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Team:MIT/Project
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== '''Overall project''' == | == '''Overall project''' == | ||
| - | A clinical study (Kelly CG et al.; Nature Biotechnol. 1999)reports that a short synthetic peptide (20 amino acids long) called p1025 can reduce oral colonization of a major tooth-decaying bacterium Streptococcus mutans and thus help to maintain oral health. The peptide does so by competitively inhibit binding of S. mutans to a glycoprotein from saliva on tooth surface. The peptide is considered advantageous because it selectively prevents S. mutans colonization without removing beneficial bacteria that are also present in the mouth. | + | A clinical study (Kelly CG et al.; Nature Biotechnol. 1999) reports that a short synthetic peptide (20 amino acids long) called p1025 can reduce oral colonization of a major tooth-decaying bacterium Streptococcus mutans and thus help to maintain oral health. The peptide does so by competitively inhibit binding of S. mutans to a glycoprotein from saliva on tooth surface. The peptide is considered advantageous because it selectively prevents S. mutans colonization without removing beneficial bacteria that are also present in the mouth. |
Our research goal is to engineer one of the common yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, so that it secrets p1025 in yogurt. Consumption of the yogurt after a meal could reduce tooth decay. We are not going to market this yogurt. (Neither will any of us taste this yogurt! There’s no telling what residual chemicals could be left over from lab work) However, our project will demonstrate a bio-engineering approach to increase the value of common probiotics. | Our research goal is to engineer one of the common yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, so that it secrets p1025 in yogurt. Consumption of the yogurt after a meal could reduce tooth decay. We are not going to market this yogurt. (Neither will any of us taste this yogurt! There’s no telling what residual chemicals could be left over from lab work) However, our project will demonstrate a bio-engineering approach to increase the value of common probiotics. | ||
Revision as of 15:57, 24 June 2008
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Overall project
A clinical study (Kelly CG et al.; Nature Biotechnol. 1999) reports that a short synthetic peptide (20 amino acids long) called p1025 can reduce oral colonization of a major tooth-decaying bacterium Streptococcus mutans and thus help to maintain oral health. The peptide does so by competitively inhibit binding of S. mutans to a glycoprotein from saliva on tooth surface. The peptide is considered advantageous because it selectively prevents S. mutans colonization without removing beneficial bacteria that are also present in the mouth.
Our research goal is to engineer one of the common yogurt bacteria, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, so that it secrets p1025 in yogurt. Consumption of the yogurt after a meal could reduce tooth decay. We are not going to market this yogurt. (Neither will any of us taste this yogurt! There’s no telling what residual chemicals could be left over from lab work) However, our project will demonstrate a bio-engineering approach to increase the value of common probiotics.
