Team:Charlottesville RS/Project

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Latest revision as of 15:13, 20 June 2014

Project Idea

Junk Food

In Albemarle County, most of the waste water goes and is processed through the Moore's 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.

Importance of Nitrogen

Nitrate (NO3) is a compound found in most water. It is colorless and odorless, so it can only be detected with testing. Nitrate itself isn’t bad in water, but it causes eutrophic effects if there is too much, which causes a chain reaction of harmful effects (explained further in the next section). Every living organism (as well as non-living organisms such as viruses) needs nitrogen to live; it helps to form the structure of proteins and DNA and many other molecules in cells that are essential for plants and animals to live. The majority of nitrogen in the world is held in the atmosphere, but not in its usable form. For nitrogen to be usable by organisms, it must be in the form of either ammonium or nitrate, which it is converted to in either abiotic or biotic fixation. Animals (like ourselves) get nitrogen from eating plants and other animals. Plants get nitrogen not by consuming other organisms but by absorbing it through the soil in its fixated forms.

Why we Don't Want Nitrates in our Water

Because everything needs nitrogen to live, we obviously want to have some in our water. The problem arises when there is just too much - because that causes eutrophication. This is a huge problem right now in the Chesapeake Bay, and since we are part of the watershed that flows into the Bay, we have a responsibility to keep it clean. The Moores Creek WWTP and other treatment plants in the area are now obligated under the law to filter enough nitrate out of the sewage water because of the condition of the Chesapeake Bay, but soon most treatment plants in the country will probably have to follow in their footsteps. The filtered supernatant of the sewage water that goes through Moores Creek will drain into the Bay, so it needs to be clean. If there is too much nitrate in this supernatant, it will further contribute to the decline of the Bay - when there is too much of a macronutrient like nitrate, everything grows too much. For our purposes, this is mostly bad in reference to algae. The huge algae blooms that eutrophication causes not only block out sunlight to the organisms living under the water, but they eventually lead to anoxic zones in the water (meaning that there is no oxygen there). This happens when the algae dies and floats to the bottom of the water, and is then eaten by bacteria. Because there is so much algae to eat, the bacteria community flourishes, and they end up using all the oxygen in the water. Animals like fish and any others that preform cellular respiration cannot live under these circumstances because they need oxygen - this often leads to large groups of organisms dying. Right now, eutrophication is probably the biggest problem for the Chesapeake Bay, and plenty of other bodies of water in the world, It's very important that waste water treatment plants do their job efficiently and without too much money spent; and using polyhydroxybutyrate instead of glycerin will help to do that.

Polyhydroxybutyrate

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polymer of glucose and a biodegradable plastic. It is a special type of polyester called a polyhydroxyalkanoate. PHB is produced by microorganisms such as Ralstonia eutrophus or Bacillus megaterium in response to conditions of physiological stress, particularly conditions in which nutrients are limited. PHB can also serve as food for other bacteria.

In waste water treatment, bacteria are required to dispose of waste in the water, but feeding them is very expensive for treatment plans, and for the Rivanna Water Treatment Plant, the closest such facility to our school, it costs the city up to $250,000 a month to simply feed these bacteria.

Our idea for the project involves using bacteria in order to produce PHB as food for the bacteria that are involved in waste water treatment. Since PHB is only produced when nutrients are limited, it would actually involve feeding the PHB-producing bacteria less than the waste water treatment bacteria would be fed. We believe our idea has the potential to drastically reduce the costs of waste water treatment plants around the globe.

