Heat-induced Olfactory Biosensor -using bacteria to more effectively sense the environment

As Our Lady of the Snow’s first iGEM team, we have decided upon creating a heat-induced olfactory biosensor using E. coli as a chassis. Constructed by placing a wintergreen odor enzyme generator downstream from a heat sensitive promoter, the bacteria should emit a noticeable wintergreen smell starting near a human body temperature of 37°C. As the temperature increases the heat sensitive promoter gradually decreases the effect of the repressor to allow for maximum wintergreen enzyme generation around 42°C. The creation of this biobrick will serve as a first step towards a multiple input bio-sensing system. Such a system may include the input of heat and different wavelengths for activation. Both pursuits will help achieve the goal of using bacteria in increasingly complex circuits to more effectively sense the environment.