Difference between revisions of "Team:Tianjin/HP/Gold Integrated"

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<p align="center">heavy metal pollution in Ganxi River</p>                   
 
<p align="center">heavy metal pollution in Ganxi River</p>                   
 
  </div>
 
  </div>
−
<p>While searching ideas of our project, some serious incidents caught in the eyes  
+
<p>While searching ideas of our project, some serious incidents caught into our eyes  
  
−
of us. One of the severe disasters is the one that happened in Hunan Province,  
+
. One of the most severe disasters was the one that happened in Hunan Province,  
  
−
China. It mainly is about the leaking of heavy metal ions in Xiangjiang River and  
+
China. It was mainly about the leaking of heavy metal ions in Xiangjiang River and  
  
 
the Huaihe River. The arsenic content of the main contaminated areas exceeded 715  
 
the Huaihe River. The arsenic content of the main contaminated areas exceeded 715  
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<p>After noticing the repeated pollution incidents, we began to do some survey to  
 
<p>After noticing the repeated pollution incidents, we began to do some survey to  
  
−
find out whether the heavy metal pollution incident is particularly prominent not  
+
find out whether the heavy metal pollution incident was particularly prominent not  
  
 
only in China but also all over the world. So we began to evaluate the meaning of  
 
only in China but also all over the world. So we began to evaluate the meaning of  
  
 
our project. First, we started from China.</p>
 
our project. First, we started from China.</p>
−
<p>We visited the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection which is the  
+
<p>We visited the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection which was the  
  
 
<b>highest environmental protection departments</b> in China. We asked them how  
 
<b>highest environmental protection departments</b> in China. We asked them how  
  
−
serious the heavy metal pollution is in China now. The Vice Minister of  
+
serious the heavy metal pollution was in China at present. The Vice Minister of  
  
 
Environmental Protection of China told us that the part of Yangtze River near the  
 
Environmental Protection of China told us that the part of Yangtze River near the  
  
−
coast, which has the water of the best quality in our seven major river systems has
+
coast, which had the water of the best quality in our seven major river systems had
  
 
been affected by heavy metal pollution including Cd, Cu and Pb. And in the 21  
 
been affected by heavy metal pollution including Cd, Cu and Pb. And in the 21  
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cities along the river, six cities' percentage of heavy metal pollution  
 
cities along the river, six cities' percentage of heavy metal pollution  
  
−
accumulation has reached 65%. </p>
+
accumulation had reached 65%. </p>
 
<h3>Set up an alliance</h3>
 
<h3>Set up an alliance</h3>
 
<p>Since serious pollution problems had brought up, we decided to do something. To  
 
<p>Since serious pollution problems had brought up, we decided to do something. To  
  
−
gather all the forces together for more information and more power, we established  
+
gather all the forces together for more information and power, we established  
  
−
the China Heavy Metal Pollution Research and Investigation Alliance, which consists
+
the China Heavy Metal Pollution Research and Investigation Alliance, which consisted
  
 
of SJTU / SCUT / XMU / UCAS / JLU /FAFU.</p>
 
of SJTU / SCUT / XMU / UCAS / JLU /FAFU.</p>
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−
<p>Those are teams that involved in researchers about water pollution or heavy  
+
<p>Those were teams that involved in researchers about water pollution or heavy  
  
 
metal pollution treatment in China. We discussed ideas and achievements of our own  
 
metal pollution treatment in China. We discussed ideas and achievements of our own  
  
−
teams together, and we hope to build a database by cooperating with each other,  
+
teams together, and we hoped to build a database by cooperating with each other,  
  
 
which contains data of heavy metal pollution </p>
 
which contains data of heavy metal pollution </p>
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             <div class="centered-y">
 
             <div class="centered-y">
 
                 <h2>Brazil</h2>
 
                 <h2>Brazil</h2>
−
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent Brazilian soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in Brazil have a high and even very high concentration.</p>
+
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent Brazilian soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in Brazil have a high and even extremely high concentration.</p>
 
             </div>
 
             </div>
 
         </div>
 
         </div>
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             <div class="centered-y">
 
             <div class="centered-y">
 
                 <h2>Africa</h2>
 
                 <h2>Africa</h2>
−
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent African soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in Africa have a high and even very high concentration.</p>
+
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent African soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in Africa have a high and even extremely high concentration.</p>
 
