Difference between revisions of "Team:KU Leuven/Description"

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<h3>The iGEM KULeuven 2017 Team presents:</h3>
 
<h3>The iGEM KULeuven 2017 Team presents:</h3>
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<p><strong>HEKcite!</strong> <p>Inspired by the human heart rhythm, we aim to create an electrophysiological oscillator from eukaryotic cells. Rhythmic contraction of heart cells is coordinated by a small group of cells called the sinus node that have an intrinsic frequency of de- and repolarization. This frequency of electrical oscillation is influenced by environmental parameters as well as certain molecular substrates. The oscillator that is proposed here consists of genetically modified excitable Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) cells, altered to contain the intrinsic pacemaker ability found in sinus cells. As witnessed in heart cells, the rhythm would be dependent on substrate-activated ion channels in the membrane. As there is a great variety of ion channels available in nature, the oscillator could be modified to measure concentrations of many specific substrates. By integrating a certain ion channel into the oscillating system, specificity for a substrate can be chosen.Building an electrical oscillator from cells has several advantages. Extra- or intracellular changes that influence the conductance of ion channels in the membrane have an immediate impact on the frequency of oscillation. Once these cells are connected to each other (by for example gap-junctions), they generate an electrical signal that can easily be measured from a distance and non-invasively—similar to the way electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG) measure electrical activity in the heart and brain respectively.
 
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A multi-purpose sensor suitable for this system could be developed for medical and biotechnological applications. One such application is the measurement of drugs that interact with ion channels, such as anti-epileptics or a certain class of immunosuppressants.</p>
 
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<h1>Description</h1>
 
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<p>Tell us about your project, describe what moves you and why this is something important for your team.</p>
 
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<h5>What should this page contain?</h5>
 
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<li> A clear and concise description of your project.</li>
 
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<li>A detailed explanation of why your team chose to work on this particular project.</li>
 
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<li>References and sources to document your research.</li>
 
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<h5>Advice on writing your Project Description</h5>
 
  
 
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We encourage you to put up a lot of information and content on your wiki, but we also encourage you to include summaries as much as possible. If you think of the sections in your project description as the sections in a publication, you should try to be consist, accurate and unambiguous in your achievements.  
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<strong>HEKcite!</strong> Inspired by the human heart rhythm, we aim to create an electrophysiological oscillator from eukaryotic cells. Rhythmic contraction of heart cells is coordinated by a small group of cells called the sinus node that have an intrinsic frequency of de- and repolarization. This frequency of electrical oscillation is influenced by environmental parameters as well as certain molecular substrates. The oscillator that is proposed here consists of genetically modified excitable Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) cells, altered to contain the intrinsic pacemaker ability found in sinus cells. As witnessed in heart cells, the rhythm would be dependent on substrate-activated ion channels in the membrane. As there is a great variety of ion channels available in nature, the oscillator could be modified to measure concentrations of many specific substrates. By integrating a certain ion channel into the oscillating system, specificity for a substrate can be chosen.Building an electrical oscillator from cells has several advantages. Extra- or intracellular changes that influence the conductance of ion channels in the membrane have an immediate impact on the frequency of oscillation. Once these cells are connected to each other (by for example gap-junctions), they generate an electrical signal that can easily be measured from a distance and non-invasively—similar to the way electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG) measure electrical activity in the heart and brain respectively.
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A multi-purpose sensor suitable for this system could be developed for medical and biotechnological applications. One such application is the measurement of drugs that interact with ion channels, such as anti-epileptics or a certain class of immunosuppressants.
 
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Judges like to read your wiki and know exactly what you have achieved. This is how you should think about these sections; from the point of view of the judge evaluating you at the end of the year.
 
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<h5>References</h5>
 
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<p>iGEM teams are encouraged to record references you use during the course of your research. They should be posted somewhere on your wiki so that judges and other visitors can see how you thought about your project and what works inspired you.</p>
 
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<h5>Inspiration</h5>
 
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<p>See how other teams have described and presented their projects: </p>
 
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<li><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Imperial_College/Description">2016 Imperial College</a></li>
 
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<li><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Wageningen_UR/Description">2016 Wageningen UR</a></li>
 
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<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:UC_Davis/Project_Overview"> 2014 UC Davis</a></li>
 
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<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:SYSU-Software/Overview">2014 SYSU Software</a></li>
 
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Revision as of 11:13, 9 August 2017

The iGEM KULeuven 2017 Team presents:

HEKcite! Inspired by the human heart rhythm, we aim to create an electrophysiological oscillator from eukaryotic cells. Rhythmic contraction of heart cells is coordinated by a small group of cells called the sinus node that have an intrinsic frequency of de- and repolarization. This frequency of electrical oscillation is influenced by environmental parameters as well as certain molecular substrates. The oscillator that is proposed here consists of genetically modified excitable Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK) cells, altered to contain the intrinsic pacemaker ability found in sinus cells. As witnessed in heart cells, the rhythm would be dependent on substrate-activated ion channels in the membrane. As there is a great variety of ion channels available in nature, the oscillator could be modified to measure concentrations of many specific substrates. By integrating a certain ion channel into the oscillating system, specificity for a substrate can be chosen.Building an electrical oscillator from cells has several advantages. Extra- or intracellular changes that influence the conductance of ion channels in the membrane have an immediate impact on the frequency of oscillation. Once these cells are connected to each other (by for example gap-junctions), they generate an electrical signal that can easily be measured from a distance and non-invasively—similar to the way electrocardiography (ECG) and electroencephalography (EEG) measure electrical activity in the heart and brain respectively. A multi-purpose sensor suitable for this system could be developed for medical and biotechnological applications. One such application is the measurement of drugs that interact with ion channels, such as anti-epileptics or a certain class of immunosuppressants.