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Team:Weimar-Heidelberg Arts/Project/Sporal Pesticide
From 2010.igem.org
"With the beginning of the chemical prime-age in the early 19th century most organics with their natural abilities have gotten replaced by new revolutionary synthetical substances as an basic material for medicine, food, constructional material and fuel. As a cause of this trend in society and industry even popular plants with former medical backround sank into oblivion with a bad reputation as unaesthetical weeds. And although we know today that even the most efficient chemical products can cause harmful side-effects on our bodys, like cancer for example, our association with chemicals and plants haven't changed that much over years.Thats why kokoromo, as a green project, trys not only to present itself as a buyable product, but also as a intermediator between modern human needs on one hand and a plants rights to exists on the other, via demonstrating new alternatives for a greener and more sustainable lifestyle in coexistance with plants."
Vanessa Walk
Product Description
The user can cultivate the fungus to attack specific parasites. All you have to do is catch some of the undesirable critters you want the system to target. Now treat the fungi cells with a special substrate which makes the genetic variation of the mushroom very flexible, and add the parasite to the contamination component of "Sporal Up Ready". The fungus then changes its genetic property to specialize its liking to that specific parasite. After 20 days or more one of the parasites will be successfully infected by the fungus and will die a pain-free death as a result of a fungal growth in its head. This provides you with a special fungus for further spore production. One such fungus is enough to protect hundreds of fruits and vegetables and give you a better garden, naturally!
This revolutionary new product combines only the best moss abilities: crush resistance, fast growth, moisture absorption and disinfection. 'kokoromo' is a reliable partner for every occasion in your home, be it as an indicator for fungi, as a dryer for wet walls or a cleaner to reduce allergic illnesses.
In addition, the dying parasitic insects will decompose in your garden, providing a fertile dung and helping your plants to grow stronger.
Technical Description
We engineered a complex parasite recognition genepool we introduced into fungi. Bringing the fungi in contact with any parasites leads to recombination of certain genes in that pool and thereby to evolution of parasite recognition systems directly inside the fungi. Thereby, a specialized detection and defense from any parasite, even very unusual parasites, is enabled.
