorrect">Finally, two possible approaches to biosafety were tested; one of them, assaying the activity of UCL 2012 team nuclease BBa_K729004 in the presence of azo-dyes. The other, testing the performance of an RNAi sequence designed to knock down the expression of Octaprenyl diphosphate synthase, a crucial enzyme in one of the E. coli metabolic pathways, so that in the future we can develop a strain that is only able to use as a substrate synthetic compounds provided externally. More information on this on the Xenobiology page (link)</p>
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