Team:NYMU-Taipei/Project/pLac

Methodology
It is an indirect method to quantitatively characterize the coding regions with specific functions (e.g. waste removal efficiency, tuner of oscillator) name QFCS (Quantitative Functional Calibration System). When we have an unknown coding region X, we can place this coding region after standard and calibrated Lac I promoter (pLac). The calibrated promoter has time-course standardized conversion between IPTG dosage and gene expression. Thus one can estimate the expression of unknown coding region X from calibration and compare with observed functional changes (e.g. the amount change of urea or phosphate to be removed, the period change of oscillators). This quantitative characterization procedure can precisely define the specification of functional genes between modeling and experimental verification. There are several technical issues should be concerned:
 * Rx =~ Rg (expression Rate of gene X can be estimated by GFP synthesis; However, it requires more detailed conversion, e.g. length of gene X, codon bias, etc.)
 * inconsistent growth between (pLac + GFP) and (pLac + gene X)
 * Non-linearity between Rx and Rf