             </div>
 
             </div>
 
         </div>
 
         </div>
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             <div class="centered-y">
 
             <div class="centered-y">
 
                 <h2>India</h2>
 
                 <h2>India</h2>
−
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent Indian soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in India have a high and even very high concentration.</p>
+
                 <p>We get data from web of science, so it cannot represent Indian soil copper concentration comprehensively. Seen form the data got from web of science, many regions in India have a high and even extemely high concentration.</p>
 
             </div>
 
             </div>
 
         </div>
 
         </div>
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             <div class="centered-y">
 
             <div class="centered-y">
 
                 <h2>China</h2>
 
                 <h2>China</h2>
−
                 <p>Seen form the data got from Team Jianchao Li, Shaanxi Normal University, when the copper concentration is general low or moderate, some regions have high and even very high concentration when compared to the world. </p>
+
                 <p>Seen form the data got from Team Jianchao Li, Shaanxi Normal University, when the copper concentration is general low or moderate, some regions have high and even extremely high concentration when compared to the world. </p>
 
             </div>
 
             </div>
 
         </div>
 
         </div>
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<p>At the same time we would like to be able to play our own efforts to hold some  
 
<p>At the same time we would like to be able to play our own efforts to hold some  
  
−
science popularization activities, which aims to attach importance to the issue of  
+
science popularization activities, which aimed to attach importance to the issue of  
  
 
heavy metal pollution. In order to be able to make a real and effective database  
 
heavy metal pollution. In order to be able to make a real and effective database  
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<p>According to the results provided by the database, by using the alliance’s forces, we speared the questionnaire designed by us about the situation of heavy metal pollution throughout the country, and in the end, we received nearly 1,000 replies.</p>
 
<p>According to the results provided by the database, by using the alliance’s forces, we speared the questionnaire designed by us about the situation of heavy metal pollution throughout the country, and in the end, we received nearly 1,000 replies.</p>
 
<h3>Consultation in many ways</h3>
 
<h3>Consultation in many ways</h3>
−
<p>In this situation, we consulted Professor Qu Hongyan who works at the School of  
+
<p>In this situation, we consulted Professor Qu Hongyan who worked at the School of  
  
 
Environmental Sciences at Tianjin University. He told us that the study of heavy  
 
Environmental Sciences at Tianjin University. He told us that the study of heavy  
  
−
metal removal from groundwater is a very important subject that still needs to be  
+
metal removal from groundwater was a very important subject that still needed to be  
  
−
studied. It is of great value to use micro-organisms in heavy metal removal. So we  
+
studied. It was of great value to use micro-organisms in heavy metal removal. So we  
  
 
decided to focus our project on heavy metal treatment and on treatments of cadmium  
 
decided to focus our project on heavy metal treatment and on treatments of cadmium  
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and copper due Severity of pollution. Then, we learned that recently the heavy  
 
and copper due Severity of pollution. Then, we learned that recently the heavy  
  
−
a metal deposition research center in Hunan has made a great breakthrough. So we held  
+
a metal deposition research center in Hunan had made a great breakthrough. So we held  
  
 
a telephone conference to communicate with their technical teacher. During the  
 
a telephone conference to communicate with their technical teacher. During the  
  
−
conference, we asked the current situation about heavy metal pollution, and consult
+
conference, we asked the current situation about heavy metal pollution, and consulted
  
−
their approach to chromium ions sedimentation. That is turning high-valent chromium  
+
their approach to chromium ions sedimentation. That was turning high-valent chromium  
  
 
into low-valent chromium to reduce toxicity. This inspired us to think about if  
 
into low-valent chromium to reduce toxicity. This inspired us to think about if  
  
−
there is any better way to completely settle the chrome ions from the water.</p>
+
there was any better way to completely settle the chrome ions from the water.</p>
 
<div id="two" name="two"></div>
 
<div id="two" name="two"></div>
  
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factory</h2>
 
factory</h2>
−
<p>Because our experiment needs to design for the actual problem in our life, at  
+
<p>Because our experiment needed to design for the actual problem in our life, at  
  
 
the start, we left school for Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory  factory in Shanxi Province and  
 
the start, we left school for Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory  factory in Shanxi Province and  
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<script  type="text/javascript" src="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Tianjin/Resources/JS:photo?action=raw&ctype=text/javascript"></script>  
 
