Project

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a designated intractable disease with a low remission rate. The number of patients has been increasing every year, making it an important social and medical issue.

Our project aims to develop a new therapeutic approach that complements existing immunosuppressive treatments for IBD by engineering Escherichia coli to colonize the intestine and secrete epidermal growth factor (EGF). Through this approach, we hope to promote intestinal healing and offer a novel form of adjunct therapy.

Creation of a strain capable of metabolizing xylitol

Wild-type E. coli cannot normally metabolize xylitol and therefore does not colonize the intestine efficiently.

In this study, we introduced genes encoding the xylitol transporter, D-xylulose kinase, and xylitol dehydrogenase using a plasmid.

Our experimental system was designed to enable E. coli to acquire xylitol metabolic capacity and achieve intestinal colonization capability. The results demonstrated successful co-cultivation with other bacteria.

We believe this achievement will serve as a valuable reference for other iGEM teams developing probiotic-related projects in the future.

Parts

In our project, we engineered E. coli to utilize xylitol for growth and colonization, thereby allowing it to secure a niche within the gut microbiota.

To achieve this function, xylitol must be metabolized into intermediates that enter the pentose phosphate pathway.

For this purpose, we introduced two key enzymes and registered them as new parts.

1. Xylitol Dehydrogenase

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This enzyme is based on the xdh gene from Gluconobacter oxydans NH-10, optimized for expression in E. coli through codon and amino acid adjustments.

Using this sequence, E. coli can convert xylitol into D-xylulose.

2. D-xylulokinase

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This part is derived from the xylB gene originally present in E. coli, modified to allow for overexpression.

It catalyzes the phosphorylation of D-xylulose into xylulose-5-phosphate.

When used together with xylitol dehydrogenase (xdh), these parts enable efficient conversion of xylitol into xylulose-5-phosphate.

These genetic constructs can serve as a foundation for future iGEM teams seeking to engineer E. coli strains capable of intestinal colonization.

For details on our basic and composite parts, please refer to the Parts

Establishing the Keio iGEM Team

We supported the launch of a new iGEM team at Keio University in Japan.

During the introductory synthetic biology workshops held in June and July, our members collaborated with the new Keio members in small groups (2–3 people) to read and summarize academic papers and give short presentations.

By helping to establish a new team, we contributed to the expansion of the iGEM community in Japan, which we believe will further vitalize iGEM activities as a whole.

Education

Through our Education activities, we were able to spread synthetic biology to people of a wide range of ages. The two events that had the greatest impact were as follows.

GENKI LABO FES

This event was organized by GENKI LABO, a company founded by Japanese science influencer Mr. Genki Ichioka as its CEO, offering experimental workshops for preschool children through middle school students.

Through this collaboration with Mr. Genki Ichioka, we were able to introduce synthetic biology and iGEM concepts to a broader audience. Notably, partnerships with influencers represent a relatively new approach for Japanese iGEM teams, and this collaboration marked a significant step toward expanding future iGEM activities and exploring new possibilities.

School Festival ( iGEM Festival Booth )

We participated in a summer festival held every autumn, setting up a fairground-style booth to introduce synthetic biology and iGEM to a wide audience.

Over the two-day event, we welcomed over 1,000 visitors, engaging people of all ages from young children to grandparents. Our interactive activities allowed participants to learn about plasmids, the nucleotide bases that make up DNA, and microorganisms.

This initiative provided a valuable opportunity to reach over 1,000 people with the appeal of synthetic biology and iGEM, and we believe it represents a promising new approach for educational outreach that we could incorporate into our future iGEM team’s activities.

The target audience for our educational event was as diverse as shown in the table below.

For more details, please refer to Education .

Collaboration with NCKU iGEM Team

Through introductions by our principal investigator Professor Tagawa, we established a collaboration with the NCKU iGEM team from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan.

The NCKU team and we conducted presentations and question-and-answer sessions about our respective projects. Since both teams were pursuing similar approaches—specifically, developing engineered E. coli for human administration—this exchange deepened our mutual understanding of countermeasures against unintended spread, including kill switches. Both teams place strong emphasis on educational initiatives, and while we didn’t collaborate on this year’s project, we anticipate future opportunities to contribute to iGEM community development through international educational programs.

By engaging not only with Japanese teams but also with Taiwanese teams, we hope to strengthen connections between iGEM teams while facilitating mutual introductions of connected groups. This approach will not only deepen existing collaborations but also create more opportunities for multiple iGEM teams to interact and exchange ideas.