Difference between revisions of "Team:Aalto-Helsinki/Future"
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− | <li><a href="# | + | <li><a href="#" data-scroll="pathway"><h3>Propane pathway</h3></a></li> |
− | <li><a href="# | + | <li><a href="#" data-scroll="cyano"><h3>Propane out of sunlight, water and thin air</h3></a></li> |
− | <li><a href="# | + | <li><a href="#" data-scroll="safety"><h3>Improving safety</h3></a></li> |
<li><a href="#"><h3 style="border-top:solid;">To the top</h3></a></li> | <li><a href="#"><h3 style="border-top:solid;">To the top</h3></a></li> | ||
<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:Aalto-Helsinki/Results"><h3 >To the Parent Page</h3></a></li> | <li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:Aalto-Helsinki/Results"><h3 >To the Parent Page</h3></a></li> | ||
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<h1 id="future">Future</h1> | <h1 id="future">Future</h1> | ||
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+ | <section id="pathway" data-anchor="pathway"> | ||
+ | <h2 >Propane pathway</h2> | ||
<p>There is still plenty of room for improvement in the propane pathway. The identified bottlenecks, enzymes CAR and ADO could be studied further to find out whether there are more efficient enzymes with the same function available in the nature. If not, it might be worth the effort to try and engineer the existing CAR and ADO to be more efficient, as has already been once done for <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbic.201300307/pdf">ADO</a>. The idea of having different enzymes of the pathway close together, by fusion to each other or by using different kinds of scaffolds, including our amphiphilic proteins, could also be studied further.</p> | <p>There is still plenty of room for improvement in the propane pathway. The identified bottlenecks, enzymes CAR and ADO could be studied further to find out whether there are more efficient enzymes with the same function available in the nature. If not, it might be worth the effort to try and engineer the existing CAR and ADO to be more efficient, as has already been once done for <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cbic.201300307/pdf">ADO</a>. The idea of having different enzymes of the pathway close together, by fusion to each other or by using different kinds of scaffolds, including our amphiphilic proteins, could also be studied further.</p> | ||
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<p>Even though it was not possible within our timeframe, one could try knocking out more endogenous aldehyde reductases and alcohol dehydrogenases that compete with ADO for butyraldehyde. This approach <a href="http://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/8/1/61">has been tried</a> by Pauli Kallio and his associates with success: knocking out two endogenous aldehyde reductases Ahr and YqhD resulted in significant improvement in propane output.</p> | <p>Even though it was not possible within our timeframe, one could try knocking out more endogenous aldehyde reductases and alcohol dehydrogenases that compete with ADO for butyraldehyde. This approach <a href="http://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/8/1/61">has been tried</a> by Pauli Kallio and his associates with success: knocking out two endogenous aldehyde reductases Ahr and YqhD resulted in significant improvement in propane output.</p> | ||
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+ | <section id="cyano" data-anchor="cyano"> | ||
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+ | <h2>Propane out of sunlight, water and thin air</h2> | ||
<p>One significant benefit of the pathway is that it can operate in the presence of oxygen. This is required to incorporate the pathway in oxygenic, photosynthetic organisms like cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial propane production could have a tremendous effect on the way energy is produced and consumed in the society. Fuel production would essentially require only sunlight, water and CO\(_2\), and would thus be completely renewable.</p> | <p>One significant benefit of the pathway is that it can operate in the presence of oxygen. This is required to incorporate the pathway in oxygenic, photosynthetic organisms like cyanobacteria. Cyanobacterial propane production could have a tremendous effect on the way energy is produced and consumed in the society. Fuel production would essentially require only sunlight, water and CO\(_2\), and would thus be completely renewable.</p> | ||
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+ | <section id="safety" data-anchor="safety"> | ||
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+ | <h2>Improving safety</h2> | ||
<p>As propane is a highly flammable liquid, large-scale microbial production could pose a fire and/or explosion hazard. The production would most likely happen in closed containers with nothing to ignite the gas, easing the problem. However, leaks are always possible: the propane or the bacteria themselves could leak from the microbial container or pipelines to enclosed spaces where ignition is possible. By replacing air, propane could also cause a suffocation danger. To help avoid these problems, it would be beneficial if the propane could be detected. However, propane itself cannot be seen and it has no odour, making detection difficult. Gas molecules with an odour (e.g. ethyl mercaptan) could be added to the purified product and production container. However, this does not allow us to detect the gas if the bacteria leak to produce propane in an enclosed space where no such safety measures are taken.</p> | <p>As propane is a highly flammable liquid, large-scale microbial production could pose a fire and/or explosion hazard. The production would most likely happen in closed containers with nothing to ignite the gas, easing the problem. However, leaks are always possible: the propane or the bacteria themselves could leak from the microbial container or pipelines to enclosed spaces where ignition is possible. By replacing air, propane could also cause a suffocation danger. To help avoid these problems, it would be beneficial if the propane could be detected. However, propane itself cannot be seen and it has no odour, making detection difficult. Gas molecules with an odour (e.g. ethyl mercaptan) could be added to the purified product and production container. However, this does not allow us to detect the gas if the bacteria leak to produce propane in an enclosed space where no such safety measures are taken.</p> | ||
Revision as of 05:20, 16 September 2015