<script  type="text/javascript" src="https://2017.igem.org/Team:Tianjin/Resources/JS:photo?action=raw&ctype=text/javascript"></script>  
 
</div>
 
</div>
−
<p>The Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory mainly produces copper and cadmium ion while the  
+
<p>The Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory mainly produceed waste water that contained copper and cadmium ions while the  
  
−
electric drill factory mainly produces cadmium and nickel. They proposed that  
+
electric drill factory mainly produceed cadmium and nickel ions. They proposed that  
  
−
different heavy metals are treated by different methods. 90% of the treatment is
+
different heavy metals were treated by different methods. Nearly 90% of the treatment was
  
−
chemical methods while 10% is biological methods. But most of the  time, in order to  
+
chemical methods while 10% was biological methods. But most of the  time, in order to  
  
−
deal with that two kinds of heavy metals, some factories tend to use simple and  
+
deal with that two kinds of heavy metals, some factories tended to use simple and  
  
−
quick ways which can be harmful to the environment.</p>
+
quick ways which could be harmful to the environment.</p>
  
 
<div style=" padding-bottom:5%">
 
<div style=" padding-bottom:5%">
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  </div>
 
  </div>
−
<p>And some of the factories directly choose to only deal with one kind of the  
+
<p>And some factories directly choosed to only deal with one kind of the  
  
−
heavy metals that has a larger amount, then abandon another kind of heavy metal  
+
heavy metals that had a larger amount, then abandoned another kind of heavy metal  
  
 
without treatment. Based on the current situation that the treatment for a variety  
 
without treatment. Based on the current situation that the treatment for a variety  
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leader Zhang Yihao from Peking team of Peking University. They expressed a keen  
 
leader Zhang Yihao from Peking team of Peking University. They expressed a keen  
  
−
interest in our team's mating switcher, and pointed out the defects of our  
+
interest on our team's mating switcher, and pointed out the defects of our  
  
−
experiment: 1. How can we improve the specificity of yeast to absorb heavy metals?  
+
experiment: 1. How could we improve the specificity of yeast to absorb heavy metals?  
  
 
2. How to separate these two metals?</p>
 
2. How to separate these two metals?</p>
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<p>With some problems to solve, we went to the domestic sewage treatment plant of  
 
<p>With some problems to solve, we went to the domestic sewage treatment plant of  
  
−
Wugang City, Henan Province. The processing plant is representative, but we found  
+
Wugang City, Henan Province. The processing plant was representative, but we found  
  
 
that as a demonstration unit of the sewage treatment plant, they did not detect  
 
that as a demonstration unit of the sewage treatment plant, they did not detect  
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heavy metal ions usually. Only when the heavy metal content exceeded standard  
 
heavy metal ions usually. Only when the heavy metal content exceeded standard  
  
−
emissions, the information can be transferred to the Environmental Protection  
+
emissions, the information could be transferred to the Environmental Protection  
  
−
Agency. Thus, there exist two problems. 1.Domestic sewage treatment plant does not  
+
Agency. Thus, there existed two problems. 1.Domestic sewage treatment plant did not  
  
 
have its own set of a detection system. 2. Once the heavy metal content exceeded,  
 
have its own set of a detection system. 2. Once the heavy metal content exceeded,  
  
−
there is no corresponding solution.</p>
+
there was no corresponding solution.</p>
  
  
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−
<p>At the same time we were told that mixed bacteria is mainly used in the process  
+
<p>At the same time we were told that mixed bacteria was mainly used in the process  
  
−
of the treatment of domestic sewage, so we hope that we can have a chance to be  
+
of the treatment of domestic sewage. Therefore, we hope that we can have a chance to be  
  
 
able to put our yeast into the bacteria to treat sewage, which requires a  
 
able to put our yeast into the bacteria to treat sewage, which requires a  
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gene route, so that when the content of copper is higher than the standard, the  
 
gene route, so that when the content of copper is higher than the standard, the  
  
−
gene route can start.We This method call it RFP detection.</p>
+
gene route can start.This method call it RFP detection.</p>
 
<h3>Tolerance issues: steel companies</h3>
 
<h3>Tolerance issues: steel companies</h3>
 
<p>Next, with our own ideas, we communicated with technical staffs from the  
 
<p>Next, with our own ideas, we communicated with technical staffs from the  
Line 787: Line 787:
 
