Project

• Overview
  • Data Page
  • Accomplishments
  • Post-Jamboree
• Human Practices
  • Initiative
  • Interviews
  • Design
  • Killswitch
  • Regulation
  • Kill Genes
  • Safety
• FRED
  • Toxin Sensing
  • Electroreporting
  • Modelling
  • Device Prototype
• OSCAR
  • Decarboxylation
  • Decatecholization
  • Flux Analysis
  • Bioreactor
  • Upgrading
  • Desulfurization
  • Denitrogenation
• Synergy
• References
• Attributions

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Detect and Destroy

The Calgary team has developed a duel system for the detection of toxic components in tailing ponds as well as the remediation of these compounds. Tailing ponds are large lakes of waste products produced from the extraction of bitumen in the oilsands. Our biosensor involved the identification of a toxin promoter through a transposon screen. An electrochemical detector was implemented with a multiple output system allowing for the detection of multiple compounds simultaneously. This promoter/detector system was then complimented with the production of a biosensor system which we designed and implemented.

Rather than just sensing toxins in the tailings ponds, our major objective were to detoxify the tailings through the reduction of sulfur, nitrogen, catechol, and naphthenic acids from the tailing ponds. This was accomplished using native pathways found in various organisms. An added benefit to our system is that the removal of carboxylic acid groups from naphthenic acids results in the production of hydrocarbons. Purification of these hydrocarbons would contribute to an added economic and industrial benefit.

Parts Submitted To The Registry

Electrochemistry - BBa_K902001 (Constitutive uidA Generator), BBa_K902005 (Constitutive bglX Generator) Two new enzymes were submitted to the registry for the hydrolysis of two sugar conjugated electroactive compounds for the detection of multiple compounds with a single electrode. These enzymes were characterized to be able to catalyze their respective reactions and the detection of their products electrochemically.

Kill Switch Regulation - BBa_ (Magnesium Dependent Promoter and Riboswitch GFP Generator) (Rhamnose Inducible Promoter GFP Generator) (MOCO Riboswitch GFP Generator) (Manganese Inducible Promoter Riboswitch GFP)

Kill Switch Generators - S7 constructs?!?!??!?!?!?

Decatecholization - Optimized an existing biobrick for the production of xylE (catechol dioxygenase) for the degradation of catechol using a constitutive promoter. Other OSCAR parts?!?!?!?

Parts Already In the Registry

Optimized the Petrobrick (BBa_590025) to be able to convert naphthenic acids into alkane and alkene compounds.

Additional Work and Characterizations

Developed a program using MATLAB for the optimization of metabolic pathways in synthetic biology metabolic networks. The program allows you to build an artificial synthetic biology network in E. coli and predicts substrates that should be fed to the organism to increase production of the compound. This was characterized and validated in the wetlab with the Petrobrick.

Developed hardware and software for the development of a biosensor using an electrochemical sensor. The software is available on our wiki. (Robert can you help me flush this out a bit, or one of the engineers?