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Team:Uppsala/metabolic-engineering
From 2013.igem.org
Metabolic Engineering
We have aimed our project at producing food nutrients in bacteria. These nutrients normally exists in for example carrots, tomatoes, garlic, grapes and several other important food. By transferring genes from plants and fruits we can make our bacteria produce vital nutrients and commercially attractive supplements. We alter the metabolic pathways of our bacteria by introducing new genes or by modifying existing pathways.
Organic materia produced by nature is one of our main sources of energy. For billions of years, nature has perfected its machinery. We get fuel from both fossilized organisms and renewable biomateria. All life on earth is dependent of getting the right amount of food and nutrition. As we become more and more people on earth, we need to optimize our techniques for food and nutritional production. This is where we can step in and alter natures machinery.
P-coumeric acid
P-coumaric acid is an antioxidant that is produced from tyrosin by the first enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, Tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL). This antioxidant has been shown to have many beneficial health aspects. For example studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of one of our greatest modern western diseases atherosclerosis and also reduce the risk of stomach cancer. P-coumaric acid can be found in a wide range of food, from peanuts and garlic to wine and vinegar.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol belongs to a group of molecules known as Phyloalexin which is used by many plants to battle infections of all sorts. Many studies have been done on resveratrol showing it has a wide range of beneficial properties ranging from skin cancer reduction to anti-inflamatory effects and antioxidant properties. Perhaps the most interesting property is that of life extension. Researchers now believe resveratrol is a caloric restricting substance reducing the effect of high caloric food and thereby increasing life expectancy.
Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid that primarily derives from the xanthophyll group. The precursor responsible for lycopene production is phytoene, when present together with the enzyme CrtE a catalytic reaction takes place and lycopene is produced. Lycopene is an antioxidant that can be found in both vegetables and fruits, it is mostly known for its characteristic red color in tomatoes.
β-carotene
β-carotene is a precursor of several substances such as Vitamin A, zeaxanthine and asthaxanthine. β-carotene is a derive from Lycopene and is commonly known for its characteristic orange color, it is found in fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A which is a derive from β-carotene has important health aspects for our skin, different membranes and most commonly known our eyes.
Astaxanthin
Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment that derives from the xanthophyll group, it is most known for giving the characteristic red color of salmon, lobster and shrimp. Astaxanthin is a very strong antioxidant and is usually produced by using the microalgae Haematococcus or by syntheticall production and costs around 2500 US dollars per kg. The substance is often used in fishfarming to give salmon its red color, an industry that is worth around 200 million US dollars a year.
Zeaxanthin
Saffron
Saffron is currently the most expensive spice in the world. It is extracted from the stigmata of Crocus Sativus, a flower tht can be cultivated in the mediterranian and well as the Middle East. The spice is actually a combination of more than 150 differant compunds, but the main components are picrocrocin (taste), safranal (aroma) and crocin (colour). These components are all derivatives of zeaxanthin, and all have some antioxidative properties.
