Description

This project involves the modification of the bacterium Escherichia coli, through Synthetic Biology, which is based on the creation or modification of existing organisms, making them have the characteristics that we want. This organism will sense the high levels of alpha, beta, gamma rays and X-rays emitted, factors that cause a mutation in the DNA of said bacterium that will give a purple coloration and the aroma to lemon. To validate that the research is necessary and supported by specialists in the area, a survey was conducted to radiology students, medical technologists and radiology center workers, obtaining an 83% approval, on the need for better dosimeters that are reliable results .

The sensor and its parts

For this through a scientific investigation, a sensor was designed that is based on a biphasic switch, device that can be turned off or on according to the concentration of the imput. This switch naturally regulates lambda phage, which in this case when activated the Promoter pRM gives way to the transcription of the Cl repressor, which in turn will cause inhibition of the Pr promoter and can not be transcribed Cro, LuxR and LuxI. In contrast, if DNA damage is detected with the help of the RecA protein, the Cl repressor is removed and the pRM promoter is stopped, giving rise to pR (promoter) activation and to the transcription of Cro, LuxR and LuxI . (Plasmid 1)

This circuit is based on the bacteriophage (phage) lambda lysogenic, double-stranded DNA that infects E. coli and was discovered in 1951 by Esther Lederberg. Its cohesive ends of the genetic material, after the infection causes its genome to be circulated, and if it continues with the lysogenic cycle behaves like a plasmid taking advantage of the enzymes of the recombination of the bacterium integrating itself in the genome of the latter. In the lysogenic cycle, the virus is inserted at a specific point in the genome of the bacterium and replicated when it does so, passing its genes to E. coli. Duplicates. The virus synthesizes from the Cl repressor, which inhibits the expression of the rest of the genes, where in conditions of cellular stress the bacterium activates the SOS response, acting RecA to inhibit the activity of the Cl repressor that ends a cascade response that causes the Integrated virus switch to lithic route. This is where the cell is usually infected, producing viral particles that are released into the medium, once the host bacterium is lysed (breaks the cell membrane), killing it in the process. With the activation of RecA and the transcription of the Cro, LuxR and LuxI genes, the activation of the second plasmid with the LuxR / HSL promoter will be done, which will allow the color to be transcribed in the same way as the purple color, And the lemon-smelling gene. This will be the warning sign for our specialist. (Plasmid 2)