Central Building's are produced in this company). They led us to visit their cycle  
 
Central Building's are produced in this company). They led us to visit their cycle  
  
−
industrial wastewater treatment equipment, and they told us that generally the  
+
industrial waste water treatment equipment, and they told us that generally the  
  
−
industrial wastewater is discharged to a sewage pool at first, then they will carry  
+
industrial wastewater was discharged to a sewage pool at first, then they would carry  
  
−
out the treatment of heavy metal ions. General strain can not tolerant such heavy  
+
out the treatment of heavy metal ions. General strain could not tolerant such heavy  
  
−
metal content in industrial sewage, and the treatment using microbial requires
+
metal content in industrial sewage, and the treatment using microbial required
  
 
oxygen and nutritional conditions. Therefore, we plan to improve the tolerance of  
 
oxygen and nutritional conditions. Therefore, we plan to improve the tolerance of  
  
−
yeast and we proposed that if Our strains can meet the requirements, they are
+
yeast and they agreed that if our strains could meet the requirements, they were
  
 
willing to make their sewage pool be our first batch of test.</p>
 
willing to make their sewage pool be our first batch of test.</p>
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<p>Improving the growth of yeast in high concentrations of heavy metal ions is the  
 
<p>Improving the growth of yeast in high concentrations of heavy metal ions is the  
  
−
a key part of the application in production. We chose the cre-loxp system to rapidly  
+
a key part of the application in production. We choose the cre-loxp system to rapidly  
  
 
evolve <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> to improve its resistance to copper and cadmium  
 
evolve <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> to improve its resistance to copper and cadmium  
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also be translocated. Based on artificial synthetic chromosome No.5 and No. 10, we  
 
also be translocated. Based on artificial synthetic chromosome No.5 and No. 10, we  
  
−
used the loxpsym site inserted between the genes of the chromosome to turn on the  
+
use the loxpsym site inserted between the genes of the chromosome to turn on the  
  
 
recombination system through the cre enzyme. The difference between the loxpsym  
 
recombination system through the cre enzyme. The difference between the loxpsym  
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Shanxi Province, hoping to find the source of pollution and deal with the pollution  
 
Shanxi Province, hoping to find the source of pollution and deal with the pollution  
  
−
from there. Their staffs told us that the main way of emissions in China is now
+
from there. Their staffs told us that the main way of emissions in China was at present
  
 
through the discharging to the tailings.</p>
 
through the discharging to the tailings.</p>
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<p>We contacted the Shanxi Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau, the staffs  
 
<p>We contacted the Shanxi Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau, the staffs  
  
−
are very supportive of our ideas, so they sent a full-time staff to lead us to  
+
were very supportive of our ideas, so they sent a full-time staff to lead us to  
  
−
Shanxi's largest copper mine, where we understand the existence of tailings. The  
+
Shanxi's largest copper mine, where we understood the existence of tailings. The  
  
−
Tailings is a place that collects the sewage especially. Because of the high cost and  
+
Tailings was a place that collects the sewage especially. Because of the high cost and  
  
−
a long period of treatment, the EPA generally does not deal with it. However, it can
+
a long period of treatment, the EPA generally did not deal with it. However, it could
  
 
be harmful to the environment. So we hope that in the future we can utilize our  
 
be harmful to the environment. So we hope that in the future we can utilize our  
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to the heavy metal processing company to treat the pollution. At the same time we  
 
to the heavy metal processing company to treat the pollution. At the same time we  
  
−
were informed that if the tailings is handled properly, there will be chances to  
+
were informed that if the tailings is handled properly, there would be chances to  
  
−
create a huge wealth by re-extract the heavy metal here. We gave them a suggestion  
+
create a huge wealth by re-extract the heavy metal here. We gave them the suggestion  
  
−
that they are supposed to consider withdrawing the water from the tailings  
+
that they were supposed to consider withdrawing the water from the tailings  
  
 
reservoir and using our <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> to handle the heavy metals  
 
reservoir and using our <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> to handle the heavy metals  
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<div id="four" name="four"></div>
 
<div id="four" name="four"></div>
 
<h2>Multi - party communication and self – examination</h2>
 
<h2>Multi - party communication and self – examination</h2>
−
<p>We also participated in the Fourth CCiC conference. At the meeting, we exchange
+
<p>We also participated in the Fourth CCiC conference. At the meeting, we exchanged
  
