Pili⁺

Modified cell surface pili as a new vogue for bacterial bioremediation

Heavy metal ion pollutants have significant effects on local flora and fauna and their leaching has implications for human health. Current treatment methods are energetically costly and, in the case of lime dosing, environmentally detrimental. We aim to investigate E. coli type 1 pili adhesion mechanisms and repurpose the involved structures to bind heavy metal ions in water. Pili are hair-like structures found on bacteria that attach to cell surface mannose molecules, using their terminal pili protein, FimH. Our aim is to fuse a variety of metal binding proteins to the FimH protein by modification of the fimH gene. The modified bacteria will be contained in a fluidised media reactor filter system used in conjunction with a hydrocyclone to prevent GMO release. Our modular cloning strategy, allows us to develop a toolkit for a wide number of pili applications and further future developments.