Latest revision as of 22:54, 31 October 2017

Header

Our Project

The Problem

Governments and private enterprises alike are gearing up for travel across our Solar System. Plans to colonize nearby planets are underway, with Elon Musk spearheading the initiative to put a human colony on Mars by 2030. In a parallel vein, NASA is planning a manned exploratory mission to Mars as soon as the 2030s. Several other space agencies have similar plans and timelines for their own respective Mars explorations. This exciting time in our history nonetheless comes with the challenges of long-term space travel.

Two ecological and economic challenges arise:

the sustainable management of waste produced in space, and
the high cost of shipping materials to space.

Waste management on Mars will be paramount because manned missions will need to recover as much water and oxygen as possible to sustain life. Human waste must also be treated to minimize health risks for the crew of a Mars mission. All of this must be accomplished while preserving the natural Martian environment.

The current cost of shipping materials up to space is $10,000 USD per pound due to the high price of fuel (Hsu, 2011). This expense will constrain early Mars mission crews in the supplies that they can bring or ship from Earth to Mars, and may not allow astronauts to account for every tool they may require during their mission. One way to mitigate this challenge is to develop a system to produce necessary items in space as needs arise.

Our Solution

Our team is working on a unique solution to both of the aforementioned challenges of future Mars missions: we intend to upcycle human waste by using it as a feedstock for E. coli engineered to produce bioplastic, which can then be 3D printed into useful tools onsite.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a bioplastic, is produced in nature by many bacterial species. Literature has shown that PHB can be produced using a variety of feedstocks, including glucose and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (Albuquerque et al., 2011). Since human waste contains both glucose and VFAs, it is a potentially useful feedstock for PHB production.

Our team engineered E. coli to express PHB-producing genes, which we codon-optimized to increase the efficiency of PHB production. We then modified native E. coli secretion pathways so the cells would release the PHB they produced. This allows for a continuous PHB production and secretion process, as opposed to a traditional batch process, which is not user-friendly and requires more time and maintenance. When employed together, these genetic modifications create a novel means of bioplastic production.

We also developed a start-to-finish process involving both waste management and PHB production. In the first step of this process, solid human waste is collected and fermented with naturally occurring enterogenic bacteria to increase the concentration of VFAs. As a part of this process, the solids from the waste settle and the liquid rises to the surface of the fermentation tank. Next, the VFA-concentrated liquid in the fermentation tank is separated from the solid particles by centrifugation, sterilized by filtration, and passed to a bioreactor containing our engineered PHB-producing E. coli. Once the PHB is synthesized and secreted, it can be continuously collected and extracted from the liquid stream. The resulting liquid can be recycled into drinking water, while PHB particles can be used in a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printer to generate items useful to astronauts.

This overall process is summarized below. Find more information on our Process Development page!

Works Cited

Albuquerque, M.G.E., Martino, V., Pollet, E., Avérous, L. & Reis, M.A.M. (2011). Mixed culture polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from volatile fatty acid (VFA)-rich streams: Effect of substrate composition and feeding regime on PHA productivity, composition and properties. J. Biotechnol., 151(1): 66-76

Hsu., J. (2011). Total Cost of NASA's Space Shuttle Program: Nearly $200 Billion. Space.com (Magazine). Retrieved September 17, 2017, from https://www.space.com/11358-nasa-space-shuttle-program-cost-30-years.html

