IGEM:Cambridge/2008/Electric Output/Meeting with Julia Davies

Cambridge iGEM Meeting with Julia Davies (17/07/2008)

-Discussed feasibility

-Osmotic problems with ion sequestration, possible solution - "inert" sugars such as sorbitol and manitol

-Glutamate/glutamine specificity problems, may need glutamine- as well as glutamate-free growth medium

-Need to test efficacy of voltage creation over range of osmolarities, use flame photometer to plot total K⁺ as fⁿ of growth curve

-Discussed Kch^- mutants, generally benign

-Potential PD measurement methods: high resistance input voltmeter to minimise noise, glass capillary microelectrode, oxygen electrode

-Measurement issue of cells acting as charged particles, neutralising charge around electrode