Date Thesis Awarded
5-2021
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Science (BS)
Department
Interdisciplinary Studies
Advisor
Margaret Saha
Committee Members
Mainak Patel
Junping Shi
Dana Willner
Abstract
The Mycobacterium genus is responsible for 1.5-2 million deaths per year worldwide, with mortality and morbidity numbers growing as antibiotic resistance increases. M. smegmatis, a common non-pathogenic soil bacterium of this genus, serves as a drug screening platform and potential vaccine candidate for other pathogenic members. Unique metabolic properties of M. smegmatis have also rendered it an exceptional host for biomanufacturing purposes, which can be further advanced upon incorporating synthetic biology approaches. To achieve fine-tuning of synthetic circuits, a comprehensive and well-characterized library of regulatory sequences, especially promoters, is indispensable. This study aims to develop a library of M. smegmatis promoters through genome screening. We have constructed a genome analysis DataFrame by integrating genomic and transcriptomic data; a list of potential promoter regions was generated from the DataFrame. We have also experimentally characterized six M. smegmatis promoters (including a previously unidentified endogenous promoter) and standardized a cloning & characterization protocol to examine promoter function. We anticipate that these efforts contribute to the advancement of M. smegmatis applications through synthetic biology approaches.
Recommended Citation
Fang, Xiangyi, "Designing and Constructing a Library of Well-characterized Mycobacterium smegmatis Promoters" (2021). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1649.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1649