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 <p>Governments and private enterprises alike are gearing up for travel across our Solar System. Plans to colonize nearby planets are underway, with Elon Musk spearheading the initiative to put a human colony on Mars by 2030. In a parallel vein, NASA is planning a manned exploratory mission to Mars as soon as the 2030s. Several other space agencies have similar plans and timelines for their own respective Mars explorations. This exciting time in our history nonetheless comes with the challenges of long-term space travel.</p>
-<p>Two ecological and economical challenges arise:</p>
+<p>Two ecological and economic challenges arise:</p>
 <ol>
 <li>the sustainable management of waste produced in space, and</li>
@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 <p><b>Waste management</b> on Mars will be paramount because manned missions will need to recover as much water and oxygen as possible to sustain life. Human waste must also be treated to minimize health risks for the crew of a Mars mission. All of this must be accomplished while preserving the natural Martian environment. </p>
-<p>The current <b>cost</b> of shipping materials up to space is <b>$10,000 USD per pound</b> due to the high price of fuel (Hsu, 2011). This expense will limit early Mars mission crews in the supplies that they can bring or ship from Earth to Mars, and may not allow astronauts to account for every tool they may require during their mission. One way to mitigate this challenge is to develop a system to produce necessary items in space as needs arise. </p><br>
+<p>The current <b>cost</b> of shipping materials up to space is <b>$10,000 USD per pound</b> due to the high price of fuel (Hsu, 2011). This expense will constrain early Mars mission crews in the supplies that they can bring or ship from Earth to Mars, and may not allow astronauts to account for every tool they may require during their mission. One way to mitigate this challenge is to develop a system to produce necessary items in space as needs arise. </p><br>
 <h2>Our Solution</h2>
-<p>Our team is working on a unique solution to both of the aforementioned challenges of future Mars missions: we intend to upcycle human waste by using it as a feedstock for <i>E. coli</i> engineered to produce bioplastic, which can then be 3-D printed into useful tools onsite.</p>
+<p>Our team is working on a unique solution to both of the aforementioned challenges of future Mars missions: we intend to upcycle human waste by using it as a feedstock for <i>E. coli</i> engineered to produce bioplastic, which can then be 3D printed into useful tools onsite.</p>
 <p>Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (<b>PHB</b>), a bioplastic, is produced in nature by many bacterial species. Literature has shown that PHB can be produced using a variety of feedstocks, including glucose and volatile fatty acids (<b>VFAs</b>) (Albuquerque <i>et al.</i>, 2011). Since human waste contains both glucose and VFAs, it is a potentially useful feedstock for PHB production.</p>
-<p>Our team engineered <i>E. coli</i> to express PHB-producing genes, which we codon-optimized to increase the efficiency of PHB production. We then modified native <i>E. coli</i> secretion pathways so the cells would release the PHB they produced. This allows for a continuous PHB production and secretion process, as opposed to a traditional batch process, which is not user-friendly and requires more time and maintenance. Thus, when employed together these genetic modifications create a novel means of bioplastic production.</p>
+<p>Our team engineered <i>E. coli</i> to express PHB-producing genes, which we codon-optimized to increase the efficiency of PHB production. We then modified native <i>E. coli</i> secretion pathways so the cells would release the PHB they produced. This allows for a continuous PHB production and secretion process, as opposed to a traditional batch process, which is not user-friendly and requires more time and maintenance. When employed together, these genetic modifications create a novel means of bioplastic production.</p>
-<p>We also developed a start-to-finish process involving both waste management and PHB production. In the first step of this process, solid human waste is collected and fermented with naturally occurring enterogenic bacteria to increase the concentration of VFAs. As a part of this process, the solids from the waste settle and the liquid rises to the surface of the fermentation tank. Next, the VFA-concentrated liquid in the fermentation tank is separated from the solid particles by centrifugation, sterilized by filtration, and passed to a bioreactor containing with our engineered PHB-producing <i>E. coli</i>. Once the PHB is synthesized and secreted, it can be continuously collected and extracted from the liquid stream. The resulting liquid can be recycled into drinking water, while PHB particles can be used in a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3-D printer to generate items useful to astronauts. </p>
