ALCOHOL vs. BRAIN

DRUNKENNESS PREVENTION

PURPOSEWhy is drunkenness prevention

important?Impaired memory and judgment

Crime

Drunk driving accidents

What will my design do to address this problem?

How does alcohol affect our brains?

Inhibit excitatory activity

Glutamate

NMDA-Ionotropic glutamate receptor

Ca2+

Synaptic plasticity-Learning and memory

Ethanol molecule-Uncompetitive antagonist

How is alcohol metabolized in the brain?

Acetyl-CoAAcetyl-CoA synthase-2

CO2Water

Basic idea of my design• Prevent ethanol from blocking the

NMDA receptor for too long• Alphaproteobacteria• Quorum sensing

• Control alcohol concentration• Produce enzymes invovled in alcohol metabolism• Results: euphoria, but not too drunk

COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES

1. UCLA – dihydromyricetin (DHM)• Ancient herbal remedy- Hovenia dulcis• Rats seem sober within 15 minutes• Dealing with hangover anxiety• Never become addicted- stop rats wanting to drink2. Yale- iomanzenil• Negate alcohol’s effect on the brain when taken before drinking• “stay sober” pill, slowly wean heavy drinkers off of alcoholProblems?• Take pleasure out of drinking• Encourage people to drink more, damaging body tissues

THE DESIGNQuorum Sensing: Bacteria communication/ gene

regulation• Signal molecule: AHL• Two genes: LuxI and LuxR• Luxl:

– AHL synthase: combine AdoMet and fatty acyl ACP-> AHL

• LuxR:– Transcriptional regulatory protein– Activated when bind with AHL

Therefore, the more AHL is produced, the more chance that R protein can bind to an AHL molecule. When a specific concentration threshold is reached, the R protein is activated and so is the transcription.

Simple model of the Quorum Sensing process:

Genetic Devices:

1. Receptor protein that only bind to ethanol- Lush protein2. Transcription factor activated by lush protein and controls the

transcription of LuxI and LuxR protein3. A promoter site/ activator binding site4. RNA polymerase 5. Terminator6. Gene sequences

1. LuxI2. LuxR3. CAT (catalase)4. ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase)5. ACSS1 (acetyl CoA synthase-2)

A complicated model of my design:

EXPECTED RESULTS• Concentration threshold: 0.04%• < 0.04% : nothing, enjoy the euphoria • > 0.04 % enzymes are produced for alcohol detoxification, keeping

alcohol concentration at 0.04%

ADVANTAGES

Why is this better than the existing technologies?• allows you to still enjoy the pleasure of drinking• no memory loss or impairment in judgment• safer way to have fun

What benefits does it bring to the society?• Less alcohol crimes (40%) • Prevent alcoholism

POTENTIAL PROBLEMSWhat are the potential problems with your system?• No danger to environment, lab safety, or the security of the public• Mutation• Increased amount of alcohol consumption– harmful to other body parts

Are their inefficiencies or shortcomings of your design as compared to the existing technologies?

• Permanent effect• Involves complicated process to insert

the bacteria into the brain

Are the rewards worth the risks?• Remove unnecessary genes• Improve ethanol metabolism in other organs• Less alcohol-induced tragedy and more fun!

TESTING1. Rats• Control and experimental group• BAC 0.04%15 bottled beer• “heat shock” transformation

2. Human brain cells in vitro• Bacteriophages• Add ethanol molecules till > 0.04%

3. Human in vivo• Bacteriophages• Drink till 0.04%• Driving simulator• Drink till 0.08%

- THE END -THANK YOU!