McGill University 2006

• Team 1: Split YFP

The idea behind the project is fluorescence complementation, which involves the joining of two leucine zipper proteins Jun and Fos each fused to a half terminus of YFP. Subsequently, both of these chimeric proteins were fused to a beta gene that codes for a membrane protein. The project involved performing a PCR reaction to produce two inserts, the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the YFP, and then ligating these inserts into 2 vectors, containing the Jun-beta and the Fos-beta respectively. We transformed two cell populations, one expressing Jun-beta-YFPN and the other expressing Fos-beta-YFPC.These two cell populations were combined and the two vectors were then expressed, ideally resulting in the fusion of the Jun and Fos leucine zipper proteins on the cell membrane when the cells are in close contact. This would result in the binding of the two halves of the YFP protein resulting in fluorescence.

• Team 2: Repressilator

We are working on making a biological oscillator. This system will consist of the Elowiitz repressilator and quorum sensing.

Oscillator Example

Theory Behind the Oscillator