On this page, we have summarized all our contributions to future iGEM teams. We hope it will be useful!
In our efforts to enhance the widely used blue AmilCP chromoprotein, we
have added three new parts to the iGEM registry, each representing a
unique color. These parts were generated through a combination of directed
and random mutagenesis experiments. To ensure their functionality, we
tested the novel proteins using our in-house maturation assay, providing
critical data on their properties.
By adding these new parts, we offer future iGEM teams a diverse range of
chromoproteins for use in various applications. The maturation data we’ve
gathered will also be a valuable resource, helping teams select the right
chromoprotein for their projects and reducing experimental guesswork. We
look forward to seeing how these parts are utilized in future iGEM
endeavors!
| Part | Color / Mutation |
|---|---|
| BBa_K5527001 | Purple / Ala157 |
| BBa_K5527002 | Yellow / Glu157 |
| BBa_K5527003 | Light purple / Gly157 |
One challenge we encountered while engineering chromoproteins was the absence of reliable methods to evaluate their maturation time. To address this, we developed a new method based on semi-automated data acquisition and analysis. This approach streamlines the process of measuring maturation times, providing a more consistent and scalable solution. Our method offers an efficient tool for future teams working with chromoproteins, particularly in the GFP-like family. By enabling rapid testing of engineered variants, we hope to accelerate the development of chromoproteins for diverse applications in synthetic biology. Read more about the assay on the Measurement page
While searching for novel chromoproteins in our environmental strains, we
identified a gap: there was no easy way to determine if a specific protein
was responsible for the color that we observed. To address this, we
developed ChromoSearch, an open-source program that quickly scans a
strain's genome to identify potential chromoproteins, as well as enzymes
involved in pigment biosynthesis. With just the genome as input, our tool
performs on-the-fly detection, accompanied by a quick statistical
analysis, allowing users to form hypotheses that can be validated in the
lab!
This tool is free and accessible to all iGEM teams and all researchers,
making it a valuable resource for those studying chromoproteins. We hope
it will enable faster identification and characterization of these
proteins, driving future discoveries. A detailed description of the
pipeline's development and validation can be found
here.
In our search for novel chromoproteins, we identified two promising
candidates in strains of G. bergerei and S. faecium. These
proteins were isolated from cell lysates using chromatography and
characterized with semi-native SDS-PAGE. Our findings were then compared
to the results from ChromoSearch, allowing us to propose potential
sequences for these chromoproteins.
These candidates hold potential for various applications, such as biodyes
or chromatic gene reporters, which could be valuable in synthetic biology
projects. More importantly, by sharing our approach and results, we aim to
simplify the process for future teams in discovering and characterizing
natural chromoproteins. These results can be found
here.
We created an educational card game about synthetic biology in collaboration with the iGEM teams from Lund, Linköping, Gothenburg and Stockholm. The game is designed to be both fun as well as provide insight to the many possibilities of synthetic biology, and can be played by a demographic of different age groups and with different expertise levels. To learn more about the game and print out your own cards to play, check out the Education page.