This is the official page for Concordia University's International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. In this competition we (undergraduates of biology and engineering) attempt to design and put into practice out-of-the-box creations using biological cells and their genomes as a medium. We present our two-year project: AstroBio and AstroYeast
AstroBio, open-source database for ge
ne expression in microgravity & AstroYeast, resistant strains to microgravity-induced stress. Advances in synthetic biology, including cellular agriculture, enable the sustainable production of food on Earth. However, in-space biomanufacturing, for which maintaining cultures in bioreactors for extended periods is essential, has proved challenging. Microgravity induces global changes in gene expression profiles, triggering stress responses in cells. For example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibits stress responses characterized by aberrant cell polarity, budding, and separation, which affects cell growth and productivity in space. There is also a lack of bioinformatics tools for microgravity researchers. To fill this gap, we developed AstroBio, an open-source database compiling literature findings on microgravity-induced gene expression changes in different model organisms. The database informs our development of AstroYeast, yeast strains that are resistant to microgravity-induced stress. This will be done in a high-throughput manner either by strain adaptive evolution, or genome-wide overexpression and knockdown screens. AstroYeasts can be used to sustainably and renewably produce nutrients in space under microgravity conditions. Astroyeast is a contribution to the explorations that could one day make space our home!
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AstroYeast: https://2020.igem.org/Team:Concordia-Montreal #
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