Difference between revisions of "Team:Edinburgh OG"

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<i>Campy</i>LOCATOR
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Detection of <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i> for the prevention of food poisoning </i>
 
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<h1> Edinburgh OG </h1>
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<h2> About </h2>
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<p> The University of Edinburgh Overgraduate iGEM team this year is looking at making bioplastics. We want to look at a more innovative source for useful biodegradable plastics. Our plastic of choice is called poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) or PHBV. We are looking at using by-product from whisky distilleries, namely pot ale, to produce this plastic. PHBV holds a lot of promise because of its physical properties and can fit into the current plastic market and by using bio-mass, waste, or secondary carbon sources we are looking to decouple plastic production from petroleum. PHBV can also be biodegraded unlike most currently used plastics reducing the amount of devastating waste thrown into the environment. To create this plastic, we are trying to introduce enzymes into Escherichia coli to facilitate this production of PHBV efficiently.   </p>
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<i>Campylobacter </i> species, especially <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>, are bacterial pathogens responsible for the majority of food poisoning in the UK. This bacteria is considered to cause over 280,000 cases of bacterial gastroenteritis annually. Although also found on red meat, unpasteurized milk and unfiltered water, 4 out of 5 cases of campylobacteriosis come from contaminated chickens. During the slaughter process the bacterium gets transferred onto the chicken skin and is often found on fresh retail chickens and their packaging. The most important transmission route is consumption of undercooked chicken or other foods that get cross-contaminated from raw poultry meat. </p>
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<p class="copy"> Current detection systems for the pathogen are time-consuming, expensive and inaccessible for everyday users. We therefore aimed to develop a new, cheaper and faster system for detection of <i>C. jejuni</i> using synthetic biology. We approached this by genetically engineering <i>Escherichia coli</i> to serve a function of a dual-input biosensor. The bacterium will sense bacterial quorum sensing signals and xylulose - a sugar naturally present in the outer capsule of <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>, to detect the pathogen on a swabbed surface. </p>
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<a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Glasgow/Accomplishments">Our Accomplishments at the Jamboree!</a>
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<a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Glasgow/mtlR">Engineering <i>E. coli</i> to Respond to <i>Campylobacter</i>-Associated Sugar</a>
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<a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Glasgow/araC">Expanding the Biosensor parts Toolkit, using <i>araC</i> Mutants</a>
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<a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Glasgow/Hardware">Designing a Functional Prototype Biosensor device</a>
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<a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Glasgow/Outreach">Engaging with the world about <i>Campylobacter</i></a>
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Revision as of 10:40, 29 September 2018

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CampyLOCATOR
Detection of Campylobacter jejuni for the prevention of food poisoning
Project Description

Campylobacter species, especially Campylobacter jejuni, are bacterial pathogens responsible for the majority of food poisoning in the UK. This bacteria is considered to cause over 280,000 cases of bacterial gastroenteritis annually. Although also found on red meat, unpasteurized milk and unfiltered water, 4 out of 5 cases of campylobacteriosis come from contaminated chickens. During the slaughter process the bacterium gets transferred onto the chicken skin and is often found on fresh retail chickens and their packaging. The most important transmission route is consumption of undercooked chicken or other foods that get cross-contaminated from raw poultry meat.

Current detection systems for the pathogen are time-consuming, expensive and inaccessible for everyday users. We therefore aimed to develop a new, cheaper and faster system for detection of C. jejuni using synthetic biology. We approached this by genetically engineering Escherichia coli to serve a function of a dual-input biosensor. The bacterium will sense bacterial quorum sensing signals and xylulose - a sugar naturally present in the outer capsule of Campylobacter jejuni, to detect the pathogen on a swabbed surface.

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