−
our ideas and share our experiment with other teams, and received questions raised  
+
our ideas and shared our experiment with other teams, and received questions raised  
  
−
by them: 1. Whether the synthetic yeast will mate with natural yeast after  
+
by them: 1. Whether the synthetic yeast would mate with natural yeast after  
  
−
delivered in nature, which results in gene integration. 2. It will be better If we  
+
delivered in nature, which resulted in gene integration. 2. It would be better if we  
  
−
can make the original copper detection switching device switch on and off  
+
could make the original copper detection switching device switch on and off  
  
 
automatically according to the concentration of copper ions.</p>
 
automatically according to the concentration of copper ions.</p>
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<h2>How we affect the world</h2>
 
<h2>How we affect the world</h2>
−
<p>Human practice is about how the world affects us, but also about how our project affects the world, so it is quite important that we expand the scope of our influence and make a real difference. So we put major effort in responding the society. We aimed to make some economic benefit through our project to prove that our project has potential to invest. We also aimed to promote our project ideas in the places that need our ideas. Although our ideas haven’t been able to be applied to real processing system right away, we hope to promote our ideas and influence the world as much as we can.</p>
+
<p>Human practice is about how the world affects us, but also about how our project affects the world, so it is quite important that we expand the scope of our influence and make a real difference. So we put major effort in responding the society. We aim to make some economic benefits through our project to prove that our project has potential to invest. We also aim to promote our project ideas in the places that need our ideas. Although our ideas haven’t been able to be applied to real processing system right away, we hope to promote our ideas and influence the world as much as we can.</p>
  
 
<h3>Get an investment of nearly 100,000 RMB</h3>
 
<h3>Get an investment of nearly 100,000 RMB</h3>
−
<p>we talked with the leaders of these companies about our project, we contact some influential biological companies. At first, which aims to solve the heavy metal pollution problem in our planet. And then they showed extremely interests to our project and decided to help us with some money and biological reagent so that we can carry out our project more smoothly. In the end, we have raised 80 thousand RMB in all and biological reagent costs ten thousand RMB. </p>
+
<p>we talked with the leaders of these companies about our project, we contacted some influential biological companies. At first, which aimed to solve the heavy metal pollution problems in our planet. And then they showed extremely high interests to our project and decided to help us by donating some money and biological reagents so that we could carry out our project more smoothly. In the end, we had raised 80 thousand RMB in all and biological reagents cost ten thousand RMB. </p>
  
 
<h3>First trial station</h3>
 
<h3>First trial station</h3>
−
<p>Besides, we also kept a close contact with the EPA in a various province in order to know more about the policies and situation of heavy metal pollution. They all answered our questions enthusiastically，and said to us that if we need any help they can offer, they would not be hesitant to help us. And every time we finished a small section, we would contact with them to discuss whether it is feasible in policy. </p>
+
<p>Besides, we also kept a close contact with the EPA in a various province in order to know more about the policies and situation of heavy metal pollution. They all answered our questions enthusiastically，and told us that if we needed any help they could offer, they would not be hesitant to help us. And every time we finished a small section, we would contact with them to discuss whether it is feasible in policy. </p>
  
 
<h3>Long-term partner</h3>
 
<h3>Long-term partner</h3>
−
<p>What is more, we also had a talk with heavy metal treatment company to know more about the recent technology of settling down the heavy metal so that we can know what we should do to make it more perfect for the environment. They said that our total project is extraordinary because we use genetically modified strains to settle down heavy metal, which solves the problem that these strains cannot survive in water containing so much heavy metal and they said that they would be willing to use our method to remove heavy metal from water when our project reaches more mature.</p>
+
<p>What' s more, we also had a talk with heavy metal treatment company to know more about the recent technology of settling down the heavy metal so that we could know what we should do to make it more suitable for the environment. They said that our total project was extraordinary because we used genetically modified strains to settle down heavy metal, which solved the problem that these strains could not survive in water containing so many heavy metal ions and they said that they would be willing to use our method to remove heavy metal from water when our project reaches more mature.</p>
  
  

Revision as of 15:19, 31 October 2017

/* OVERRIDE IGEM SETTINGS */

Integrated HP

Inspiration

leaking of heavy metal ions in Xiangjiang River

heavy metal pollution in Ganxi River

While searching ideas of our project, some serious incidents caught into our eyes . One of the most severe disasters was the one that happened in Hunan Province, China. It was mainly about the leaking of heavy metal ions in Xiangjiang River and the Huaihe River. The arsenic content of the main contaminated areas exceeded 715 times at maximum and the Cd^(2+) content exceeded 206 times at maximum.

