Team:Westminster UK/Model

We decided to model just how much the quoum-sensing molecule Acyl-Homoserine Lactone impacts biofilm formation by ordering synthetic AHL. We serially diluted AHL and added it to Putida KT2440 strain samples on a 96 micro-titre plate. We then visualised and quantified biofilm formation. We then also performed the same test but with antibiotics added (Kanamycin) and created a model with the help of City of London School team. Rsal is a repressor of the quorum-sensing molecule AHL in both Pseudonomas Putida and Aeruginosa (pathogenic strains). It acts as a competitive inhibitor of AHL thus prevent binding to the AHL receptor ppur (or LasR in Aeruginosa). We over-expressed this in order to inhibit AHL activity thus inhibiting biofilm formation. We believe that because Putida only has one quorum-sensing pathway, we can inhibit the formation of biofilm and thus increase the sensitivity to antibiotics.

Modeling

Mathematical models and computer simulations provide a great way to describe the function and operation of BioBrick Parts and Devices. Synthetic Biology is an engineering discipline, and part of engineering is simulation and modeling to determine the behavior of your design before you build it. Designing and simulating can be iterated many times in a computer before moving to the lab. This award is for teams who build a model of their system and use it to inform system design or simulate expected behavior in conjunction with experiments in the wetlab.