Team:Westminster

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==Westminster iGEM - Hitbug==
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<!--- The Mission, Experiments --->
 
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster|Home]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Team|Team]]
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!align="center"|[https://igem.org/Team.cgi?year=2013&team_name=Westminster Official Team Profile]
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                        <p>We are a group of 1st, 2nd and final year undergraduates studying Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. A growing trend in increased insecticide resistance has been observed in both agriculture and the public health sector. Many chemicals currently in use are ineffective and are in fact exacerbating the situation. Thus, novel strategies that reduce the pressure for development of chemical resistance are required, and syn-bio may offer a feasible, target specific solution. After researching some possible project ideas, this year we have decided to focus on developing a syn-bio solution to the worlds’ bed bug problem. </p>
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Project|Project]]
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                        <p>This year the Westminster iGEM team are tackling the growing bed bug problem. Serratia marcescens has been identified as an efficient chitin degrader, however as it is a pathogenic organism it can not be used as a biocontrol agent. Our idea is to use the chitin genes from this bacterium and create a chitin degrading E.coli. We will test the efficiency of the activity of chitinase which is expressed by our engineered E.coli compared to that of S. marcescens by using a chitin azure assay. </p>
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Parts|Parts Submitted to the Registry]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Modeling|Modeling]]
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                            <a class="btn btn-default" href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:Westminster/Description">More »</a>
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Safety|Safety]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Westminster/Attributions|Attributions]]
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After World War II strong pesticides such as DDT and chlordane were widely used. Bed bugs almost disappeared completely over several decades because these pesticides were heavily used. Bed bug infestations were limited, and bed bugs were no longer considered a major pest. Eventually, these pesticides were proven harmful to people's health and the environment and as a result their use was prohibited. The absence and resistance to some of the pesticides combined with an increase in cross-continental travel has resulted in bed bug infestations increasing. The current methods which include human friendly pesticides, heat treatment and organics such as oils which the bugs find intolerable are not affective. Our novel approach uses ''Serratia marcescens'', a member of the Enterobacteriaceae. It is reported as a highly efficient chitin degrader. We aim to use three chitinase genes obtained from ''S. marcescens'' in designing a chitin degrading ''E. coli''. The bugs will be exposed to the ''E. coli'' via an artificial feeding device.
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Latest revision as of 03:59, 5 October 2013

We are a group of 1st, 2nd and final year undergraduates studying Molecular Biology and Genetics, Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology. A growing trend in increased insecticide resistance has been observed in both agriculture and the public health sector. Many chemicals currently in use are ineffective and are in fact exacerbating the situation. Thus, novel strategies that reduce the pressure for development of chemical resistance are required, and syn-bio may offer a feasible, target specific solution. After researching some possible project ideas, this year we have decided to focus on developing a syn-bio solution to the worlds’ bed bug problem.

This year the Westminster iGEM team are tackling the growing bed bug problem. Serratia marcescens has been identified as an efficient chitin degrader, however as it is a pathogenic organism it can not be used as a biocontrol agent. Our idea is to use the chitin genes from this bacterium and create a chitin degrading E.coli. We will test the efficiency of the activity of chitinase which is expressed by our engineered E.coli compared to that of S. marcescens by using a chitin azure assay.

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