IGEM:MIT/2005/Day 3 Discussion

Notes from discussion (from NK)
BacterioRhod:
 * light driven transport of protons; F1F0 to create ATP but then what? Could concentrate protons and what….
 * set up appoint with Ed Delong?
 * TK also looked into that system. Key thing from TK is making “useful power” in way other than more bacteria. Need to get electrode inside cell perhaps in cylindrical structure don’t know if this is possible. Pieces of bacterial membrane with different properties at each end. Bacteria have way of orienting structures in membrane: would it be possible to control insertion orientation?
 * Long term stability? Shut off/turn on?
 * 31 mA/meter2 at 265 mV
 * Instead of glucose feed it something….sunlight.
 * Tonight everyone should read specific papers and come back with specifics: Delong measured change in media, saw about pH .002 (see paper from Delongs group). Cells look pink (so likely absorbing green light, and perhaps cells get trashed by UV) Could power a watch with power in this range (uW). *
 * Draft email to Ed over lunch. Read paper before meeting happens and think about what to do this summer before that.
 * TK has cells and suggested students culture.
 * Schematic: feed glucose, produces gradient. reduce iron…
 * Some bacteria grow very slowly, might want to engineering in E. coli instead

Plaques:
 * Info on wiki
 * Blood clots and proteins that break down.
 * Chlamydia implicated in formation of some plaques.
 * Rheumatic fever leads to heart disease from Strep, persistent on heart valves.
 * Ulcers from Helico.
 * IRB, Chron’s, Cholitis….
 * How can this be used this summer? Small parts of these projects might be attainable.
 * Clotting/LDL discussion…

Bacteria to find waste/precious metals:
 * Make diamonds.

Solving Metaproblem:
 * How to make antibodies to almost anything: torture rabbits. Take sequence of Ab which we know and convert its binding to signaling in bacteria. (biodetector)

Response to fear: create sub-goals that allow you to declare success. To think about: bacteria for electricity project, yeast for antibody.