User:Wolfgang Pernice: Difference between revisions
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# Second, a microbial organism could be used for '''bio-synthesis''' of a desired substance. In the workshops we discussed a H<sub>2</sub> sythesising bacterium. Another idea would be the synthesis of graphene (e.g. [http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v6/n3/full/nmat1849.html Gain et al. 2007]), a new material with extraordinary properties, e.g. and intrinsic breaking strength up to 200x stronger than steel ([http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/321/5887/385 Lee et al. 2008])and as transistors exceeding the on-off frequence of silicon by approximately 10x (100 GHz) ([http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/24482/?a=f Bourzac 2010]); also [http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v4/n12/abs/nnano.2009.292.html Xia et al. 2009]for photonic rather than electronic properties. Graphene consists of a one atom thick monolayer of carbon atoms forming a honeycomb grid. In a 3D complex multiple layers form graphite. The production of graphene has been extremely expensive and has thus limited it's commercial value. While several advanced methods now exist which allow for less costly growing of graphene, a bio-synthetical approach in my opinion has potential to significantly increase the value-cost ratio. We would need to define a suitable entry point in the carbon metabolism cycles in a target organism which would most likely be located in the anabolism of polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose, starch) especially of membrane-targeted glycans. As this will require the design of new, or the substantial editing of existing anabolic pathways I consider the bio-synthesis area as significantly more ambitious and possible not realizable in the limited time of our project. | # Second, a microbial organism could be used for '''bio-synthesis''' of a desired substance. In the workshops we discussed a H<sub>2</sub> sythesising bacterium. Another idea would be the synthesis of graphene (e.g. [http://www.nature.com/nmat/journal/v6/n3/full/nmat1849.html Gain et al. 2007]), a new material with extraordinary properties, e.g. and intrinsic breaking strength up to 200x stronger than steel ([http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/321/5887/385 Lee et al. 2008])and as transistors exceeding the on-off frequence of silicon by approximately 10x (100 GHz) ([http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/24482/?a=f Bourzac 2010]); also [http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/v4/n12/abs/nnano.2009.292.html Xia et al. 2009]for photonic rather than electronic properties. Graphene consists of a one atom thick monolayer of carbon atoms forming a honeycomb grid. In a 3D complex multiple layers form graphite. The production of graphene has been extremely expensive and has thus limited it's commercial value. While several advanced methods now exist which allow for less costly growing of graphene, a bio-synthetical approach in my opinion has potential to significantly increase the value-cost ratio. We would need to define a suitable entry point in the carbon metabolism cycles in a target organism which would most likely be located in the anabolism of polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose, starch) especially of membrane-targeted glycans. As this will require the design of new, or the substantial editing of existing anabolic pathways I consider the bio-synthesis area as significantly more ambitious and possible not realizable in the limited time of our project. | ||
# | # A third area, that was already mentioned in the workshops is the manipulation of human cutaneous commensal bacteria to enhance their existing protective features: the continuous production and secretion of drugs for the long-term treatment of dermatological problems, to support wound healing, of scent-neutralizing or -producing agents or with transpiration-suppressing function are only a few examples. | ||
==Useful links== | ==Useful links== | ||
Revision as of 05:37, 6 July 2010
Contact Info
- Wolfgang Pernice
- Imperial College London
- 18 Courtfield Gardens
- SW5 0PD
- London, UK
- wolfgang.pernice08@imperial.ac.uk
I work in the IGEM:IMPERIAL/2010 at Imperial College London. I learned about OpenWetWare from my uni, and I've joined because of my participation in the Imperial College iGEM 2010 Team.
Education
- 2nd, BS, Imperial College London, life sciences
iGEM ideas
I think the major directions we could take the project into are the following:
- Using a micriobial organism as a bio-detector and/or bio-filter. Several ideas were already discussed during the first two brain-storming sessions, with focus on public water-systems or dialysis. The combination of detection and filtering approaches would allow to build uppon the results of previous iGEM teams, such as the camebridge 2009 project. For example a water-filter approach could include a recombinant, bio-film-forming bacterial species which endocytoses, or otherwise sequesters contaminants in water-circuits. The accumulation of target molecules in/on the cell could be used as trigger to induce loss of bio-film attachment so that the "loaded" cell can be filtered out by a secondary, mechanical filter. Additionally, the receptor could be linked to a signalling pathway leading to the synthesis of a visual signal. Key questions here would be: are there contaminants that would suit such a system; can we find a suitable receptor and express it in the target organism; can we ensure the safety of the system (no recombinant organisms introduced into the open circuit). Linked to this area are other variations of filter mechanisms such as for oil or for salts. I think we have a relatively high chance to realize a project in this area; something of potential use could already be created with just modifying one function: detection/binding of extracellular molecules. The more complex desired response pathways are, the more difficult will the realization be.
- Second, a microbial organism could be used for bio-synthesis of a desired substance. In the workshops we discussed a H2 sythesising bacterium. Another idea would be the synthesis of graphene (e.g. Gain et al. 2007), a new material with extraordinary properties, e.g. and intrinsic breaking strength up to 200x stronger than steel (Lee et al. 2008)and as transistors exceeding the on-off frequence of silicon by approximately 10x (100 GHz) (Bourzac 2010); also Xia et al. 2009for photonic rather than electronic properties. Graphene consists of a one atom thick monolayer of carbon atoms forming a honeycomb grid. In a 3D complex multiple layers form graphite. The production of graphene has been extremely expensive and has thus limited it's commercial value. While several advanced methods now exist which allow for less costly growing of graphene, a bio-synthetical approach in my opinion has potential to significantly increase the value-cost ratio. We would need to define a suitable entry point in the carbon metabolism cycles in a target organism which would most likely be located in the anabolism of polysaccharides (e.g. cellulose, starch) especially of membrane-targeted glycans. As this will require the design of new, or the substantial editing of existing anabolic pathways I consider the bio-synthesis area as significantly more ambitious and possible not realizable in the limited time of our project.
- A third area, that was already mentioned in the workshops is the manipulation of human cutaneous commensal bacteria to enhance their existing protective features: the continuous production and secretion of drugs for the long-term treatment of dermatological problems, to support wound healing, of scent-neutralizing or -producing agents or with transpiration-suppressing function are only a few examples.
