Team:KULeuven/Project/Reset

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Logo reset.jpg

Contents

Reset

BioBricks

Lactonase.png
Project reset.jpg

Components

The system is dependent on the output of the filter, and has therefore got a T7 RNA polymerase promoter ([http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_I712074 BBa_I712074]) followed by a RiboLock ([http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_J23078 BBa_J23078]). The aiiA gene ([http://partsregistry.org/Part:BBa_C0060 BBa_C0060]), short for autoinducer inactivation, is placed downstream of this AND-gate and codes for lactonase, an enzyme that hydrolyses the 3OC6HSL ester bonds. ([http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v411/n6839/full/411813a0.html reference])

Action

This device was conceived to reset the Timer.

When significant input (re-)emerges, lactonase is produced. It will then convert all available intracellular 3OC6HSL at that time to a hydroxy-acid, thereby inactivating and efficiently removing it from the active system. In this way, the timer is reset and the cell may live to see another day.

Originally, a device generating a pulse of lactonase was thought to do the job, but modeling suggested that the amount of lactonase produced during this pulse was too small to accomplish a thorough reset of our system. So the device was reinvented and a simplified (non-pulse) version was devised that is described here. Now the the amount of lactonase produced should be high enough for the reset to function properly.