Team:Pitt/Skin Probiotic/Dehydrogenase/Intro

Desaturase Intro

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 a lipid-restoring enzyme, which would reduce inflammation by maintaining a healthy balance of oils on the skin.

Under normal conditions, the ratio of linoleic acid and oleic acid remains constant, but the presence of P. acnes alters the healthy ratio of linoleic- and oleic acid. We suspect that this change of lipid composition, specifically the decrease of linoleic acid and elevation in oleic acid, contributes to the occurrence of acne-related inflammation. However, inserting a desaturase enzyme to increase the concentration of linoleic acid will restore the natural lipid composition of the skin, therefore reducing the incidence of inflammation caused by P. acnes.

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