Difference between revisions of "Competition/Tracks/Energy"

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<h2>Energy Track</h2>
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Until 2014, Food and Energy were included as a single track in iGEM. Last year, we separated these two concepts into the Food and Nutrition Track and Energy Tracks. We want to highlight that while there is a lot of crossover in these two track ideas, they seek to resolve fundamentally different problems.
 
Until 2014, Food and Energy were included as a single track in iGEM. Last year, we separated these two concepts into the Food and Nutrition Track and Energy Tracks. We want to highlight that while there is a lot of crossover in these two track ideas, they seek to resolve fundamentally different problems.
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You will find images and abstracts of teams who worked on energy problems from 2011 to 2013 in the page below. Also, follow the links below to see projects from all the Energy track teams.  
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You will find images and abstracts of teams who worked on energy problems from 2011 to 2013 in the page below.  
 
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Follow the links below to see projects from all the Energy track teams.
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<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2016"> iGEM 2016 Energy team list</a></li>
 
<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2015"> iGEM 2015 Energy team list</a></li>
 
<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2015"> iGEM 2015 Energy team list</a></li>
 
<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2014"> iGEM 2014 Energy team list</a></li>
 
<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2014"> iGEM 2014 Energy team list</a></li>
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<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2012"> iGEM 2012 Energy team list</a></li>
 
<li><a href ="https://igem.org/Team_Tracks?year=2012"> iGEM 2012 Energy team list</a></li>
 
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<h2>Recent Food and Energy projects to win best in track</h2>
 
  
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<h3>Winning Energy projects in 2013 Overgrad: Ecolectricity - currently available</h3>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2017/7/77/HQ_energy_nanjing2016.jpg" >
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<a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:Bielefeld-Germany">Bielefeld </a><br>
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<a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Nanjing-China"><h2>Nanjing 2016</h2></a>
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<h3>HydroMagic</h3>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2014/9/90/Ecolectricity_Screen_Shot_2014-02-10_at_3.21.38_PM.png" width="925px">
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<strong>Project abstract</strong>:There is a growing interest in the use of ecologically friendly alternative energy sources because of the depletion of fossil fuels and an increasing environmental pollution. Therefore, we are developing a Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC). The goal of this project is to generate electricity with a modified Escherichia coli in a self-constructed fuel cell. Besides the technical optimization of the fuel cell, we investigate different genetic approaches like integrating porines and cytochromes as well as endogenous mediators. Using heterologous expression of pore-forming transmembrane proteins, we are able to enhance the extracellular electron transfer, leading to higher membrane permeability. Direct electron transfer can be achieved by integrating cytochromes into the cellular membrane, whereas a production of endogenous mediators enhances the electron transport to the electrode. With different aspects for technical and genetic optimization we enable Ecolectricity, the use of E. coli for direct energy production.
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The current world is undergoing a global energy change. Among all possible substitutes for fossil fuels, hydrogen serves as a praising future energy form. In this year’s iGEM competition, our team intended to harness solar energy to drive whole-cell hydrogen production in air conditions. We constructed a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli over expressing the indigenous [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase Hyd1 and relevant maturases. Energy of photons are transformed to excited electrons by semiconductors such as TiO2, and methyl vionlogen transports the electron to the biocatalyst. Noting that hydrogenases are commonly sensitive to oxygen, we constructed special silica encapsulation forming an anaerobic environment within bacteria cell clusters to avoid oxidative damage. The combination of biocatalyst, semiconductors and silica then leads to in air light-driven hydrogen production. This project sparks new light onto chemical-biological hybrid methods in the development of new energy forms.
 
