<br><br>

<br><br>

-->

-->

<li> For the 2017 competition, our goal is to utilize quorum sensing (QS), a molecular signaling system that bacteria use to communicate, as a flexible tool for building layered, sophisticated genetic circuits. Understanding what signals specific bacteria use to communicate allows for potential progress to be made in diagnosing disease states in the body. For example, testing for biomarkers that utilize QS as a mode of communication in different types of cells may bring to light an underlying infection in a patient. Enabling greater complexity of genetic circuits will advance the entire field of synthetic biology. Using the diverse family of quorum sensing proteins and DNA to find previously unknown connections will enable higher-order, complex genetic circuitry to be developed in the bioengineering community.<br><br>

<li> For the 2017 competition, our goal is to utilize quorum sensing (QS), a molecular signaling system that bacteria use to communicate, as a flexible tool for building layered, sophisticated genetic circuits. Understanding what signals specific bacteria use to communicate allows for potential progress to be made in diagnosing disease states in the body. For example, testing for biomarkers that utilize QS as a mode of communication in different types of cells may bring to light an underlying infection in a patient. Enabling greater complexity of genetic circuits will advance the entire field of synthetic biology. Using the diverse family of quorum sensing proteins and DNA to find previously unknown connections will enable higher-order, complex genetic circuitry to be developed in the bioengineering community.<br><br>

A major problem with QS tools is that we only have cataloged 3.8% of the sender and receiver systems that exist in nature. Therefore, categorizing more would be beneficial for the community of synthetic biology. Another challenge is the issue of cross-talk. In nature, we would expect that different molecules of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) to activate different genes. However, it has been found that many of these systems cross-talk with each other.<br><br>  

A major problem with QS tools is that we only have cataloged 3.8% of the sender and receiver systems that exist in nature. Therefore, categorizing more would be beneficial for the community of synthetic biology. Another challenge is the issue of cross-talk. In nature, we would expect that different molecules of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) to activate different genes. However, it has been found that many of these systems cross-talk with each other.<br><br>