Metal binding protein

Precious metals often go unrecyled. Platinum used catalytic converters ends up in road dust. So much platinum accumulates on a 3km stretch of road in one year (60 grams) that it would sell for £2500! We envision engineered bacteria that help reclaim microscopic fragments of rare metals from these unusual sources.

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ω−3 Fatty acids synthesis

ω-3 Fatty acids are an essential component of our diet and are para-mount to maintaining human health. But as we sustain vitality in our-selves, we are ruining the planet: seafood is the main source of ω-3 fatty acids, but humanity has overfished the seas and corrupted the food chain in the process. Using the power lent by synthetic biology, we can provide a solution from the very source of ω-3 fatty acids – microalgae and cyano-bacteria that normally synthesize these molecules.

iGEM Team St Andrews 2012 is recreating this synthetic pathway in E. coli, using genes from the cyanobacteria Synechocystis and the trypanosomatid Leishmania major. Combining the DNA code for elongase and desaturase enzymes, we can convert the plain fatty acid of E. coli into highly valuable ω-3 fatty acids.

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Scientific impact of iGEM

We investigate the relationship between the iGEM competition and the rest of the scientific community. Is iGEM really having scientific impact? How often, how fairly and by whom are iGEM teams cited?

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Modeling ω−3 depletion

We investigate the global effects of industrial omega-3 production from alternative sources using mathematical models. How quickly must this production be instated to preserve marine wildlife diversity? What happens if this is not done?

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