Outreach Programs

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Intern: Jennifer Kunkel, Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Mentor: Luke Bawazer Faculty Supervisor: Dan Morse Department: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology

THE DIRECTED EVOLUTION OF BIOMINERALIZING PROTEINS

In nature, many organisms posses the ability to form minerals using only biological processes, in contrast to the high temperatures and pressures currently needed in industry. Understanding how these systems work could potentially provide bio-inspired and biomimetic routes for synthesizing technologically important inorganic materials at low temperatures. The sponge species Tethya aurantia has proven to be a useful biomineralizing model because it is able to form silica spicules which account for seventy percent of its dry weight. Silica-forming proteins, called silicateins, have been identified in the form of axial filaments in the spicules. By taking the genes of these silicateins, mutant libraries have been created. The overall project goal is to evolve silicateins in order to isolate functional, mutant biomineralizing enzymes with novel properties using recombinant biotechnology strategies. Before this goal can be met, gene templates for in vitro protein expression must be created using standard molecular biology approaches. Through the use of PCR-based methods, restriction digestion, and ligation reactions, this goal can be accomplished.

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