Auxin; Engineering Bacteria to Help Fight Soil Erosion

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What they say about it

The auxin system uses a combination of plant hormones, custom proteins, and a toxin-antitoxin system to help promote root growth and thereby slow or halt soil erosion and desertification.

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How they say it works

This system is comprised of three modules combined in an E. coli chassis. The first involves secretion of the plant growth factor indole 3-acetic acid (auxin). This plant hormone will promote root growth which is essential for anchoring soil. The second module rewires the chemotactic mobility of the cell by introducing a novel receptor protein which is sensitive to root exudates. The bacteria can then be naturally taken up by root cells for targeted auxin delivery. The final module uses a toxin-antitoxin system to prevent horizontal gene transfer. While the plasmid containing the AuxIn system can be maintained inside our chassis, it will induce lysis in any other bacteria. Source

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Ensuing Products
Plant Nutrients/Growth Aid
Synbio Components
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2011.igem.org