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 ''' Junk Food '''
-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.
+In Albemarle County, most of the waste water goes and is processed through the Moore's 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.
 == Importance of Nitrogen==
-Nitrogen is essential for all living things: animals and plants. Nitrogen forms a part of the proteins and DNA that are found in cells. Animals get nitrogen by eating plants and other animals.
+Nitrate (NO3) is a compound found in most water. It is colorless and odorless, so it can only be detected with testing. Nitrate itself isn’t bad in water, but it causes eutrophic effects if there is too much, which causes a chain reaction of harmful effects (explained further in the next section). Every living organism (as well as non-living organisms such as viruses) needs nitrogen to live; it helps to form the structure of proteins and DNA and many other molecules in cells that are essential for plants and animals to live. The majority of nitrogen in the world is held in the atmosphere, but not in its usable form. For nitrogen to be usable by organisms, it must be in the form of either ammonium or nitrate, which it is converted to in either abiotic or biotic fixation. Animals (like ourselves) get nitrogen from eating plants and other animals. Plants get nitrogen not by consuming other organisms but by absorbing it through the soil in its fixated forms.
-Just like animals, plants require nitrogen to grow and survive.  But they do not get nitrogen by consuming proteins like animals do.  Plants get nitrogen from water and from the soil. They get nitrogen by absorbing it in the form of nitrates and ammonium.  Nitrates are the major source of nitrogen for aquatic plants.
-Nitrates are not utilized by aquatic organisms such as fish and aquatic insects, but nitrates are used by aquatic plants.
+== Why we Don't Want Nitrates in our Water ==
-'''NO3'''
+Because everything needs nitrogen to live, we obviously want to have some in our water. The problem arises when there is just too much - because that causes eutrophication. This is a huge problem right now in the Chesapeake Bay, and since we are part of the watershed that flows into the Bay, we have a responsibility to keep it clean. The Moores Creek WWTP and other treatment plants in the area are now obligated under the law to filter enough nitrate out of the sewage water because of the condition of the Chesapeake Bay, but soon most treatment plants in the country will probably have to follow in their footsteps. The filtered supernatant of the sewage water that goes through Moores Creek will drain into the Bay, so it needs to be clean. If there is too much nitrate in this supernatant, it will further contribute to the decline of the Bay - when there is too much of a macronutrient like nitrate, everything grows too much. For our purposes, this is mostly bad in reference to algae. The huge algae blooms that eutrophication causes not only block out sunlight to the organisms living under the water, but they eventually lead to anoxic zones in the water (meaning that there is no oxygen there). This happens when the algae dies and floats to the bottom of the water, and is then eaten by bacteria. Because there is so much algae to eat, the bacteria community flourishes, and they end up using all the oxygen in the water. Animals like fish and any others that preform cellular respiration cannot live under these circumstances because they need oxygen - this often leads to large groups of organisms dying. Right now, eutrophication is probably the biggest problem for the Chesapeake Bay, and plenty of other bodies of water in the world, It's very important that waste water treatment plants do their job  efficiently and without too much money spent; and using polyhydroxybutyrate instead of glycerin will help to do that.
-Nitrate (NO3) is a compound found in most water. It is colorless and odorless, so it can only be detected with testing. Nitrate itself isn’t bad in water, but it causes eutrophic effects if there is too much, which causes a chain reaction of harmful effects. Every living organism needs nitrogen to live; it forms part of the protein in DNA and other cells that are essential for plants and animals. Animals (like ourselves) get nitrogen from eating plants and other animals. Plants get nitrogen not by consuming other organisms but by absorbing it through the soil - in the form of ammonia and nitrates (which are the main source of nitrogen for aquatic plants).
-'''Why nitrates are bad in drinking water'''
-High nitrate levels in water can cause methemoglobinemia or blue baby syndrome, a condition found especially in infants under six months. The stomach acid of an infant is not as strong as in older children and adults. This causes an increase in bacteria that can readily convert nitrate to nitrite (NO2). Do not let infants drink water that exceeds 10 mg/l NO3-N. This includes formula preparation.
-Nitrite is absorbed in the blood, and hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying component of blood) is converted to methemoglobin. Methemoglobin does not carry oxygen efficiently. This results in a reduced oxygen supply to vital tissues such as the brain. Methemoglobin in infant blood cannot change back to hemoglobin, which normally occurs in adults. Severe methemoglobinemia can result in brain damage and death.
-Pregnant women, adults with reduced stomach acidity, and people deficient in the enzyme that changes methemoglobin back to normal hemoglobin are all susceptible to nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia. The most obvious symptom of methemoglobinemia is a bluish color of the skin, particularly around the eyes and mouth. Other symptoms include headache, dizziness, weakness or difficulty in breathing. Take babies with the above symptoms to the hospital emergency room immediately. If recognized in time, methemoglobinemia is treated easily with an injection of methylene blue.
-Healthy adults can consume fairly large amounts of nitrate with few known health effects. In fact, most of the nitrate we consume is from our diets, particularly from raw or cooked vegetables. This nitrate is readily absorbed and excreted in the urine. However, prolonged intake of high levels of nitrate are linked to gastric problems due to the formations of nitrosamines. N-nitrosamine compounds have been shown to cause cancer in test animals. Studies of people exposed to high levels of nitrate or nitrite have not provided convincing evidence of an increased risk of cancer.
 == Polyhydroxybutyrate ==
-Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polymer of glucose and starch and a biodegradable plastic. It is a special type of polyester called a polyhydroxyalkanoate. PHB is produced by microorganisms such as Ralstonia eutrophus or Bacillus megaterium in response to conditions of physiological stress, particularly conditions in which nutrients are limited. PHB can also serve as food for other bacteria.
+Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a polymer of glucose and a biodegradable plastic. It is a special type of polyester called a polyhydroxyalkanoate. PHB is produced by microorganisms such as Ralstonia eutrophus or Bacillus megaterium in response to conditions of physiological stress, particularly conditions in which nutrients are limited. PHB can also serve as food for other bacteria.
 In waste water treatment, bacteria are required to dispose of waste in the water, but feeding them is very expensive for treatment plans, and for the Rivanna Water Treatment Plant, the closest such facility to our school, it costs the city up to $250,000 a month to simply feed these bacteria.
-Our idea for the project involves using bacteria such as Ralstonia eutrophus or Bacillus megaterium in order to produce PHB as food for the bacteria that are involved in waste water treatment. Since PHB is only produced when nutrients are limited, it would actually involve feeding the PHB-producing bacteria less than the waste water treatment bacteria would be fed. We believe our idea has the potential to drastically reduce the costs of waste water treatment plants around the globe.
+Our idea for the project involves using bacteria in order to produce PHB as food for the bacteria that are involved in waste water treatment. Since PHB is only produced when nutrients are limited, it would actually involve feeding the PHB-producing bacteria less than the waste water treatment bacteria would be fed. We believe our idea has the potential to drastically reduce the costs of waste water treatment plants around the globe.