From 2013.igem.org

Project

Discover our novel approach to environmental biosensing, where synthetic biology intersects with microbial electrochemical systems.

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Notebook

See how our wetlab and drylab subteams operated on a day-to-day basis in order to accomplish our goals of constructing a field-deployable biosensor with direct electric output.

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Team

Meet our dedicated team of undergraduates who conceived of, planned, and carried out all the biological, mechanical and electrical engineering to complete our device.

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Outreach

Examine our efforts to reach out to our local community — involving presentations to other scientists, discussions with fellow students and interaction with educators and young children.

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Abstract

The unique properties of silk have provided it with a utility that goes far beyond that of any other natural fibers known to man. Its amazing mechanical properties, 'silky smooth' softness, and bio-compatibility, has led to applications ranging from from simple clothing to high tech biomedical devices.

The industry from which silk is obtained, however, is less than ideal. Scientists have therefore begun to design silk-producing micro-organisms. The 2012 iGEM team from Utah have indeed successfully designed BioBricks for this very purpose. However, these micro-organisms remain inadequate in the secretion of silk, which is a major limiting factor on the range of potential biosynthetic designs and applications.

Our goal is to solve the secretion issue and to use it for the formation of a silk biofilm. The beauty of such a biofilm can be attributed to the properties of silk, and to the fact that any imaginable shape of seamless silk could be created since the biofilm grows in such a way as to fit its mold. We will be exploiting these properties to coat biomedical prosthetic devices, with the goal to prevent infections, and hence to prevent the required operations in dealing with such infections.