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| | <h2>TEAM: SVA/NYC iGEM </h2> | | <h2>TEAM: SVA/NYC iGEM </h2> |
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| − | <p>The recent trend in urban gardening is reaching out to all five boroughs in New York City. From the Bronx to Staten Island, to Queens and Brooklyn in addition to Manhattan island, grow-it-yourself has become a phenomenon. From the backyard garden to the rooftop farm, from the family plot to commercial fields-- New Yorkers of all ages have taken up the quest for edible and ornamental greenery.</p> | + | <p>content</p> |
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| − | <p>Whereas some sustainable systems employing hydroponics are already in place, our project concentrates on the down and dirty, the traditional crust of the earth, so to speak, soil. Farmers traditionally test their soil to produce yield. By analyzing the soil's constituent elements, a farmer can determine levels of nutrients, from trace minerals to hard core ammonia or nitrates, and adjust accordingly to optimize growth for different species of plants. The home gardener, on the other hand is not dealing in acres but in relatively small size areas.</p>
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| − | <p>What is soil and what separates it from dirt? Although generally looked upon by ordinary citizens as a static material substance, soil is in fact alive. As the uppermost layer of our planet, soil is a combination of the remains of living materials as well as particles of clay and rock, microbes and organisms. There are many constituent types of soil consisting of humus, topsoil, sand and silt to finally bedrock. Soil's ability to support life makes it a necessary resource for life.</p>
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| − | <p>However due to changing weather conditions, waste runoff and deforestation, soil can become contaminated by toxins and/or its nutrients can become depleted. The testing of soil is especially important for the home gardener, taking into consideration issues of health for the individual and planet alike. Taking a clue from the tests field technicians perform on soil samples, Soiled utilizes color as a metric for examination. Such sampling can yield the concentration and presence of certain chemicals vital to optimal growth conditions. These chemicals tend to be inexpensive inorganic and organic salts which react with the molecules in question thus altering the initial color and intensity of the solution.</p>
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| − | <p>However, most of these test chemicals are also toxic. Since urban gardens are sprouting up in various cities across the United States in addition to the greater New York City metropolis, Soiled brings to the foreground, the necessity of public awareness concerning these matters. Our project concentrates on the greater New York environs encompassing rooftop gardens, former factory sites as well as backyard biology in the way in which everyday citizens are turning towards planting gardens for food and delight. Many citizens assume that their little back yard is a "clean" place well suited for planting vegetables and flowers. However, this may or may not be the case. Soil, like history itself, tells tales of what is no longer present to the naked eye. It is the goal of our project to provide a necessary tool for the home gardener.</p>
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| − | <p>We propose the construction of a device which can easily display, the chemical composition of a sample of soil through color as a marker denoting nutrient value.. Our device will utilize biological means to detect such nutrient value, ideally replacing the need for harmful chemicals in on-site testing. By manufacturing a microfluidic device, harmful materials will be minimized, effectively preventing the user’s and the environment’s exposure to high risk chemicals. The device’s increased portability is a major bonus that enables its design to be integrated with compatible technologies. For example, by devising custom software and modifying our microfluidic device, it could be utilized as a phone case and applied over the camera of an iPhone--or other mobile hardware--enabling the "color data" to be captured and measured without human error. This data could then be instantly uploaded to provide more accurate feedback.</p>
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| − | <p>Students begin with the three most important elements of soils: Nitrogen, Potassium, and Phosphorus. Students will then research other published methodologies for detecting other molecules of interest not just the ones included in the La Motte Kit. These chemicals include but are not limited to: </p>
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| − | <li>Heavy Metals (Arsenic, Lead, Mercury) </li>
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| − | <li>Nitrites/Nitrates (Industrial Runoff, Fertilizer) </li>
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| − | <p>The physical manifestation of our project will take the form of a Bio Art installation. Various graphic charts, Petri dishes, pedestals, light sources and color-aid papers form a cohesive aesthetic experience, one in keeping with the parameters of "new media" art. As an example of Bio Art, this installation captures what can be termed the "cultural Imaginary", a term to describe the hopes and fears of the general public with regard to altering nature. The data collected from the soil tests will be of scientific value uploaded to an open source repository of scientific information and may be a useful contribution to the global ecological conversation. Samples will be taken from many sites across New York City and a geographic color chart will be produced representing the chemical composition of the earth throughout parts of the city. Sample data will then be analyzed over time to determine nutrient accumulation and soil depletion. </p>
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| − | <p>The list of available chemical tests will only be limited by the depth and breadth of current research publications available and the hazard ratings of the chemicals utilized in the analysis. Some tests within the La Motte Kit contain chemicals not suitable for use due to inherent chemical hazards but alternatives may be available. The bulk of all industrial tests, including biomedical assays, rely on changes in color for their data. Therefore one can safely assume that many potential tests are within the scope and means of the BioArt Lab at SVA/NYC. </p>
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