In thirty-six Bay mining area of Chenzhou, Hunan Province, arsenic content of Guanxi River sediment exceeded 715.73 times. In Ganxi village’s paddy field, Cd^ (2+) content exceeded 206.67 times. The highest content of Pb^(2+) in paddy field reached to 1527.8mg / kg (that is per kilogram containing 1.5 grams), exceeding 5.093 times.

Looking for help from Government

After noticing the repeated pollution incidents, we began to do some survey to find out whether the heavy metal pollution incident was particularly prominent not only in China but also all over the world. So we began to evaluate the meaning of our project. First, we started from China.

We visited the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection which was the highest environmental protection departments in China. We asked them how serious the heavy metal pollution was in China at present. The Vice Minister of Environmental Protection of China told us that the part of Yangtze River near the coast, which had the water of the best quality in our seven major river systems had been affected by heavy metal pollution including Cd, Cu and Pb. And in the 21 cities along the river, six cities' percentage of heavy metal pollution accumulation had reached 65%.

Set up an alliance

Since serious pollution problems had brought up, we decided to do something. To gather all the forces together for more information and power, we established the China Heavy Metal Pollution Research and Investigation Alliance, which consisted of SJTU / SCUT / XMU / UCAS / JLU /FAFU.


Online conference of the China Heavy Metal Pollution Research and Investigation Alliance

Those were teams that involved in researchers about water pollution or heavy metal pollution treatment in China. We discussed ideas and achievements of our own teams together, and we hoped to build a database by cooperating with each other, which contains data of heavy metal pollution

The pollution of copper worldwide

The pollution of cadmium worldwide

From the pollution map we can see the following:
1 The pollution in Asia, Africa, and Latin America is more serious in the United States and Europe: Although we don’t have comprehensive data for Africa and Latin America, but still can find this phenomenon.
2, the distribution of pollution is not uniform or normal, but most of the region at a good level of the environment at the same time, there are some serious polluted areas.
3, many countries and regions are still lack of investigation of copper and cadmium pollution and supervision, so there may be more areas of serious copper and cadmium pollution.
4, for our project, our work is of high social value, on the one hand, for the existence of the world's serious copper and cadmium pollution situation, our the project can provide a viable solution and ideas. On the one hand, while some areas are seriously polluted, other regions even ignore the investigation of copper and cadmium pollution. Our projects can, to a certain extent, contribute to the attention of these countries for copper and cadmium pollution
Through the mapping of copper and cadmium pollution in the world, we understand the pollution of copper and cadmium around the world, but because of constraints of our team’s human resourse and time, the world copper and cadmium pollution map has a lot of room for improvement, we sincerely hope and welcome other teams to participate in this work.

At the same time we would like to be able to play our own efforts to hold some science popularization activities, which aimed to attach importance to the issue of heavy metal pollution. In order to be able to make a real and effective database containing heavy metal pollution data around the world, we also launched an invitation on the official website of collaboration called for more iGEM teams to join our alliance or to provide some data and information. As a result, we received mails from iGEM EXETER, iGEM CSMU X NCHU TAIWAN and Nazarbayev University, and Exeter provided us with European data and shared their own protocol with us.

E-mails sent by iGEM EXETER and Nazarbayev University

Besides, CSMU X NCHU TAIWAN provided us with statistical information on heavy metal pollution in Taiwan and listed the major pollution incidents in Taiwan in recent years for us.


e-mail sent by CSMU X NCHU TAIWAN.


e-mail sent by CSMU X NCHU TAIWAN.

According to the results provided by the database, by using the alliance’s forces, we speared the questionnaire designed by us about the situation of heavy metal pollution throughout the country, and in the end, we received nearly 1,000 replies.

