Safety is the most important issue in our research and we always take it as our top priority. According to the World Health Organization Laboratory Biosafety Manual, the rank of our lab is classified as BSL1. Before we started any experiment, all iGEM team members were given biosafety trainings strictly. During our experiments, we always wear lab-gowns, rubber gloves and surgical masks. Liquid and solid biologically hazardous waste is autoclaved prior to disposal. Additionally, we always remember to turn off certain equipment as recommended by the manufacturers before we leave the laboratory at the end of the day.
All the organisms used in our project are in the Risk Group 1 and have no health risk to humans. We used the serA, B and C genes that, are responsible for the biosynthesis of L-serine, and are all subcloned from the genome of E. coli. In Follower E, FABP is a fatty acid binding protein and expressed as a fusion protein with Lpp-OmpA. The fusion protein Lpp-OmpA-FABP can be anchored onto bacterial outer membrane. Follower D uses CALB with an N-terminal pelB, which allows the fusion protein pelB-CALB with lipase activity to be secreted out of the bacteria to degrade fat or grease into fatty acids. These coding sequences are all synthetic based on biased codons of E. coli. Besides, we avoid using harmful materials and devices in our project.
Our team gave a lecture of synthetic biology to freshmen of our college. Many teachers and senior students also attended this lecture. Synthetic biology is an emerging new subject in the 21st century, and the research on synthetic biology has been advancing rapidly in recent years. Compared to the traditional biology that utilizes a way of studying the life from its internal structure, synthetic biology research is completely opposite. It is from the most basic elements to build parts step by step. The aim of synthetic biology is to create an artificial biosystem, and make it operate as circuits. Synthetic biology is the idea that people connect “genes” to a system and allow them to perform tasks as designers envision. Just like playing a puzzle and composing computer programs, synthetic biology combines individual parts into an integral complex.
Our team devoted our IGEM project to introducing the function of each part of our project, and then presented a complete network. With our careful explanation and vivid demonstration, the students in the audience understood the basic knowledge of synthetic biology, and became interested in it. At the end of the lecture, some students asked questions related to our project, and our team members answered questions thoroughly.
This lecture will not only help our students to understand synthetic biology, but also discover the potential of synthetic biology for its future development.
Based on traditional ID card, gene identification card makes traditional ID card have a wider range of uses by adding a certain number of code after genetic locus testing. On the one hand, gene identification card can help people detect their own genes in depth so that people can find hidden dangers timely. In this way, it can detect , treat, restrain or even eliminate hidden dangers in advance. Furthermore, based on this purpose, the development of life sciences can be promoted and we can establish a better social assistance system. However, some people believe that the promotion of gene identification card will lead to the revelation of personal privacy and even a series of discrimination. In our debates, the pros and the cons have a profound discussion about the promotion of gene identification card, which reminds us that while developing biotechnology, we are supposed to improve the corresponding systems, so that we can benefit from our contemporary biological development more and more.
Square and anti-party have fully demonstrated their arguments, respectively. There are a number of advantages of genetic identity cards, and at the same time there are some issues. Regardless of whether the implementation of genetic identity card should be apply in China, I believe that with the development of biology，science will give us a reasonable answer.
Grease waste contains a lot of organic matter such as animal and vegetable oil, fatty acid and colloid. This kind of waste in water contains high industrial organic matters with high turbidity and high oil content. If it is not handled in the right way, it would cause serious damage to the water environment. At present, the concentration and residual turbidity of residual organic pollutants during the physical and chemical processes of the waste are still relatively high. We try to enrich and degrade the waste oil efficiently by using a variety of microbial cooperation methods, and therefore we designed and handed out the questionnaires regarding the above issues. discharging the waste water containing grease and recycling methods
1. In China and each year, how many tons of sewage can be discharged without any pretreatment?
2. Globally and each hour, how many tons of waste grease-containing sewage are discharged into rivers, lakes or oceans?
3. Do you know any type of bacteria that can be used in sewage treatment??
4. Compared with traditional chemical methods and physical law, what are the characteristics of microbial treatment of oil wastewater?
5. What do you think is the most effective way of treating grease wastewater?
6. Do you know how to deal with the used cooking oil from fast food restaurants?
1. A vast majority of people have realized that the discharge of grease-containing sewage is high and may have polluted the water areas around us. 2. Over 50% of people hold positive or optimistic views to the biological approaches of sewage treatment, especially when answering the question of “the most efficient way”. 3. About 63% of people support the reuse of treated waste water.
