Transcript CDOs (Creative Designer Organisms)

CDOs
(Creative Designer Organisms)
in Biology
Natural selection
"Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution"
- a 1973 essay by the evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky
Artificial selection – Directed evolution
10,000 ya
present day
A plasmid with segments from many former bacterial hosts
In plasmid pK214, Lactococcus K214 has, with the help of insertion-sequence elements, collected genetic information from
four other species to construct an antibiotic survival kit that also works in E. faecalis. pK214 is a live record of previous
genetic exchange between pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria in food-associated environments. It is further
demonstration of the presence of transmissible antibiotic-resistance genes in the human food chain. The resistant bacteria
probably originated from antibiotic treatment of the cows. As lactococci may be found together with enterococci and
staphylococci as part of the cows microflora, resistance transfer and pick-up may have occurred in the animals or during
cheesemaking, where enterococci, listeria and staphylococci survive and eventually multiply.
Significant Scientific Milestones in Biotechnology
1663:
Cells first described by Hooke.
1830:
Proteins are discovered.
1855:
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterium discovered (later becomes a major tool for biotechnology).
1940:
Avery demonstrates that DNA is the "transforming factor" and material of genes.
1953:
Double helix structure of DNA is first described by Watson and Crick.
1973:
Cohen and Boyer develop genetic engineering techniques to "cut and paste" DNA and reproduce the new DNA in bacteria.
1976:
The first working synthetic gene is developed.
1977:
Genentech scientists and their collaborators produce the first human protein (somatostatin) in a bacterium (E. coli).
1978:
Genentech scientists and their collaborators produce recombinant human insulin.
1979:
Genentech scientists produce recombinant human growth hormone.
1982:
Eli Lilly and Company markets Genentech-licensed recombinant human insulin - the first such product on the market.
1983:
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique conceived (will become a major means of copying genes and gene fragments).
1985:
Genentech receives FDA approval for Protropin for growth hormone deficiency in children - the first biotech drug manufactured and marketed by a biotech company.
1990:
Human Genome Project (HGP), an international effort to map all the genes in the human body, is launched.
1994:
BRCA1, the first breast cancer susceptibility gene, is discovered.
1995:
The first full gene sequence of a living organism other than a virus, is completed for the bacterium Haemophilus influenzae.
2000:
First draft of human genome sequence completed by the HGP and Celera Genomics.
The GloFish is a trademarked brand of genetically modified (GM) fluorescent zebrafish with bright red, green, and
orange fluorescent color. Although not originally developed for the ornamental fish trade, it is the first genetically
modified animal to become publicly available as a pet
Golden Rice
Phenotypes of transgenic rice seeds. Bar, 1 cm. (A) Panel 1, untransformed control; panels 2 through 4, pB19hpc
single transformants lines h11a (panel 2), h15b (panel 3), h6 (panel 4). (B) pZPsC/pZLcyH co-transformants lines z5
(panel 1), z11b (panel 2), z4a (panel 3), z18 (panel 4).
phytoene synthase (psy) originating from daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)
bacterial phytoene desaturase (crtI) originating from Erwinia uredovora
Lycopene b-cyclase from Narcissus pseudonarcissus
Turning carotene into gold. The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway of plants. Carotenoids are synthesized in the central
isoprenoid pathway within plastids. All isoprenoids (more than 20,000 different compounds exist in plants) are built from
the common precursor isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP). IPP is thought to be synthesized in plastids from pyruvate and
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate. The first committed step in the carotenoid pathway is the head-to-head condensation of two
molecules of geranyl geranyl diphosphate (GGPP) to produce phytoene. Phytoene synthase is encoded by psy, phytoene
desaturase by crtI, and lycopene b-cyclase by lcy. Golden rice engineered to produce b-carotene accumulates lutein and
zeaxanthin as well.
Structures of the T-DNA region of pB19hpc used in single transformations, and of pZPsC and pZLcyH used in cotransformations. Representative Southern blots of independent transgenic T0-plants are given below the respective
Agrobacterium vectors. LB, left border; RB, right border; "!", polyadenylation signals; p, promoters; psy, phytoene
synthase; crtI, bacterial phytoene desaturase; lcy, lycopene b-cyclase; tp, transit peptide.
X. Ye et al., Science 287, 303 -305 (2000)
Two major developments
Large scale DNA synthesis
Large scale DNA sequencing
Much of the work being done at Synthetic Genomics stems from a voyage
made by the scientist J. Craig Venter (in green tank top) aboard his 95-foot
sailing sloop, the Sorcerer II, outfitted as a seagoing lab. To his left is Tony
Knap, senior research scientist at the Bermuda Biological Station for
Research. The expedition set sail around the world in spring 2003.
The expedition's test voyage to the Sargasso Sea off Bermuda, an area thought
to have low species diversity, turned up more than a million unexpected genes.
Samples included at least 1,800 species of bacteria, including 100 new ones.
The Sorcerer II began its round-the-world trip in Nova Scotia (far right on the map),
then headed west through the Panama Canal to Australia, then further west around
South Africa.
Bring us your problem, and we will solve it
Synthetic Biology refers to a variety of experimental approaches
that either seek to modify or mimic biological systems
One goal of Synthetic Biology is the engineering of biological
systems to fulfill a particular purpose
Drubin et al. (2007) Designing Biological Systems.
Genes and Development 21:242-254
http://www.syntheticbiology3.ethz.ch/
Paleome - a set of persistent genes that define the replicator and constructor programs
Biology
Top down to bottom up
From reductionism to synthesis
Drubin et al. (2007) Designing Biological Systems.
Genes and Development 21:242-254