Construction of a regulatory circuit responsive to glucose and characterization of biological parts

• Grant number: 18/04703-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Molecular Genetics and Genetics of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Danielle Biscaro Pedrolli
• Grantee: Nathan Vinícius Ribeiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCFAR). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The vital role that human microbiome has on human health has attracted the attention of scientists manipulate microorganisms that compose it, in order to treat, prevent and diagnose diseases and metabolic disorders. These bacteria are called designer probiotics because they are probiotics designed and genetically engineered to play some role in the human microbiome, for example the bacterium Lactococcus lactis, one of the microorganisms most used for the construction of designer probiotics. Although this microorganism has already been engineered for some therapeutic purposes, the lack of well-characterized, modular and orthogonal parts makes it difficult to construct complex and high specificity circuits. This work aims to build a genetic circuit responsive to glucose using modular and orthogonal parts, in order to create and characterize useful tools to engineer probiotics easier. At first, a simple control system will be constructed using a small RNA (sRNA) and then a more complex and orthogonal system. We expect to provide a robust device capable of responding to a glucose stimulus and which may be used in the future with an insulin production device for the development of an alternative treatment for type 1 diabetes using a genetically modified probiotic, or still as a live sensor for blood glucose tests.