"
Team:Charlottesville RS
From 2014hs.igem.org
| You can write a background of your team here. Give us a background of your team, the members, etc. Or tell us more about something of your choosing. | |
|
Tell us more about your project. Give us background. Use this as the abstract of your project. Be descriptive but concise (1-2 paragraphs) | File:Charlottesville RS team.png Your team picture |
| Team Charlottesville_RS |
| Official Team Profile |
|---|
Contents |
Team
Tell us about your team, your school!
Project
Our team is currently pursuing two ideas, which we will choose between once we have more data on each.
1: Bed Bugs have become a major problem for hotel rooms, and homes around the world. In recent years, bed bugs have tended to become immune to previous methods used to dispose of them, leading to an influx of new research trying to find ways to eradicate them that are reliable and effective.
Our idea presents a solution to this problem, but in order to understand it, one must first understand the reproduction process of bed bugs. Bed Bugs reproduce by a process that is called traumatic insemination. Male bed bugs use their penises to stab female bed bugs, creating a wound which sometimes can lead to death, in order to reproduce. For this reason, grown females have air pockets that help them survive this method of reproduction. Male and nymph (juvenile) bed bugs do not have these air pockets.
In order for male and nymph bed bugs to avoid being victims of traumatic insemination, they have a pheromone that sends out a signal to other bed bugs that they are not viable targets for reproduction.
Our idea hinges upon using a protein receptor to prevent the expression of the pheromone in bed bugs, causing male bed bugs to mate with both other males and with nymphs, killing off the population that is not equipped to handle the violent reproductive process.
2: In Albemarle county, most of the waste water goes and is processed through the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), which is managed by the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority. Each year, the plant purchases 250,000 dollars worth of glycerin, which is then used as “food” for bacteria which degrade the other organic matter in the water.
The UVa iGEM team from 2008 created a part that, when added, enables E Coli to produce polyhydroxybutyrate, a biodegradable, bio-derived plastic. Our idea is to make a type of E Coli that produces this plastic, with a reporter which fluoresces when the bacteria is successfully producing.
The plant could then use this bacteria to create polyhydroxybutyrate, filter out the E Coli, and then use the plastic as an alternative food source for their bacteria, saving them 250,000 dollars per year, as well as giving them a renewable energy source for their plant.
Notebook
Show us how you spent your days.
Results/Conclusions
What did you achieve over the course of your semester?
Safety
What safety precautions did your team take? Did you take a safety training course? Were you supervised at all times in the lab?
Attributions
Who worked on what?
Human Practices
What impact does/will your project have on the public?
Fun!
What was your favorite team snack?? Have a picture of your team mascot?
<forum_subtle />
