McGill

Project Overviews

Team 1 - Fluorescence Complementation

This project on fluorescence complementation involves confirming previous work using Jun and Fos heterodimerizing proteins, each fused to a half terminus of YFP. The two halves of the YFP protein bind, giving rise to fluorescence. We will then carry out the experiment with GFP or YFP split at different points in order to find a cleavage point that produces reversible fluorescence. These half proteins will then be attached to proteins that reversibly associate.

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Team 2 - Oscillator-Repressilator System

Our project consists of a two-gene oscillator with coupling by an Autoinducer (AI). This system was presented last year. The system uses a repressor (LacI) and an enhancer (LuxI) network to provide the oscillations, with the LacI gene coupled with a fluorescent reporter gene to visibly observe oscillations. We will test the effects of adding AI and Tetracycline to the medium. We will also investigate the nature of the oscillations at different cell densities. Extending the project, we plan to introduce the Repressilator three-gene oscillator (Elowitz et al.) side-by-side with the system.

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Background Papers