Difference between revisions of "Team:RPI Troy NY/HP/Silver"
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<h2>Philosophy</h2> | <h2>Philosophy</h2> | ||
| − | <p>Oil spills pose a sizeable threat to marine life and are classified as a major environmental disaster. Cleaning up after oil spills | + | <p>Oil spills pose a sizeable threat to marine life and are classified as a major environmental disaster. Cleaning up after oil spills involves the use of dispersants. Chemical dispersants break down crude oil for easier biodegradation. This process depends on location and wind speed, or mechanical human-guided skimmers, which manually contain and collect oil. Current containment methods include surrounding the spill using floating booms to prevent further spread. </p> |
<p>Sophorolipids, which are a type of biosurfactants, are natural dispersers/degraders of crude oil. The majority of sophorolipids are biodegradable and pose little toxicity to humans. Our team aims to create sophorolipids using the fermentation of the yeast starmarella bombicola, and then improve sophorolipid production by disabling an enzyme regulating the sopholipid concentration.</p> | <p>Sophorolipids, which are a type of biosurfactants, are natural dispersers/degraders of crude oil. The majority of sophorolipids are biodegradable and pose little toxicity to humans. Our team aims to create sophorolipids using the fermentation of the yeast starmarella bombicola, and then improve sophorolipid production by disabling an enzyme regulating the sopholipid concentration.</p> | ||
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<h2>Product Design</h2> | <h2>Product Design</h2> | ||
| − | <p>We used the yeast | + | <p>We used the yeast Starmarella bombicola to produce sophorolipids by growing it in a yeast extract and glucose-based broth and feeding it oleic acid. We then identified the P450 enzymes responsible for the production of sophorolipids and the genetically modified them to optimize their performance. </p> |
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<h2>Safety </h2> | <h2>Safety </h2> | ||
| − | <p>Starmarella | + | <p>The fungus Starmarella bombicola is a yeast also known as Candida bombicola, though Starmarella bombicola is now the preferred name. The strain has been managed in a biosafety level 2 laboratory, with proper sterilization and containment procedures employed. Such devices include autoclaves, biosafety cabinets, personal protective equipment, and limited lab access. Lab safety also includes proper handling of the yeast when undergoing enzymatic modifications. </p> |
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<h2Risk Assessment</h2> | <h2Risk Assessment</h2> | ||
| − | <p> | + | <p>Our project involves the use of sophorolipids that are biodegradable. The yeast Starmarella bombicola is not recognized as an agent associated with the transmission of a disease. </p> |
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Revision as of 01:16, 31 October 2017
| Home | Team | Collaborations | Project | Results |
| Interlab Study | Safety | Human Practices | Attributions |
Human Practices
Philosophy
Oil spills pose a sizeable threat to marine life and are classified as a major environmental disaster. Cleaning up after oil spills involves the use of dispersants. Chemical dispersants break down crude oil for easier biodegradation. This process depends on location and wind speed, or mechanical human-guided skimmers, which manually contain and collect oil. Current containment methods include surrounding the spill using floating booms to prevent further spread.
Sophorolipids, which are a type of biosurfactants, are natural dispersers/degraders of crude oil. The majority of sophorolipids are biodegradable and pose little toxicity to humans. Our team aims to create sophorolipids using the fermentation of the yeast starmarella bombicola, and then improve sophorolipid production by disabling an enzyme regulating the sopholipid concentration.
Public Engagement / Dialogue
Through open communication with the community at large through social media as well as direct interaction it will be possible to spread news of the integration of biosurfactants into mainstream life. A two way dialogue can help in our research practices in a way to insure mutual benefit between our research group and the community.
Education
Sophorolipids are carbohydrate-based, ampiphilic biosurfactants. They have been historically employed in oil spills to help mitigate their damaging environmental effect by accelerating crude oil degradation. Sophorolipids are the fermentation byproducts of the Starmarella species, including that of Starmerella bombicola and Candida apicola.
Product Design
We used the yeast Starmarella bombicola to produce sophorolipids by growing it in a yeast extract and glucose-based broth and feeding it oleic acid. We then identified the P450 enzymes responsible for the production of sophorolipids and the genetically modified them to optimize their performance.
Scale-Up and Deployment Issues
We expect the separation and purification of the sophorolipids to incur a larger chemical cost due to the amounts of ethyl acetate and n-hexane involved in extracting water and other impurities from the solution, as well as separating the ethyl acetate from the sophorolipids. We also expect relatively lengthy times extracting the sophorolipids using the rotovap.
Environmental Impact
Sophorolipids are used to make biosurfactants, which are amphiphilic compounds that are commonly used in the agricultural, pharmaceutical, and oil industries. The environmental benefit of biosurfactants are their low toxicity, biodegradability, and ability to enhance biodegradation and solubilization of low solubility compounds. These surfactants can increase the solubility and microbial degradability of hydrocarbons, which are found in petroleum, reducing their devastating effects in the environment when spilled. This applies to aquatic environment as well as in soil, where oil can hinder growth of plants.
Ethics
This lab does not include testing on any live animals and utilizes only the yeast as the only active biological organism to be employed in this study, as well as the organic byproduct of its fermentation. The organism’s byproducts possess low toxicity.
Safety
The fungus Starmarella bombicola is a yeast also known as Candida bombicola, though Starmarella bombicola is now the preferred name. The strain has been managed in a biosafety level 2 laboratory, with proper sterilization and containment procedures employed. Such devices include autoclaves, biosafety cabinets, personal protective equipment, and limited lab access. Lab safety also includes proper handling of the yeast when undergoing enzymatic modifications.
Law and Regulation
There are no current laws and regulations regarding the specific production or deployment of sophorolipids in the country of development. However, laws, especially those in the realm of liability laws, response, contingency plans and funds, and oil spill control exist for oil spills.
Our project involves the use of sophorolipids that are biodegradable. The yeast Starmarella bombicola is not recognized as an agent associated with the transmission of a disease.
