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Team:Alberta/MainSafety
From 2013.igem.org
The Littlest Mapmaker
"Exploration into the world of DNA Computing"
Team Alberta: University of Alberta
Where to start?
What if plasmids containing antibiotic resistance genes were released into the environment despite precautions?
- These genes are used in synthetic biology as selection tools.
- There are lower chances of gene uptake by wild bacteria compared to lab-strain bacteria which have perforated membranes.
- In the case that wild bacteria did uptake the antibiotic resistance gene, that gene would
eventually be lost in the population without exposure to the antibiotic, because it is then a
disadvantage for the bacteria to carry the unused plasmids. (Evidence observed in past with the
decline of specific antibiotic resistance after the human population limited that antibiotic).
