"
Team:SDU-Denmark/test
From 2013.igem.org
Doesn't rubber come from trees?
Let your eyes (and mouse) wander to these trees to discover our idea on how to help the environment and change the future of rubber-production. Take a look at our short project description below.
The growing demand for natural rubber causes deforestation of the rainforest or occupation of arable lands, all due to the founding of new plantations. If producing rubber by bacteria succeeds, production of natural rubber will not be limited to the regions where the rubber tree can grow but can be done even in barren lands.
Our project aims to make a common bacteria able to produce natural rubber while grown under controlled conditions. Natural rubber is composed of long molecules, each consisting of the substance IPP linked together like a chain. The common bacteria that we use already possesses the ability to produce the IPP, but it lacks the enzyme to connect the IPP links together into a chain. Thru this project we introduce the enzyme that the rubber tree has for connecting the links, into the bacteria. Furthermore we manipulate the bacteria into producing more of the IPP links.
Status as of 6th of august 2013
Not much free time, but our summer have definitely been exciting so far...
Currently we have finished two subprojects. We have cloned two genes, DXS from another bacteria and IspG, into the E. coli. These genes are the limiting steps in the synthesis of IPP and are introduced into the bacteria to optimise the IPP production. Furthermore we have sequenced the DXS gene of E. coli in order to improve a preexisting biobrick.
