Calgary
From 2007.igem.org
Welcome to the University of Calgary Wiki for the 2007 IGEM Competition. We are updating this page with new information for the public on an ongoing basis!
Project Overview
The primary UofC iGEM project for 2007 is to design and build a biomechanical printer; composed of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plotter two dimensional plotter] equipped with a red laser, software to translate computer images into instructions for the plotter, and E. coli cells engineered to respond to the laser light. Bacteria are spread in a solid lawn on the plate, or mixed in the media before pouring the plate. The response triggered by this biological circuit is to produce beta agarase, an enzyme which degrades the agar polymer that the cells rest on.
By varying the amount of light exposure each point on the plate receives, we can control the amount of agarase expression, and so the height of the agar gel, at each location. The result is bacterial lithography. In particular, the fine resolution achievable by laser control could allow resolution as high as 10 megapixels per inch, precise enough to target individual cells.
A secondary, but important part of this year's iGEM effort involves in silico modeling of biobrick parts. Modeling our efforts after the evolutionary computer programs of [http://www.genetic-programming.com/johnkoza.html John Koza], we hope to evolve novel regulatory circuits not achievable by rational design.
