Team:UT Dallas/HumanPractices

Dental cavities have been a worldwide problem faced by many in both industrialized and underdeveloped nations. Streptococcus mutans has been determined as the primary contributor to dental plaque and cavities. S. mutans lives in the mouth and converts sucrose into lactic acid and fructose/glucose. The fructose/glucose combination forms a sticky polysaccharide called dextran. This molecule is responsible for dental plaque and creates the optimal matrix for growth of colonies on the surface of the teeth. The goal of the 2013 University of Texas at Dallas IGEM team is to control the population of S. mutans in the mouth and prevent cavity formation using genetically engineered E. coli. Our group has completed the preliminary steps of placing a set of genes into biobricks. Our techniques for cavity prevention will provide a novel way to selectively destroy the harmful bacteria. We hope that this could be applied as a method for cavity prevention first in animals and eventually in humans.