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<h3>Winning Food and Energy project 2011: (Tie) Washington and Yale</h3>
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<a href ="https://2011.igem.org/Team:Washington"> Washington</a>
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<a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:Macquarie_Australia"><h2>Macquarie Australia 2015</h2></a>
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Solar Synthesisers: Engineering the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway and photosystem II in E. coli</h3>
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The University of Washington 2011 iGEM team also won the Grand Prize BioBrick trophy at the World Championship Jamboree.  
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Photosynthesis is a key biological pathway utilized by plants and algae to generate useable energy from sunlight. Chlorophyll is a green pigment in photosynthetic organisms that aids in the manufacture of energy. Our aim is to engineer and express 13 genes of the chlorophyll-a biosynthetic pathway from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in E. coli. While this pathway has been well characterised, reproduction of this process in non-photosynthetic organisms has not been successful. Our second goal is to synthetically engineer Photosystem II in E. coli, which consists of 17 genes. Photosystem II is a multi-subunit protein complex that generates oxygen and electrons, by oxidation of water molecules. Transferring these electrons to a hydrogenase would potentially lead to production of hydrogen on an industrial scale. Our goals are the first step towards clean and sustainable hydrogen production as a viable future energy source.
 
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<a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:TJU"><h2>TJU </h2></a>
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<h3> Power Consortia </h3>
 
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<strong>Project abstract:</strong> Synthetic biology holds great promise regarding the production of important compounds, and the degradation of harmful ones. This summer, we harnessed the power of synthetic biology to meet the world's needs for fuel and medicine. Make It: We constructed a strain of Escherichia coli that produces a variety of alkanes, the main constituents of diesel fuel, by introducing a pair of genes recently shown convert fatty acid synthesis intermediates into alkanes. Break It: We identified a protease with gluten-degradation potential, and then reengineered it to have greatly increased gluten-degrading activity, allowing for the breakdown of gluten in the digestive track when taken in pill form. Finally, to enable next-generation cloning of standard biological parts, BioBrick vectors optimized for Gibson assembly were constructed and used to construct the Magnetosome Toolkit: genes for biofabrication of magnetic particles.
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MFCs are capable of converting the chemical energy stored in the chemical compounds in organic biomass to electrical energy with the aid of microorganisms. However, traditional single-strain MFC faces many practical barriers such as low current density, high cost and unstable electricity output, which seriously impede the future applications.
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To solve these problems, extending engineering capabilities from single-cell behaviors to multi-cellular microbial consortia brings us new inspiration. So we establish a co-cultured MFC system with an elaborate labor division.
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Based on our complicated co-cultured system, a rational designed relationship of material, information and energy is being explored. We regulate lactate metabolism, the key point of material flux, through lactate sensing system, orthogonal targeted protease degradation, etc. Additionally, we also make riboflavin as the entry point to regulate energy and information relationship. Through reconstruction of the co-cultured MFC, a more efficient and robust system is built up.
 
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<a href ="https://2011.igem.org/Team:Yale"> Yale</a><br>
 
  
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<a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:TU_Darmstadt"><h2>TU Darmstadt 2014</h2></a>
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<h3> E. Grätzel – Solar BioEnergy</h3>
 
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<strong>Project abstract:</strong> Antifreeze proteins have applications in cryopreservation of food, cells, and organs, as well as in cryosurgery and agriculture. The purpose of this study was to express, purify, and characterize a novel, hyperactive antifreeze protein recently isolated from the Siberian beetle, Rhagium inquisitor (RiAFP). Large scale (150mg/L), stable production of RiAFP and a RiAFP-GFP fusion protein was achieved in E. coli. Proteins were purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. E. coli expressing RiAFP exhibited increased survival post-freezing. RiAFP inhibited ice recrystallization in both splat and capillary assay. To optimize the activity of the hypothesized RiAFP ice binding site, we are using directed evolution through multiplex automated genome engineering (MAGE). Finally, we are further optimizinge our crystallization conditions for RiAFP to better understand the structure-function relationship, as well as conducting post-freezing survival assays in C. elegans.
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This year the team aims to achieve victory in the championship of synthetic biology by investigating a new approach to produce a plant pigment called Anthocyanin in Escherichia coli (E. coli). This class of pigment not only stains blossoms in blue, violet or red but also is enclosed in fruits and is valued for its antioxidant effect as well as the ability to lower the risks for cancer. In the team’s technological approach, the anthocyanin dye can be utilised to build so-called “Grätzel cells”. These electrochemical dye-sensitized solar cells use the produced dye instead of a semiconductor material for the absorption of light. The objective is to investigate an innovative approach for a sustainable energy source; wherever and whenever needed. In the course of the project phase, the team will construct a Grätzel cell testing their dye that was produced in E. coli.
 
