Team:Peking

From 2014.igem.org

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       <p class="habstract">Harmful algal bloom</p>
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       <p class="habstract" style="text-align:center">Abstract</p>
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       <div id="pabstract"><p>Widespread water bloom leads to extensive damage in ecosystems. Compared to physical or chemical methods, biological treatment for water bloom is less expensive and more environmentally friendly. Hence Peking iGEM is dedicated to constructing engineered microorganisms for the elimination of algae and recovery of ecosystems.</p><p>
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       <div id="pabstract"><p>Widespread algal blooms cause extensive damage in ecosystems. Compared to physical or chemical methods, biological treatment for algal bloom is less expensive and more environmentally friendly. Peking iGEM is dedicated to constructing engineered microorganisms for the elimination of cyanobacteria and recovery of ecosystems.</p>
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        A specific antimicrobial peptide is secreted to disrupt the outer membrane of algae. In addition, we equip our transgenic cells with features that allow for buoyancy and attachment, making our project more efficient. During this process, an enzyme is also secreted to degrade a deleterious product of algae. After eradicating the algae, our engineered bacteria will commit suicide, and the ecosystem is finally restored.</p><p>
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<p>An antimicrobial lysozyme was introduced to kill cyanobacteria since lysozyme could disrupt the outer membrane of cyanobacteria. In addition, we equipped our transgenic cells with features that allow for buoyancy and attachment, making our project more efficient. During this process, an enzyme is also secreted to degrade a deleterious product of cyanobacteria. After eradicating the cyanobacteria, our engineered bacteria will commit suicide, and the ecosystem is finally restored. </p>
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        This project is an innovative treatment for water bloom, and has potential applications in the field of ecosystem remediation. </p></div>
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<p>This project is an innovative treatment for water bloom, and has potential applications in the field of ecosystem remediation.  
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       <div id="SliderName_2" class="SliderName_2"> <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/e/ef/Peking2014wcg_show1.jpg"  alt="Demo2 first" />
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       <div id="SliderName_2" class="SliderName_2">  
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         <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM Club 1: <strong>Promoting iGEM</strong></div>
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        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/0/07/Peking2014wcg_slideshow1.png"  alt="Demo2 first" />
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         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/2/23/Peking2014wcg_show2.jpg"  />
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         <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM: <strong>Lab</strong></div>
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         <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM Club 2: <strong>Promoting iGEM</strong></div>
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         <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/b/bd/Peking2014ylq_algae_photo3.jpg"  alt="Demo2 first" />
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         <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM: <strong>The Killing effects</strong></div>
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        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/6/66/Peking2014wcg_slideshow11.png"  />
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        <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM: <strong>Peking iGEM Club</strong></div>
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        <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/5/5d/Peking2014wcg_slideshow5.png"  />
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        <div class="SliderName_2Description">Peking iGEM: <strong>Fluorescence Picture</strong></div>
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       <p class="subgroupl"> <strong>Killing:</strong><br />
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       <p class="subgroupl"> <strong><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/Killing" style="text-decoration: none;">Killing:</a></strong><br />
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         To achieve the goal of killing we make use of hen egg lysozyme, which can cause the cleaving of the glycosidic in the cyanobacteria`s peptidoglycan, thus cause the lysis of cyanobacteria. Our hen egg lysozyme can be secreted successfully with the help of ABC transporter. Besides, our E.coli can express yfkE, a kind of lysozyme inhibitor, to protect it from lysis. </p>
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         Killing the cyanobacteria is the directly efficient way to reduce an algal bloom. Lysozyme was introduced to annihilate cyanobacteria. The lysozyme could deconstruct the outer membrane of cyanobacteria and further lyse the cyanobacteria. Lysozyme immune system was implemented to protect our genetically engineered <i>E. coli</i>. Our goal is secreting lysozyme to kill cyanobacteria without harming our <i>E. coli</i>. </p>
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       <p > <strong>Killing Improvements:</strong><br />
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       <p > <strong><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/KillingImprovements" style="text-decoration: none;" >Killing Improvements:</a></strong><br />
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We expressed a lectin of the cyanobacetria on the surface of our E. coli cells so that they can bind to the cyanobacteria. According to computational models, binding of E. coli to the cyanobacteria greatly enhances the killing efficiency of our project. We also equipped our E. coli with gas vesicles so that our project can be feasible in the real ecosystems.
