{ Design Project: Using Bacteria to Cure Iron Deficiency Anemia Katherine Kenneally

 Most common nutritional deficiency in the world  Iron deficiency is when there is too little iron in the body  Iron deficiency anemia- body does not have enough iron to make healthy red blood cells  Has many severe health consequences  Affects 30% of world’s population Iron Deficiency/Anemia

 Provide back-up source of iron to prevent development of iron deficiency  Build upon and improve body’s already existing iron regulation mechanism  Engineer bacteria to produce modified form of protein that stores and releases iron Solution Overview

 All other treatments used to treat iron deficiency/iron deficiency anemia when diagnosed  Some examples:  Iron therapy: only for severe anemia, iron injected into muscle or through IV  Iron supplements: pills or liquid  Diet adjustments: eating more iron rich foods  Vitamin C: helps body absorb iron better  Treatment continues for 3-12 months Competing Technology

 Bacteria will live in small intestine  Engineer bacteria to produce modified ferritin  Ferritin- protein that stores iron and releases it when needed  Bacteria will produce ferritin that has more stored iron than normal Design Proposal

  Bacteria will have AND gate   Need to parts for transcription: an iron sensitive promoter and a repressor that transferrin will bind to when there are increased transferrin levels. Design and Function of Bacteria IronElevated Transferrin LevelsFerritin Produced

 Prevents iron deficiency from developing  Easier for people in developing countries or those who cannot pay for doctor visits  Enormous positive health impact  Saves money  Immediate help  Increases productivity Advantages and Effects

 Very small chance of any problems, bacteria are very safe  Problems that could occur (all very unlikely):  Hard to get to people everywhere  Mutations could damage either ferritin or bacteria  Take precautions to protect health and environment  Only inefficiency: iron not produced/released directly  Initial introduction of bacteria is invasive Potential Problems

 Test first on mice  Have control mice and mice given iron deficient diet  Some mice on low iron diet given bacteria  Monitor all mice Testing