User:Mbennie/Notebook/Projects/Lux System Autoinducer Modification

Ideas

 * Use autoinducer system to facilate selective transcription
 * Design receptors to activate selective transcription (so cell can respond to external chemicals)


 * Uses
 * Cell now can be asked to perform certain functions: divide, die, etc.
 * Programmable cell?
 * Data storage?
 * Perform computation?
 * Chemical detection? (Similar to immune cells: find bad stuff -> produce toxins/antibodys)


 * Could cells be programmed to multiply and organize into tissues/organs?
 * DNA transfected into neuron -> can direct neuron to divide?

Research

 * Directed evolution of Vibrio fischeri LuxR for increase sensitivity to a broad spectrum of acyl-homoserine lactones


 * Site-directed mutagenesis of a LuxR-type quorum-sensing transcription factor alteration of autoinducer specificity


 * The quorum-sensing transcription factor TraR decodes its DNA binding site by direct contacts with DNA bases and by detection of DNA flexibility


 * AiiA, an enzyme that inactivates the acylhomoserine lactone quorum-sensing signal and attenuates the virulence of Erwinia carotovora


 * Mouse and human cells activation by N-dodecanoyl-DL-homoserine lactone (C12-HSL), a Chromobacterium violaceum autoinducer


 * Engineering Life Building a Fab for Biology


 * Signal-Amplifying Genetic Circuit Enables In Vivo Observation of Weak Promoter Activation in the Rhl Quorum Sensing System


 * Synthetic biology: new engineering rules for an emerging discipline


 * Aglow in the Dark: The Revolutionary Science of Biofluorescence
 * Luciferase -> protein "ignitor"
 * Lucifrin -> "fuel"
 * Aequorin -> produces bright blue light activated by calcium
 * Fireflies -> use ATP
 * "Light energy is transferred from the luciferins to the fluorescent protein by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
 * Fluorescent protein has been developed that can detect conformational changes (p. 228) Might be useful for determining if synthetic receptors work See "A Genetically Targetable Fluorescent Probe of Channel Gating with Rapid Kinetics" BioPhysical J (2002) Paper
 * List of bioluminscent organisms
 * pelagia noctiluca - jellyfish
 * pholas ductylus - clam
 * pyrophorus - beetle
 * parellus - fungi
 * angler fish
 * shrimp
 * noctiluca scintillans - dinoflagellate (boilum from microsomes called scantillons)
 * photinus, photuris, lucida - firefly
 * odontosyllis - fireworm
 * cypridina - sea firefly
 * renilla - sea pansy
 * obelia - hydra