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A lectin of the cyanobacteria was expressed on the surface of our <i>E. coli</i> cells so that <i>E. coli</i> can bind to the cyanobacteria. Our experimental results show that <i>E. coli</i> cells do bind to the cyanobacteria, indicating that the killing efficiency of our project is greatly enhanced according our computational models. We also equipped our <i>E. coli</i> with gas vesicles so that our project can be feasible in the real ecosystems.  
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   <div id="mid2center"> <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/9/94/Peking2014wcg_homeprocess.png"  alt=""/> </div>
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   <div id="mid2center" > <a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/Overview"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/9/94/Peking2014wcg_homeprocess.png"  alt=""/> </a></div>
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       <p> <strong>This year Peking iGEM aims at dealing with the problem of water bloom with the tool of Synthetic Biology, to engineer bacterial that can restore the ecosystem, both reduce the algal biomass and degrade the toxin. </strong> </p>
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       <p> <strong>This year, Peking iGEM aimed at treating the problem of algal bloom with synthetic biological tools. Genetically engineered <i>E. coli</i> was implemented to both reduce the algal biomass and degrade the toxin. </strong> </p>
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       <p> <strong>Degradation :</strong><br />
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       <p> <strong><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/Degradation" style="text-decoration: none;">Degradation :</a></strong><br />
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Microcystis aeruginosa is the most common cyanobacteria during algal bloom, and can secrete microcystin, a deadly toxin. To decrease the negative effects of the toxin on water ecosystems, we introduce an engineered bacteria that can secrete a microcystinase-mlrA protein to hydrolyze the toxin.
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<i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i> is the most common cyanobacteria during an algal bloom, which can secrete a deadly toxin microcystin. To decrease the negative effects of the toxin on water ecosystems, we introduced an engineered bacteria that can secrete a microcystinase-MlrA protein to hydrolyze the toxin.
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       <p> <strong>Suicide :</strong><br />
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       <p> <strong><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/Suicide" style="text-decoration: none;">Suicide :</a></strong><br />
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In order to successfully solve the algal bloom, our team must put our engineered bacteria into the real ecosystems. If bacteria put into the real ecosystems are out of control, they may cause a lot of harm to local environment. So we must limit their life span and space they live in to a certain degree. One possible approach is that we artificially control their death. Therefore, we construct the suicide part to control the engineered bacteria using phage lysis system.
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After killing cyanobacteria and degrading toxin, the remaining bacteria should be eliminated or they would potentially cause negative effects to the environment. We constructed the suicide system using lysing system from phage, since <i>E. coli</i> should be controlled to commit suicide after accomplishing their mission.
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       <p> <strong>Modeling :</strong><br />
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       <p> <strong><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/BindingEvaluation">Modeling :</a></strong><br />
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Our modelling focuses on supporting the whole project: doing numerical analysis and improving the applicability of ours design. We analysis Killing effect combined with Binding by using Monte Carlo simulation to optimize the project efficiency while minimize the cellular burden. We also develop phenomenological sound model for interpretation of gene expression by coupling cell physiological state, gene specific regulators and growth rate.
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Our modeling focused on supporting the whole project. We used Monte Carlo simulation to analyze the enhancement of binding of <i>E. coli</i> to cyanobacteria to the efficiency of killing. Another model about cellular burden was built to find optimal expressing efficiency. Furthermore, a macroscopic simulation that predicts the real situation would provide insight for the whole project.  
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   <div id="mid3center"> <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/6/60/Peking2014wcg_process2.png" alt=""/> </div>
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   <div id="mid3center"> <img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/6/60/Peking2014wcg_process2.png" href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/Overview" alt=""/> </div>
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       <p> <strong>Human Practice :</strong><br />
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       <p> <strong><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Peking/TeamCom">Human Practice :</a></strong><br />
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        Algal blooms threaten the ecological integrity and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems, they can not only deplete oxygen upon bloom senescence thus being harmful to the phytoplankton, but also produce a variety of toxic secondary metabolites.
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Investigation lies much beyond lab bench. Great insight would be discovered by <i>in field</i> study. We visited Taihu Lake, one of the biggest lake in China suffering algal bloom. We interviewed the researchers and acquired knowledge about cyanobacteria in lake ecosystem. Besides, we were dedicated to communicating with other teams. We also established iGEM Club in Peking University to popularize iGEM competition.  
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        There are some methods to deal with water bloom, such as physical methods, chemical methods, and biological methods. They each offer their own advantages, but also have their own disadvantages as the following table shows. </p>
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Latest revision as of 03:47, 18 October 2014

