1.How did your team come up with the idea of degrading microcystin produced by cyanobacteria?
During our initial brainstorming sessions at the beginning of our project, we determined that environmental issues were to be the main focus of our work. After investigating a range of environmental issues, we came to the conclusion that underwater issues were becoming increasingly difficult to deal with and that it would be a good idea to centre our attention on a common algae problem which does not gain enough attention on a global scale.
2.Realistically, does your project have potential to be used on an industrial scale?
We are convinced that our project has enough potential to be used effectively around the world, including areas where algal blooms are prominent. This is demonstrated by the results we have obtained in our upscaling and bioreactor experiments. Although a number of challenges would need to be overcome to ensure the success of our product, we believe that a product with a function similar to that of Cyanobuster may have a place on the global market.
CELL FUNCTION
3. What safety precautions did you apply in order to ensure you were as successful as possible?
As well as carrying out all of our investigations and experiments in the appropriate conditions, we applied a kill switch to ensure a greater degree of control over the production of microbes. This makes it possible to stop the production of a protein in order to increase the productivity of Cyanobuster. Moreover, we used an IRRE gene in order to ensure that the bacteria continue to perform in the harsh conditions present in some areas of algal bloom.
4.Are there any substances that would impact the activity of your bacterium in degrading microcystin produced by cyanobacteria?
The increased presents of nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, increases the presence of cyanobacteria in water columns, as demonstrated by our investigation involving different concentrations of the aforementioned substances This is largely due to poor farming practices, including the high use of fertilisers and the presence of livestock near water supplies.
HUMAN PRACTICES
5. What was the purpose of your human practice video?
Our human practice video is branched into two parts. The first part of our video aimed to illustrate the effects of the increasing concentrations of cyanobacteria in water columns around the world, as well as its ability to harm ecosystems and society. The second part of our video focuses on giving the audience an idea of how Cyanobuster works and how it behaves in water columns containing algal blooms in the form of a television advert.
6. How did your team generate publicity for your project?
We spent a significant amount of our time generating a degree of publicity for Cyanobuster and our work. We created a Twitter account on behalf of UCL Academy, and also communicated a number of times with a team from Mexico where we discussed our progress. Moreover, we gave lectures to students at our school to outline the aims of our project, as well as creating a video to question whether synthetic biology is a sustainable solution for a given environmental problem.
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