Team:UCSF

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CHROMATIN MEMORIES

A new tool for Synthetic Biology

Engineering the Movement of Cellular Robots

Some eukaryotic cells, such as white blood cells, have the amazing ability to sense specific external chemical signals, and move toward those signals. This behavior, known as chemotaxis, is a fundamental biological process crucial to such diverse functions as development, wound healing and immune response. Our project focuses on using a synthetic biology approach to manipulate signaling pathways that mediate chemotaxis in two model organisms: HL-60 (neutrophil-like) cells and the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum. We are attempting to reprogram the movements that the cells undergo by altering the guidance and movement machinery of these cells in a modular way. For example, can we make cells move faster? Slower? Can we steer them to migrate toward new signals? Through our manipulations, we hope to better understand how these systems work, and eventually to build or reprogram cells that can perform useful tasks. Imagine, for example, therapeutic nanorobots that could home to a directed site in the body and execute complex, user-defined functions (e.g., kill tumors, deliver drugs, guide stem cell migration and differentiation). Alternatively, imagine bioremediation nanorobots that could find and retrieve toxic substances. Such cellular robots could be revolutionary biotechnological tools.

More...

BUILDING CELL-BOTS

Step 1 - Engineering NAVIGATION

New Sensors

Sensor Sensitivity

Materials and Methods

Step 2 - Engineering SPEED

Step 3 - Carrying a PAYLOAD

OUR TEAM

Team Members

Summer Experience

Notebooks

Aar1 Cloning System

Parts submitted to the Registry

FAQs about our Team

UCSF iGEM 2008 is sponsored by...

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-{|align="justify"
-|'''Engineering the Movement of Cellular Robots'''
-Some eukaryotic cells, such as white blood cells, have the amazing
-ability to sense specific external chemical signals, and move toward
-those signals.  This behavior, known as chemotaxis, is a fundamental
-biological process crucial to such diverse functions as development,
-wound healing and immune response. Our project focuses on using a
-synthetic biology approach to manipulate signaling pathways that mediate
-chemotaxis in two model organisms: HL-60 (neutrophil-like) cells and the
-slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum.  We are attempting to reprogram
-the movements that the cells undergo by altering the guidance and
-movement machinery of these cells in a modular way.  For example, can we
-make cells move faster?  Slower?  Can we steer them to migrate toward
-new signals?
-Through our manipulations, we hope to better understand how these
-systems work, and eventually to build or reprogram cells that can
-perform  useful tasks. Imagine, for example, therapeutic nanorobots that
-could home to a directed site in the body and execute complex,
-user-defined functions (e.g., kill tumors, deliver drugs, guide stem
-cell migration and differentiation).  Alternatively, imagine
-bioremediation nanorobots that could find and retrieve toxic
-substances.  Such cellular robots could be revolutionary
-biotechnological tools.
-|
-|
-'
 |}
@@ Line 41: / Line 13: @@
 !align="center"|[[Team:UCSF/Human Practices|Human Practices]]
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-(''Or you can choose different headings.  But you must have a team page, a project page, and a notebook page.'')
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