+<p>We also developed a start-to-finish process involving both waste management and PHB production. In the first step of this process, solid human waste is collected and fermented with naturally occurring enterogenic bacteria to increase the concentration of VFAs. As a part of this process, the solids from the waste settle and the liquid rises to the surface of the fermentation tank. Next, the VFA-concentrated liquid in the fermentation tank is separated from the solid particles by centrifugation, sterilized by filtration, and passed to a bioreactor containing our engineered PHB-producing <i>E. coli</i>. Once the PHB is synthesized and secreted, it can be continuously collected and extracted from the liquid stream. The resulting liquid can be recycled into drinking water, while PHB particles can be used in a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 3D printer to generate items useful to astronauts. </p>
 <p>This overall process is summarized below. Find more information on our <a href="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Calgary/Process">Process Development</a> page!</p><br>
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-           x="700" y="1880" fill="#fff"
-           font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-   tag (HlyA) is fused to phasin, which binds to PHB granules.</text>
-   <text  id="text-to-resize"
-          text-anchor="middle"
-          x="700" y="1910" fill="#fff"
-          font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-  This complex is then recognized by membrane transport proteins</text>
-  <text  id="text-to-resize"
-         text-anchor="middle"
-         x="700" y="1940" fill="#fff"
-         font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
- (HlyB, HlyD, and TolC) and secreted.</text>
    </g>
@@ Line 904: / Line 859: @@
      <text
       text-anchor="middle"
-      x="700" y="1645" fill="#fff"
+      x="700" y="1640" fill="#fff"
       font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-      VFA fermentation is the first step of the process, where astronauts   </text>
+      In the next stage, the nutrient-rich liquid stream is obtained by</text>
       <text
        text-anchor="middle"
-       x="700" y="1675" fill="#fff"
+       x="700" y="1670" fill="#fff"
        font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-       feces are fermented for 3 days at 22 C with bacteria naturally found in </text>
+       separating it from solid particles. This is achieved with centrifugation</text>
      <text  id="text-to-resize"
             text-anchor="middle"
-            x="700" y="1705" fill="#fff"
+            x="700" y="1700" fill="#fff"
             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-            human feces to increase the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFAs)
+            to remove solids followed by filtration to remove any natural gut flora
      </text>
      <text  id="text-to-resize"
             text-anchor="middle"
-            x="700" y="1735" fill="#fff"
+            x="700" y="1730" fill="#fff"
             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-     that are later consumed by engineered bacteria to produce PHB. Feces
+     that may outcompete our engineered E. coli. The solid particles may
      </text>
      <text  id="text-to-resize"
             text-anchor="middle"
-            x="700" y="1765" fill="#fff"
+            x="700" y="1760" fill="#fff"
             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-      are collected into into a storage tank using a vacuum toilet before being </text>
+      be recycled later after additional processing as radiation shielding,</text>
      <text  id="text-to-resize"
             text-anchor="middle"
-            x="700" y="1795" fill="#fff"
+            x="700" y="1790" fill="#fff"
-           font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-    transferred into the VFA fermenter.</text>
-    <text  id="text-to-resize"
-           text-anchor="middle"
-           x="700" y="1825" fill="#fff"
             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-     In second stage, VFA-rich stream is obtained by separating solid </text>
+     building materials, food substrates, or stores of carbon and hydrogen.</text>
-    <text  id="text-to-resize"
-           text-anchor="middle"
-           x="700" y="1855" fill="#fff"
-           font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-    particles using centrifugation followed by filtration.  The </text>
-    <text  id="text-to-resize"
-           text-anchor="middle"
-           x="700" y="1880" fill="#fff"
-           font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-   VFA-rich stream is then passed on to a PHB fermenter.</text>
    </g>
@@ Line 957: / Line 897: @@
        <text
         text-anchor="middle"
-        x="700" y="1675" fill="#fff"
+        x="700" y="1640" fill="#fff"
         font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-        In the third stage, continuous fermentation occurs in a stirred-tank</text>
+        In this stage, continuous fermentation of the nutrient-rich stream occurs</text>
         <text
          text-anchor="middle"
-         x="700" y="1705" fill="#fff"
+         x="700" y="1670" fill="#fff"
          font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-         bioreactor at 37C and under aerobic conditions. A self-cleaning</text>
+         in a stirred-tank bioreactor inoculated with PHB-producing E. coli.</text>
        <text  id="text-to-resize"
               text-anchor="middle"
-              x="700" y="1735" fill="#fff"
+              x="700" y="1700" fill="#fff"
               font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-              filter is used to capture, separate and recycle bacteria from </text>
+              These engineered bacteria convert glucose and VFAs in the nutrient-rich</text>
