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Overview Sensitivity Tuner --- Characterisation --- Modelling Colour Generators --- Carotenoids (Orange/Red) --- Melanin (Brown) --- Violacein (Purple/Green) The Future Safety

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Melanin Pigment

Background

Melanin Production

The MelA gene codes for a tyrosinase. Tyrosinases catalyze two reactions, as described in the figure below. Melanin is a macromolecular compound produced by the polymerization of the quinone product of the second reaction, and has a characteristic brown colour.

From H. Claus and H. Decker, Bacterial tyrosinases, Syst. Appl. Microbiol. 29 (2006), pp. 3–14. [1]

MelA

Our MelA gene is from Rhizobium etli. Further, it is a mutant; it has a C to T substitution at the 1,000th nucleotide, which creates a Proline to Serine mutation that reduces the amount of time before melanin production is visible. (Santos, C. N., and G. Stephanopoulos. 2008. Melanin-based high-throughput screen for L-tyrosine production in Escherichia coli. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74:1190-1197 [2]) The plasmid was provided by Christine Sanntos from the lab of G. Stephanopoulos to Duncan Rowe under the materials transfers agreement.

Action plan of our team

Our action plan is as follows:

1. Test for melanin production

2. Isolate MelA gene in biobrick form

3. Integrate Mel biobrick into system (e.g amplification of logic gate system)