Difference between revisions of "Team:Exeter/Future"
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<h4 id="h1">How can we deal with the wast associated with our filtration system?</h4> | <h4 id="h1">How can we deal with the wast associated with our filtration system?</h4> | ||
<p>As part of being responsible researchers, we believe it is important to ensure that our filter system is as environmentally friendly and cost effective as possible. | <p>As part of being responsible researchers, we believe it is important to ensure that our filter system is as environmentally friendly and cost effective as possible. | ||
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Currently our filter, while producing clean water, will result in a bi-product consisting of a high concentration of metal ion bound to the pili of our bacteria. These bacteria and metal ions must be dealt with as it cannot be released into the environment and it would be impractical to store it indefinitely. | Currently our filter, while producing clean water, will result in a bi-product consisting of a high concentration of metal ion bound to the pili of our bacteria. These bacteria and metal ions must be dealt with as it cannot be released into the environment and it would be impractical to store it indefinitely. | ||
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Our solution to this is to wash our bacteria with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chemical commonly used for both industrial and medical purposes, and is found everywhere from fertilisers to shampoo. | Our solution to this is to wash our bacteria with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chemical commonly used for both industrial and medical purposes, and is found everywhere from fertilisers to shampoo. | ||
EDTA can be bought as a disodium salt and will react with other metals in solution. EDTA is a very potent metal-chelating agent and the metal ions bound to our binding proteins will bind preferentially to the EDTA and so be transferred into an EDTA complex (1). EDTA is also being explored for its anti-microbial properties and is likely to irreversibly damage our bacteria and their biofilms (2). Therefore, when used in conjunction with other biosecurity methods, washing our system with EDTA would help to terminate our modified bacteria while resulting in a solution of EDTA bound to metal ions. | EDTA can be bought as a disodium salt and will react with other metals in solution. EDTA is a very potent metal-chelating agent and the metal ions bound to our binding proteins will bind preferentially to the EDTA and so be transferred into an EDTA complex (1). EDTA is also being explored for its anti-microbial properties and is likely to irreversibly damage our bacteria and their biofilms (2). Therefore, when used in conjunction with other biosecurity methods, washing our system with EDTA would help to terminate our modified bacteria while resulting in a solution of EDTA bound to metal ions. | ||
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Metals bound to EDTA are commonly sold for purposes ranging from bleaching (in the case of cadmium disodium edetate) to fertiliser (in the case of iron disodium edetate and many others). Looking on Alibaba.com, our reactant – disodium EDTA can be bought for between $1530-5000 per tonne, while zinc disodium EDTA can be sold for between $1900-5000 per tonne to give just one example. Therefore, disodium edetate could be bought for $1530 per tonne, used to wash our bacteria modified with a zinc binding protein, and be sold on as zinc disodium edetate (used as fertiliser) for as much as $5000. | Metals bound to EDTA are commonly sold for purposes ranging from bleaching (in the case of cadmium disodium edetate) to fertiliser (in the case of iron disodium edetate and many others). Looking on Alibaba.com, our reactant – disodium EDTA can be bought for between $1530-5000 per tonne, while zinc disodium EDTA can be sold for between $1900-5000 per tonne to give just one example. Therefore, disodium edetate could be bought for $1530 per tonne, used to wash our bacteria modified with a zinc binding protein, and be sold on as zinc disodium edetate (used as fertiliser) for as much as $5000. | ||
| + | <br></br> | ||
Therefore, by washing our bacteria with EDTA after use, our filter system will not only clean water, but as a bi-product will produce fertiliser which can be sold on to mitigate the costs of running the filter. | Therefore, by washing our bacteria with EDTA after use, our filter system will not only clean water, but as a bi-product will produce fertiliser which can be sold on to mitigate the costs of running the filter. | ||
| + | <br></br> | ||
There is very little risk of contaminating local water sources with EDTA in the case of a spill as EDTA degrades in shallow water through direct photolysis when exposed to wavelengths of less than 400nm, commonly found in sunlight(3). | There is very little risk of contaminating local water sources with EDTA in the case of a spill as EDTA degrades in shallow water through direct photolysis when exposed to wavelengths of less than 400nm, commonly found in sunlight(3). | ||
</p> | </p> | ||
Revision as of 14:13, 26 October 2017
Future
How can we deal with the wast associated with our filtration system?
As part of being responsible researchers, we believe it is important to ensure that our filter system is as environmentally friendly and cost effective as possible.
Currently our filter, while producing clean water, will result in a bi-product consisting of a high concentration of metal ion bound to the pili of our bacteria. These bacteria and metal ions must be dealt with as it cannot be released into the environment and it would be impractical to store it indefinitely.
Our solution to this is to wash our bacteria with Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chemical commonly used for both industrial and medical purposes, and is found everywhere from fertilisers to shampoo.
EDTA can be bought as a disodium salt and will react with other metals in solution. EDTA is a very potent metal-chelating agent and the metal ions bound to our binding proteins will bind preferentially to the EDTA and so be transferred into an EDTA complex (1). EDTA is also being explored for its anti-microbial properties and is likely to irreversibly damage our bacteria and their biofilms (2). Therefore, when used in conjunction with other biosecurity methods, washing our system with EDTA would help to terminate our modified bacteria while resulting in a solution of EDTA bound to metal ions.
Metals bound to EDTA are commonly sold for purposes ranging from bleaching (in the case of cadmium disodium edetate) to fertiliser (in the case of iron disodium edetate and many others). Looking on Alibaba.com, our reactant – disodium EDTA can be bought for between $1530-5000 per tonne, while zinc disodium EDTA can be sold for between $1900-5000 per tonne to give just one example. Therefore, disodium edetate could be bought for $1530 per tonne, used to wash our bacteria modified with a zinc binding protein, and be sold on as zinc disodium edetate (used as fertiliser) for as much as $5000.
Therefore, by washing our bacteria with EDTA after use, our filter system will not only clean water, but as a bi-product will produce fertiliser which can be sold on to mitigate the costs of running the filter.
There is very little risk of contaminating local water sources with EDTA in the case of a spill as EDTA degrades in shallow water through direct photolysis when exposed to wavelengths of less than 400nm, commonly found in sunlight(3).
Will our E. coli be resistant to the low PH of contaminated mine water?
How are we going to ensure that our product takes into account bio security measures?