        <text  id="text-to-resize"
               text-anchor="middle"
-              x="700" y="1765" fill="#fff"
+              x="700" y="1730" fill="#fff"
               font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-       the harvest containing secreted PHB, allowing for a continuous</text>
+       feedstock to PHB using the phaCBA and phaC1J4 operons, respectively.</text>
-      <text  id="text-to-resize"
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
               text-anchor="middle"
-              x="700" y="1795" fill="#fff"
+              x="700" y="1760" fill="#fff"
               font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-       fermentation process. The resulting bacteria-free harvest stream </text>
+      The resulting PHB granules are secreted from E. coli by taking</text>
-      <text  id="text-to-resize"
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
               text-anchor="middle"
-              x="700" y="1825" fill="#fff"
+              x="700" y="1790" fill="#fff"
               font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-       that contains PHB is then passed to PHB extraction and water recovery.</text>
+       advantage of its native Type I secretion pathway. A recombinant</text>
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
+             text-anchor="middle"
+             x="700" y="1820" fill="#fff"
+             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+      phasin-HlyA fusion protein was designed aid in this process. Exogenous</text>
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
+             text-anchor="middle"
+             x="700" y="1850" fill="#fff"
+             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+      phasin electrostatically binds to PHB particles, while the fused HlyA tag</text>
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
+             text-anchor="middle"
+             x="700" y="1880" fill="#fff"
+             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+      is recognized by endogenous membrane transport proteins HlyB, HlyD,</text>
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
+             text-anchor="middle"
+             x="700" y="1910" fill="#fff"
+             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+      and TolC. The PHB-phasin-HlyA unit is then secreted by these transport</text>
+<text  id="text-to-resize"
+             text-anchor="middle"
+             x="700" y="1940" fill="#fff"
+             font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+      proteins as a whole.</text>
      </g>
@@ Line 993: / Line 966: @@
          <text
           text-anchor="middle"
-          x="700" y="1675" fill="#fff"
+          x="700" y="1640" fill="#fff"
           font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-          In the final stage of the process, PHB particles are separated from</text>
+          In the final stage of the process, secreted PHB particles are</text>
           <text
            text-anchor="middle"
-           x="700" y="1705" fill="#fff"
+           x="700" y="1670" fill="#fff"
            font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-           the media via dissolved air flotation. Water oversaturated with</text>
+           separated from liquid media via dissolved air flotation. Water</text>
          <text  id="text-to-resize"
                 text-anchor="middle"
-                x="700" y="1735" fill="#fff"
+                x="700" y="1700" fill="#fff"
                 font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-                Martian air is bubbled through the media in a flotation </text>
+                oversaturated with air is bubbled through the media in a flotation</text>
          <text  id="text-to-resize"
                 text-anchor="middle"
-                x="700" y="1765" fill="#fff"
+                x="700" y="1730" fill="#fff"
                 font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-         column whereby the PHB particles float up to the top. The top</text>
+         column, allowing the PHB particles to float to the top. This upper</text>
          <text  id="text-to-resize"
                 text-anchor="middle"
-                x="700" y="1795" fill="#fff"
+                x="700" y="1760" fill="#fff"
                 font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-          layer from the flotation column is then passed into a drying unit </text>
+          phase containing PHB is then passed to a drying unit, where</text>
          <text  id="text-to-resize"
                 text-anchor="middle"
-                x="700" y="1825" fill="#fff"
+                x="700" y="1790" fill="#fff"
                 font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
-         where PHB is finally obtained in powder form, ready for 3D printing.</text>
+         moister is removed and recycled. Finally, PHB is obtained in</text>
+    <text  id="text-to-resize"
+               text-anchor="middle"
+               x="700" y="1820" fill="#fff"
+               font-family="Times New Roman" font-size="20">
+        powdered form and is ready for 3D printing.</text>
        </g>
@@ Line 1,036: / Line 1,018: @@
 </svg>
+<br> <br>
 </html>

Difference between revisions of "Team:Calgary/Description"

Latest revision as of 22:54, 31 October 2017

Our Project

The Problem

Our Solution

Works Cited