Revision as of 09:16, 29 July 2009

	Modelling	Lab	Notebook
			General Notebook
Blue Light Receptor	Blue Light Receptor Modelling	Blue Light Receptor Lab	Blue Light Receptor Notebook
Vanillin Production	Vanillin Production Modelling	Vanillin Production Lab	Vanillin Production Notebook
Vanillin Receptor	Vanillin Receptor Modelling	Vanillin Receptor Lab	Vanillin Receptor Notebook
Key/Lock/AntiKey	Key/Lock/AntiKey Modelling	Key/Lock/AntiKey Lab	Key/Lock/AntiKey Notebook

Essencia Coli

How it works...

Schematic illustration of the setup for controlling concetration of molecule 'X'

Feedback control system

The novelty of this project is a unique control system that functions through a feedback mechanism. The desired value of an odour like Vanilla can be adjusted using the intensity of a blue light beam. Essencia Coli then senses the concentration of the odour molecule and activates the inhibition mechanism of an anti-key. In this way the concentration can be kept constant at any initial set point.

This concept can also be applied to other odours or even flavours. In theory, any molecule that acquires a constant value is a possible candidate.

Vanilla synthesis

To produce the odour of Vanilla, Essencia Coli synthesises Vanillin. This molecule is derived from the amino acid tyrosine, in a process involving five enzymes. The successive transcription and translation of Sam8, Sam5, COMT, fcs, ech leads to Vanillin production, which then diffuses out of the cell.

Blue Light

A key/lock mechanism opens the door to synthesis. The transcription of the 'key' gene commences when a beam of blue light hits the Blue Light Receptor, thereby activating the promotor. The intensity of the beam can be adjusted at will. The 'key' mRNA then interacts with the 'lock' and clears the road for RNA Polymerase to transcribe the five genes.

VirA/VirG Vanillin Receptor

Essencia Coli is equipped with the two component regulatory system VirA/VirG, derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The VirA protein senses phenolic compounds -in this case Vanillin- and then transduces the signal through phosphate transfer to the VirG protein. VirG acts as a response regulator by binding to the upstream region of the anti-key gene and activating its transcription. The anti-key is the anti-sense mRNA of the key and will therefore block it after binding.

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 = Essencia Coli =
-== Abstract ==
-=== Vanilla Perfume, the story of a control bacterium ===
-‘Essencia Coli’ is a vanillin producing bacterium equipped with a control system that keeps the concentration of vanillin at a constant level. The novelty of the project is the feedback mechanism. Vanillin synthesis is initiated by irradiation with blue light. The preferred concentration can be modulated using the intensity of that light. At the same time the bacterium measures the amount of vanillin outside the cell and controls its production to maintain the set point. An additional advantage lies in the universal nature of the system. The concept can easily be applied to other flavours and odours: any application that requires a constant concentration of a molecular substance.

Team:KULeuven/Project

From 2009.igem.org