3rd Edition of Euro-Global Conference on Biotechnology and Bioengineering

June 14-15 | Online Event

June 14-15, 2023 | Online Event
ECBB 2023

Pamela Obando

Pamela Obando, Speaker at Biotechnology Conference
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Peru
Title: Diversity of cadmium repressor genes and their use in whole cell biosensors

Abstract:

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is present as a contaminant in water and soil. Despite this, there are microorganisms that have developed tolerance and resistance to this metal due to their continuous exposure. The most common strategy in microorganisms is to activate the expression of an efflux pump; in other cases, they store the metal in special compartments when the safe concentration within the cell is exceeded. Under normal conditions, the gene for this pump is repressed by a transcription factor. When cadmium enters the cell, it binds to the transcription factor, allowing for the release of DNA and consequently permit the transcription of the efflux pump. There are three important groups of cadmium repressors: CadC, CmtR, and CadR, the first two belonging to the SmtB/Ars family of transcription factors, and the latter to the MerR family. These repressors are distributed in different species throughout the planet, and although they are not completely specific to cadmium, they have a great affinity for this metal and can be used in the construction of biosensors for environmental monitoring purposes

Audience Take Away Notes :

  • The project will provide information of the diversity of repressors genes and their regulation. So, we can use them in the design of genetic circuits to detect heavy metal.
  • Since most of these genes are not well studied, we provide an approach on how to identify their regulation sequences and if they can be used when interchange those sequences.
  • Biosensors tend to stay in the labs but few of them go to the field, so we expect to use this biosensor in real situation and explain what the difficulties are involved

Biography:

Pamela Obando is currently working on her doctoral thesis in the Biochemistry and Cellular Biology program at the Cayetano Heredia University in Peru. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Microbiology from the same university and she is also an Electronics Engineer from the National University of San Marcos. She has published a scientific article on bioactive compounds of microorganisms isolated from mines. Diana has also been a teacher at both the Cayetano Heredia University and the National University of Engineering

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