Chitin is ubiquitous in nature in organisms ranging from fungi to insects - in fact, it’s the second most abundant biopolymer on earth. Methods to take advantage of this fact using synthetic biology are limited - we established a part collection using chitin binding domains as a novel platform to functionalize chitin-containing surfaces, with almost unlimited potential for modifying regions of organisms. We demonstrated the utility through designing novel biological cross-linking glues, fluorescent dyes, and filtration tools. We then used Isothermal Titration Calorimetry, strength testing, and various other quantitative methods to conclusively prove the mechanism of action and the ability of this collection to be used for novel applications. We’ve also filed a patent disclosure and are moving forward with further refinement or our framework. The part numbers range from BBa_K2868011 to BBa_K2868028, but not all parts in that range are included in the collection. Our collection forms an important pipeline for future teams and the global scientific community for a wide array of applications ranging from water purification to bioglue production.

BBa_K2868011	Composite Part T7 CBD-6xhistag expression
BBa_K2868015	Composite Part HHTC_RE2x Copper Binding Expression
BBa_K2868018	Composite Part HHTC_RE3x Copper Binding Expression
BBa_K2868019	Composite Part HHTC_RE6x Copper Binding Expression
BBa_K2868024	Composite Part Csga-CBD-6xhistag Fusion T7 expression
BBa_K2868028	Composite Part CBD4x T7 expression

For more details on each part, please click the corresponding link for each part to read more on the Registry, or see our Parts Overview page here.

Team:Stanford-Brown-RISD/Part Collection

Stanford-Brown-RISD Best Parts Collection