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A Synthetic Biology Approach to Heavy Metal Detection. Eric Yang and Qiang Shi Emporia State University. Heavy Metal Poisoning. Arsenic, mercury, lead, antimone, cadmium, etc. Contamination of water and soil Oxidative stress to cells --- damage to DNA and proteins
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A Synthetic Biology Approach to Heavy Metal Detection Eric Yang and Qiang Shi Emporia State University
Heavy Metal Poisoning • Arsenic, mercury, lead, antimone, cadmium, etc. • Contamination of water and soil • Oxidative stress to cells --- damage to DNA and proteins • Disrupt function in vital organs and glands • Example: Mercury Effects • adrenal dysfunction, kidney damage, allergy, alopecia, anorexia, anxiety, birth defects, blushing, brain damage, cataracts, cerebral palsy, poor coordination / jerky movements, deafness, depression, dermatitis, discouragement, dizziness, drowsiness, eczema, emotional disturbances, excess saliva, fatigue, gum bleeding and soreness, headaches (band type), hearing loss, hyperactivity, hypothyroidism, forgetfulness, immune dysfunction, insomnia, irritability, joint pain,, loss of self-control, memory loss, mental retardation, metallic taste, migraines, nervousness, nerve fiber degeneration, numbness, pain in limbs, rashes, retinitis, schizophrenia, shyness, speech disorders, suicidal tendencies, tingling, tremors (eyelids, lips, tongue, fingers, extremities), vision loss, weakness
Goals of the Model Design • Simultaneous detection of mercuric and arsenic contamination • Accumulating and cleaning mercury and arsenic.
Cloning modules Transporting Module • GlpF, a aquaglycerol porin from E. coli • Citrate coupled transporters, CitM from Bacillus subtilis • Promoter + MerR + MerP + MerT
Cloning modules Detecting Module • Arsenic promoter from E. coli, pArsR + RBS + GFP • Mercury-Inducible Promoter from E. coli, pMerR + RBS + RFP
Cloning modules Sequestering Module • Metallothioneins • pArsR + RBS + GFP + pArsR + RBS + fMT (arsenic form) • pMerR + RBS + RFP + pMerR + RBS + MerR + MerP + MerT + fMT (mercuric form)
Cloning modules Buoyancy Module • gas vesicle protein gene cluster from Bacillus megaterium, GVP • pArsR + RBS + GFP + pArsR + RBS + fMT (arsenic form) + RBS + GVP • pMerR + RBS + RFP + pMerR + RBS + MerR + MerP + MerT + fMT (mercuric form) + RBS + GVP
Acknowledgement • All organizers • All participants