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Project Description

Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 is an important microorganism in bioremediation due to its diverse respiratory capabilities. It is a dissmilatory metal reducing bacterium. Being facultative organism, it has the ability to adapt the both aerobic and anaerobic environments as well as utilise a number of toxic compounds such as manganese and uranium. It does this by accepting electrons, which enables Shewanella oneidensis to have the potential to produce electricity. It is a specific pathway, known as the Mtr pathway which is involved in the accepting of electrons which then carries a potential electrical charge.

The Mtr pathway consists of the following five genes- OmcA- an outer membrane decahaeme cytochrome c MtrC- an outer membrane decahaeme cytochrome c MtrA- a periplasmic dechaeme cytochrome c Mtr B- a transmembrane porin which stabilises interaction between Mtr A and C CymA-an inner membrane tetrahaeme cytochrome c (Figure 1).

2015 Westminster iGEM team have been working on introducing the Mtr pathway into Escherichia coli , in order to produce a microbial fuel cell (MFC) capable of producing electricity. The efficiency of the MFC is down to the biofilm which is formed when cells adhere to a surface and stick to each other, the composition of these biofilms is what determines the amount of electricity produced as it acts like a conductive matrix enabling higher kinetics rates of electron transfer along nanowires.

By introducing this pathway into E.coli , we hope to increase the transfer of electrons and thus level of electricity produced. Shewanella oneidensis is capable of transferring these electrons through extensions known as nanowires. We are exploring the possibility of electron transfer through the use of flagella found in E.coli species K-12. E.coli will act as an anode, using wastewater as its carbon source. Hence purifying the water in which the cathode will be found.

This technology has wide reaching global implications such as wastewater treatment to produce electricity and clean water, which could be beneficial to developed and undeveloped countries alike. They could also be used as an electrical source for deep water biosensors within a sediment microbial fuel cell. Furthermore they could play a major role in bioremediation, which is removal of organic pollutants from environments to produce clean water and excess electrical energy.

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References

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Inspiration

See how other teams have described and presented their projects:

• Imperial
• UC Davis
• SYSU Software