Team:UNC-Asheville/HP/Gold Integrated

Human Practices

Checking ourselves before we wreck ourselves.

---

The Onus of Responsibility.
Are we actually helping? Should we be trying at all?

What we are attempting to do at its core is to set things back to the way they were before Trichloroethylene was dumped in the environment. However, we can't simply just remove it from the system. To make it so it's actually safe for people to return to their homes and live on their land safely, some other change has to occur.

The introduction of modified bacteria to remediate the environment is a solution that has myriad chances to affect the environment and those self-same people negatively.

What can we do to make sure what we do is actually for the benefit of everyone involved?

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the movement of genetic information between organisms, a process that includes the spread of antibiotic resistance genes among bacteria (except for those from parent to offspring), fueling pathogen evolution.
   -"Horizontal Gene Transfer", Alita Burmeister, Ph.D.

Introducing modified bacteria to the environment can have negaitive consequences. The possibility of passing on or amplifiying antibiotic resistance brings a myriad of health concerns to the table. There are a number of solutions possible, though these bring with them their own drawbacks to the efficacy of the project.[ASK NICK]