University of Calgary (Calgary)
The Subtilis Defence – protecting astronauts from high energy ionizing radiation through synthetic biology
| Team Grade Level: | University |
| STEM Focus: | Synthetic Biology |
One of the greatest barriers to long term space travel is the exposure to high energy ionizing radiation (IR). Exposure to IR can induce double stranded breaks which are very cytotoxic, resulting in cell death. Current solutions, while effective in low earth orbit, are less so outside of the magnetosphere. The 2016 U of C Calgary team address this problem through synthetic biology and the engineering of Bacillus subtilis. A strain of B. subtilis has been engineered to express a recombinant peptide, Bowman-Birk Protease inhibitor (BBI), which has radio-protective effects. The bacteria are contained within a patch, allowing for continuous secretion of the peptide into the body. While the initial system is designed to produce BBI, restriction sites within the gene constructs allow for any gene to be inserted, creating a versatile expression platform. This can be customized for the secretion of bio-therapeutics for future space missions.
iGEM Medal Achieved: Gold