Consultation in many ways

In this situation, we consulted Professor Qu Hongyan who worked at the School of Environmental Sciences at Tianjin University. He told us that the study of heavy metal removal from groundwater was a very important subject that still needed to be studied. It was of great value to use micro-organisms in heavy metal removal. So we decided to focus our project on heavy metal treatment and on treatments of cadmium and copper due Severity of pollution. Then, we learned that recently the heavy a metal deposition research center in Hunan had made a great breakthrough. So we held a telephone conference to communicate with their technical teacher. During the conference, we asked the current situation about heavy metal pollution, and consulted their approach to chromium ions sedimentation. That was turning high-valent chromium into low-valent chromium to reduce toxicity. This inspired us to think about if there was any better way to completely settle the chrome ions from the water.

Searching the source of pollution: Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory , electric drill factory

Because our experiment needed to design for the actual problem in our life, at the start, we left school for Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory factory in Shanxi Province and electric drill factory in Henan Province.

The Zhongtiao Mountain Heavy Mental Factory mainly produceed waste water that contained copper and cadmium ions while the electric drill factory mainly produceed cadmium and nickel ions. They proposed that different heavy metals were treated by different methods. Nearly 90% of the treatment was chemical methods while 10% was biological methods. But most of the time, in order to deal with that two kinds of heavy metals, some factories tended to use simple and quick ways which could be harmful to the environment.

Waste liquid from chemical treatment

And some factories directly choosed to only deal with one kind of the heavy metals that had a larger amount, then abandoned another kind of heavy metal without treatment. Based on the current situation that the treatment for a variety of heavy metals are not well developed, the issue of how to deal with a variety of heavy metals contained in polluted water has been considered as the primary problem, we hope to use a bacterium to collected two metals separately in different periods.

In order to deal with this problem, we put forward to a method named mating switcher, using the natural function of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We hope to use the gender transition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to realize the transition of function so we can settle different kinds of heavy metal step by step.

Seek advice by communication with other teams

After those surveys, we had a meeting with Professor Zhang Haoqian and the leader Zhang Yihao from Peking team of Peking University. They expressed a keen interest on our team's mating switcher, and pointed out the defects of our experiment: 1. How could we improve the specificity of yeast to absorb heavy metals? 2. How to separate these two metals?


Photo taken by Professor Zhang Haoqian、 the leader Zhang Yihao from Peking team of Peking University and TianJin iGEM.

Detection problems: domestic sewage treatment plant

With some problems to solve, we went to the domestic sewage treatment plant of Wugang City, Henan Province. The processing plant was representative, but we found that as a demonstration unit of the sewage treatment plant, they did not detect heavy metal ions usually. Only when the heavy metal content exceeded standard emissions, the information could be transferred to the Environmental Protection Agency. Thus, there existed two problems. 1.Domestic sewage treatment plant did not have its own set of a detection system. 2. Once the heavy metal content exceeded, there was no corresponding solution.

At the same time we were told that mixed bacteria was mainly used in the process of the treatment of domestic sewage. Therefore, we hope that we can have a chance to be able to put our yeast into the bacteria to treat sewage, which requires a detector.

To solve this problem, we should come up with a method that allow people test the content of heavy metal and when the components are higher than the standard, the settling process can be started. So we put promoter induced by copper into our gene route, so that when the content of copper is higher than the standard, the gene route can start.This method call it RFP detection.

Tolerance issues: steel companies

Next, with our own ideas, we communicated with technical staffs from the pollution department of Hebei Iron and Steel Group Wugang company, Henan Province. (China's first base of thick steel plate production and scientific research. The main bearing frame of The Nest, Chongqing Chaotianmen Bridge and The Shanghai Central Building's are produced in this company). They led us to visit their cycle industrial waste water treatment equipment, and they told us that generally the industrial wastewater was discharged to a sewage pool at first, then they would carry out the treatment of heavy metal ions. General strain could not tolerant such heavy metal content in industrial sewage, and the treatment using microbial required oxygen and nutritional conditions. Therefore, we plan to improve the tolerance of yeast and they agreed that if our strains could meet the requirements, they were willing to make their sewage pool be our first batch of test.

However, the tolerance of natural yeast to copper ions and cadmium ions conditions cannot be able to put into production. Improving the tolerance and competitiveness of yeast to heavy metals is a necessary condition for our project.

