User:Cheuk Ka Tong/Sandbox2

=Pore Proteins=

In light of the specification of the Cell By Date system to last for at least 24 hours, the team has looked into different ways to prolong the cell-free expression system. Based on A vesicle bioreactor as a step toward an artificial cell assembly by Vincent Noireaux and Albert Libchaber, transcription-translation of plasmid genes stops after 2 hours, whille encapsulaiton of cell extract into phospholipid vesicles surrounded by feeding solution prolongs the expression system by up to 5 hours. When pore proteins are expressed inside the vesicles to create selective permeability for nutrients, the system sustains expression for up to 4 days. Having separately achieved in-vitro expression and formation of vesicles, the team is now working on putting cell extract into vesicles. This page looks at the possible candidates of pore proteins we can employ to attain the desired selective permeability in the vesicles.

Specifications for pore proteins
 * Non-toxic
 * Accessible
 * Affordable
 * Compatible with lipids used (DOPC/POPC)
 * Forms a pore of ~1.4nm in diameter, or
 * Molecular mass cut-off of ~3kDa

List of pore protein candidates