Team:TU Delft/Tour2

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TU Delft iGEM Team Tour

Biological oil removal

Engineering E. coli to clean up the environment. Let's split this challenge up in parts!

Alkane degradation

Got some oil contamination? Leave it up to our bug to clean it. We synthesized all the genes needed to equip E. coli with the ability to degrade alkanes to CO2.

Rather have something else as a product? We modeled it already for you.

Sensing

Spending ATPs and valuable precursors on building proteins that you don't need would be a waste. You need to know when the time is right to produce the apropriate proteins.

The hydrocarbon sensing parts offer the switches and feedback loops that we need. It also makes modeling fans very happy!

Survival

Living in a poluted environment is not easy. It would be cruel to let bacteria in there without the proper protection.

With our survival BioBricks E. coli can now withstand high concentrations of salt and hydrocarbons.

Solubility

Before degradation can even start, the alkanes have to get into solution. Everyone knows that oil and water don't mix by themselves. Luckily the secretion of a bio emulsifier does the trick.

Don't produce to much tough, or else everything will become bubbly.