Improving the growth of yeast in high concentrations of heavy metal ions is the a key part of the application in production. We choose the cre-loxp system to rapidly evolve Saccharomyces cerevisiae to improve its resistance to copper and cadmium ions. The cre-loxp system utilizes the cre enzyme and the loxp site on the chromosome to cause the gene to be replicated, inverted, displaced and deleted, which is semi-rational changing of the chromosome structure. The modification of the gene depends on the direction of the loxp site. When in the same direction, the gene between sites will be deleted. On the contrary when in the reverse direction, the gene in the locus will flip. The genes located on different chromosomes may also be translocated. Based on artificial synthetic chromosome No.5 and No. 10, we use the loxpsym site inserted between the genes of the chromosome to turn on the recombination system through the cre enzyme. The difference between the loxpsym locus and the traditional loxp site is that the special palindromic structure of loxpsym locus will cause the possible structural changes of chromosomes. The strains with the high concentration of metal ions will be selected under different concentrations of metal ions. So that the biological treatment of heavy metal pollution is more feasible.

Cooperate with the government and the Environmental Protection Agency

Visit the tailing in ShanXi Province

In the end, we brought our results to an iron ore factory belongs to Anshan Iron and Steel Group in Henan Province and Zhongtiaoshan Nonferrous Metal Company in Shanxi Province, hoping to find the source of pollution and deal with the pollution from there. Their staffs told us that the main way of emissions in China was at present through the discharging to the tailings.

We contacted the Shanxi Provincial Environmental Protection Bureau, the staffs were very supportive of our ideas, so they sent a full-time staff to lead us to Shanxi's largest copper mine, where we understood the existence of tailings. The Tailings was a place that collects the sewage especially. Because of the high cost and a long period of treatment, the EPA generally did not deal with it. However, it could be harmful to the environment. So we hope that in the future we can utilize our yeast here.

Tailings deal with heavy metals by means of physical filtration. The processing intensity is not enough and there also exists harm to the environment. Generally the Environmental Protection Agency will take over the pollution, then outsource it to the heavy metal processing company to treat the pollution. At the same time we were informed that if the tailings is handled properly, there would be chances to create a huge wealth by re-extract the heavy metal here. We gave them the suggestion that they were supposed to consider withdrawing the water from the tailings reservoir and using our Saccharomyces cerevisiae to handle the heavy metals remaining in the tailings reservoir. At the same time, we consulted the Beijing, Shanxi, Henan Environmental Protection Bureau and their counterparts in the outsourcing company, Zhongke Dingshi Non-ferrous Metal Company. This company had a nice response on our results and they are willing to be our first test point if our experiment reached the point of maturity.

Multi - party communication and self – examination

We also participated in the Fourth CCiC conference. At the meeting, we exchanged our ideas and shared our experiment with other teams, and received questions raised by them: 1. Whether the synthetic yeast would mate with natural yeast after delivered in nature, which resulted in gene integration. 2. It would be better if we could make the original copper detection switching device switch on and off automatically according to the concentration of copper ions.

take part in the Fourth CCiC conference.

take part in the Fourth CCiC conference.

How we affect the world

Human practice is about how the world affects us, but also about how our project affects the world, so it is quite important that we expand the scope of our influence and make a real difference. So we put major effort in responding the society. We aim to make some economic benefits through our project to prove that our project has potential to invest. We also aim to promote our project ideas in the places that need our ideas. Although our ideas haven’t been able to be applied to real processing system right away, we hope to promote our ideas and influence the world as much as we can.

Get an investment of nearly 100,000 RMB

we talked with the leaders of these companies about our project, we contacted some influential biological companies. At first, which aimed to solve the heavy metal pollution problems in our planet. And then they showed extremely high interests to our project and decided to help us by donating some money and biological reagents so that we could carry out our project more smoothly. In the end, we had raised 80 thousand RMB in all and biological reagents cost ten thousand RMB.

First trial station

Besides, we also kept a close contact with the EPA in a various province in order to know more about the policies and situation of heavy metal pollution. They all answered our questions enthusiastically，and told us that if we needed any help they could offer, they would not be hesitant to help us. And every time we finished a small section, we would contact with them to discuss whether it is feasible in policy.

Long-term partner

What' s more, we also had a talk with heavy metal treatment company to know more about the recent technology of settling down the heavy metal so that we could know what we should do to make it more suitable for the environment. They said that our total project was extraordinary because we used genetically modified strains to settle down heavy metal, which solved the problem that these strains could not survive in water containing so many heavy metal ions and they said that they would be willing to use our method to remove heavy metal from water when our project reaches more mature.