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Latest revision as of 22:31, 15 December 2016

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Energy Track

Until 2014, Food and Energy were included as a single track in iGEM. Last year, we separated these two concepts into the Food and Nutrition Track and Energy Tracks. We want to highlight that while there is a lot of crossover in these two track ideas, they seek to resolve fundamentally different problems.

A major economic driver for most countries is energy availability and use. While natural gas, oil and coal reserves are still likely to last humanity for many hundreds of years, their distribution across the planet is not equal. The ability for a nation to produce it's own transportation fuel, irrespective available natural resources will be a huge source of economic growth in the 21st century. Synthetic biology may have the answer to some, if not all of these pressing global issues.

You will find images and abstracts of teams who worked on energy problems from 2011 to 2013 in the page below.

Follow the links below to see projects from all the Energy track teams.

Nanjing 2016

HydroMagic

The current world is undergoing a global energy change. Among all possible substitutes for fossil fuels, hydrogen serves as a praising future energy form. In this year’s iGEM competition, our team intended to harness solar energy to drive whole-cell hydrogen production in air conditions. We constructed a recombinant strain of Escherichia coli over expressing the indigenous [Ni-Fe] hydrogenase Hyd1 and relevant maturases. Energy of photons are transformed to excited electrons by semiconductors such as TiO2, and methyl vionlogen transports the electron to the biocatalyst. Noting that hydrogenases are commonly sensitive to oxygen, we constructed special silica encapsulation forming an anaerobic environment within bacteria cell clusters to avoid oxidative damage. The combination of biocatalyst, semiconductors and silica then leads to in air light-driven hydrogen production. This project sparks new light onto chemical-biological hybrid methods in the development of new energy forms.

Macquarie Australia 2015

Solar Synthesisers: Engineering the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway and photosystem II in E. coli

Photosynthesis is a key biological pathway utilized by plants and algae to generate useable energy from sunlight. Chlorophyll is a green pigment in photosynthetic organisms that aids in the manufacture of energy. Our aim is to engineer and express 13 genes of the chlorophyll-a biosynthetic pathway from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in E. coli. While this pathway has been well characterised, reproduction of this process in non-photosynthetic organisms has not been successful. Our second goal is to synthetically engineer Photosystem II in E. coli, which consists of 17 genes. Photosystem II is a multi-subunit protein complex that generates oxygen and electrons, by oxidation of water molecules. Transferring these electrons to a hydrogenase would potentially lead to production of hydrogen on an industrial scale. Our goals are the first step towards clean and sustainable hydrogen production as a viable future energy source.

TJU

Power Consortia

MFCs are capable of converting the chemical energy stored in the chemical compounds in organic biomass to electrical energy with the aid of microorganisms. However, traditional single-strain MFC faces many practical barriers such as low current density, high cost and unstable electricity output, which seriously impede the future applications. To solve these problems, extending engineering capabilities from single-cell behaviors to multi-cellular microbial consortia brings us new inspiration. So we establish a co-cultured MFC system with an elaborate labor division. Based on our complicated co-cultured system, a rational designed relationship of material, information and energy is being explored. We regulate lactate metabolism, the key point of material flux, through lactate sensing system, orthogonal targeted protease degradation, etc. Additionally, we also make riboflavin as the entry point to regulate energy and information relationship. Through reconstruction of the co-cultured MFC, a more efficient and robust system is built up.

TU Darmstadt 2014

E. Grätzel – Solar BioEnergy

This year the team aims to achieve victory in the championship of synthetic biology by investigating a new approach to produce a plant pigment called Anthocyanin in Escherichia coli (E. coli). This class of pigment not only stains blossoms in blue, violet or red but also is enclosed in fruits and is valued for its antioxidant effect as well as the ability to lower the risks for cancer. In the team’s technological approach, the anthocyanin dye can be utilised to build so-called “Grätzel cells”. These electrochemical dye-sensitized solar cells use the produced dye instead of a semiconductor material for the absorption of light. The objective is to investigate an innovative approach for a sustainable energy source; wherever and whenever needed. In the course of the project phase, the team will construct a Grätzel cell testing their dye that was produced in E. coli.