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Sandpit: Synthetic integrons for continuous directed evolution of complex genetic ensembles

Reference	BBS/E/J/000CA397
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Anne Osbourn
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	John Innes Centre
Department	John Innes Centre Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	71,817
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/01/2010
End date	31/12/2012
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Operons (groups of physically linked and co-regulated genes) are common features of bacterial genomes. Until recently gene order in eukaryotes has been assumed to be random. However there are now many examples of “operon-like” gene clusters in eukaryotes. These include gene clusters for use of different nutrient sources in yeasts, for synthesis of antibiotics and toxins by filamentous fungi, for innate and adaptive immunity in animals and for production of defense compounds in plants. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that these gene clusters are unlikely to have arisen by horizontal gene transfer and that in most cases they have been assembled within lineages in recent evolutionary history by gene duplication, acquisition of new function and genome reorganization. Selection for the formation of such gene clusters is likely to be intense, driven by the need to rapidly adapt to changing environmental conditions, and implies remarkable genome plasticity. Elucidation of the mechanisms by which these adaptive clusters form will enable us to understand how eukaryotes rapidly adapt to changes in their environment through modification of their metabolism. This project will involve investigation of mechanisms of formation and/or the regulation of operon-like metabolic gene clusters in cereals. The project is part of a multi-disciplinary EPSRC-funded collaborative research project on the development of methodology for synthetic evolution of complex genetic ensembles in bacteria and plants that includes groups in the UK (Dr Susan Rosser, University of Glasgow; Professor Paul Freemont, Imperial College, London; Professor Declan Bates, University of Leicester) and the US (Professor Josh Leonard, Northwestern University; Professor Jay Keasling, UC Berkeley).

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Crop Science, Plant Science, Synthetic Biology
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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