Abstract

Widespread algal blooms cause extensive damage in ecosystems. Compared to physical or chemical methods, biological treatment for algal bloom is less expensive and more environmentally friendly. Peking iGEM is dedicated to constructing engineered microorganisms for the elimination of cyanobacteria and recovery of ecosystems.

An antimicrobial lysozyme was introduced to kill cyanobacteria since lysozyme could disrupt the outer membrane of cyanobacteria. In addition, we equipped our transgenic cells with features that allow for buoyancy and attachment, making our project more efficient. During this process, an enzyme is also secreted to degrade a deleterious product of cyanobacteria. After eradicating the cyanobacteria, our engineered bacteria will commit suicide, and the ecosystem is finally restored.

This project is an innovative treatment for water bloom, and has potential applications in the field of ecosystem remediation.

Demo2 first
Peking iGEM: Lab
Demo2 first
Peking iGEM: The Killing effects
Peking iGEM: Peking iGEM Club
Peking iGEM: Fluorescence Picture

Killing:
Killing the cyanobacteria is the directly efficient way to reduce an algal bloom. Lysozyme was introduced to annihilate cyanobacteria. The lysozyme could deconstruct the outer membrane of cyanobacteria and further lyse the cyanobacteria. Lysozyme immune system was implemented to protect our genetically engineered E. coli. Our goal is secreting lysozyme to kill cyanobacteria without harming our E. coli.

Killing Improvements:
A lectin of the cyanobacteria was expressed on the surface of our E. coli cells so that E. coli can bind to the cyanobacteria. Our experimental results show that E. coli cells do bind to the cyanobacteria, indicating that the killing efficiency of our project is greatly enhanced according our computational models. We also equipped our E. coli with gas vesicles so that our project can be feasible in the real ecosystems.

This year, Peking iGEM aimed at treating the problem of algal bloom with synthetic biological tools. Genetically engineered E. coli was implemented to both reduce the algal biomass and degrade the toxin.

Degradation :
Microcystis aeruginosa is the most common cyanobacteria during an algal bloom, which can secrete a deadly toxin microcystin. To decrease the negative effects of the toxin on water ecosystems, we introduced an engineered bacteria that can secrete a microcystinase-MlrA protein to hydrolyze the toxin.

Suicide :
After killing cyanobacteria and degrading toxin, the remaining bacteria should be eliminated or they would potentially cause negative effects to the environment. We constructed the suicide system using lysing system from phage, since E. coli should be controlled to commit suicide after accomplishing their mission.

Modeling :
Our modeling focused on supporting the whole project. We used Monte Carlo simulation to analyze the enhancement of binding of E. coli to cyanobacteria to the efficiency of killing. Another model about cellular burden was built to find optimal expressing efficiency. Furthermore, a macroscopic simulation that predicts the real situation would provide insight for the whole project.

Human Practice :
Investigation lies much beyond lab bench. Great insight would be discovered by in field study. We visited Taihu Lake, one of the biggest lake in China suffering algal bloom. We interviewed the researchers and acquired knowledge about cyanobacteria in lake ecosystem. Besides, we were dedicated to communicating with other teams. We also established iGEM Club in Peking University to popularize iGEM competition.

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