Team:Rice University

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Revision as of 21:37, 27 October 2008

Welcome to Rice University's 2008 iGEM wiki page.

Our project for this year is BIOBEER, where we are genetically engineering the biosynthetic pathway for resveratrol production into a brewing yeast strain. Resveratrol has been shown to have a plethora of health benefits, including anti-cancer and anti-viral activity, cardio- and neuro-protective effects, modulation of diabetes, and anti-aging effects. Although research has been done previously to produce resveratrol in various organisms, no one to date has developed a yeast strain able to synthesize resveratrol in a de novo manner. We are going one step further, characterizing resveratrol production during anaerobic fermentation with the intent of creating a beer that contains all the health benefits of wine. Get ready for resveratrol in a fizzy ready-to-consume beverage!

BioBeer: Producing Resveratrol During Beer Fermentation

trans-Resveratrol

Resveratrol

First identified as the active component in C. quinquangulata (cinnamon) extract responsible for anti-inflammatory properties.
Normally used as a defense mechanism in plants in response to fungal pathogens and UV irradiation.
Main source in human diet is red wine, but significant amounts are also found in grape juice, peanuts, cranberry juice, and other sources.
There is a tremendous interest in the potential of resveratrol for various health benefits. A PubMed search for 'resveratrol' returns 2,470 scientific articles.

Resveratrol and Yeast

Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan.

Resveratrol has been extensively investigated in the Saccharomyces cerevesiae model system. In August 2003, Sinclair and Scherer reported 70% increase in yeast lifespan after induction with 10uM resveratrol.
"In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, calorie restriction extends lifespan by increasing the activity of Sir2, a member of the conserved sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Included in this family are SIR-2.1, a Caenorhabditis elegans enzyme that regulates lifespan7, and SIRT1, a human deacetylase that promotes cell survival by negatively regulating the p53 tumour suppressor. the potent activator resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, lowers the Michaelis constant of SIRT1 for both the acetylated substrate and NAD+, and increases cell survival by stimulating SIRT1-dependent deacetylation of p53."

Health Benefits

Resveratrol has been shown to provide a wealth of health benefits.

Improved cardiovascular function
Increased insulin sensitivity
Maintenance of neural pathways
Inhibition of carcinogenesis

Why resveratrol in beer?
-Beer made up 85.8% of all alcoholic beverage consumption (in total volume) in 2005.
-->Annual per capita consumption of Beer (2005) = ~20 gallons
-->Annual per capita consumption of Wine (2005) = ~2.5 gallons

-If resveratrol can be produced during fermentation, it provides an additional health benefit at no additional cost.
-->The resveratrol is produced in a ready-to-consume format!
-->Dark and anaerobic conditions required for fermentation improve resveratrol stability.

The Rice 2008 Synthetic BiOWLogists

Home	The Team	The Project	Parts Submitted to the Registry	Notebook

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 ==='''Resveratrol and Yeast''' ===
-:* Resveratrol has been extensively investigated in the Saccharomyces cerevesiae model system. In August 2003, Sinclair and Scherer reported 70% increase in yeast lifespan after induction with 10uM resveratrol.
 [[Image:RSVYeast.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Small molecule activators of sirtuins extend Saccharomyces cerevisiae lifespan.]]
+:* Resveratrol has been extensively investigated in the Saccharomyces cerevesiae model system. In August 2003, Sinclair and Scherer reported 70% increase in yeast lifespan after induction with 10uM resveratrol.
+:*"In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, calorie restriction extends lifespan by increasing the activity of Sir2, a member of the conserved sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent protein deacetylases2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Included in this family are SIR-2.1, a Caenorhabditis elegans enzyme that regulates lifespan7, and SIRT1, a human deacetylase that promotes cell survival by negatively regulating the p53 tumour suppressor. the potent activator resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, lowers the Michaelis constant of SIRT1 for both the acetylated substrate and NAD+, and increases cell survival by stimulating SIRT1-dependent deacetylation of p53."
 === '''Health Benefits''' ===