Team:HSNU-TAIPEI/projectmercury

ProjectMercury

Introduction

  1. Why do we detect mercury?

    Normally, there is no excess heavy metal in edible oil. Ingested mercury will hoard in the organs. Some recycled oil is made from animal internal organs. After mercury enters our body, it cannot be metabolized effectively and this leads to serious diseases. Due to the reasons above, we decided to detect this heavy metal.[1]

  2. The harm of mercury

    Methyl mercury is a type of neurotoxin. It represses cell division and restricts motility of electronic ions. It can also interfere with growing brain structure. Besides, methyl mercury can result in cardiovascular diseases like myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, hypertension and irregular pulse.[2]

  3. Taiwanese regulations
    • Edible Fat and Oil Sanitary Standards Article 2: The maximum allowance for Heavy Metal and Erucic acid: Mercury 0.05 ppm
    • Edible Rice and Heavy Metal Restriction Standard Article 2: permissible percentage limits for edible rice and heavy metal: less than 0.05ppm

Circuit Design

▲Fig1-1:Circuit design of detecting Mercury ion.

MerB can turn Methyl mercury into Hg2+. MerR can combine with Hg2+ and change the structure of DNA. And DNA can be transcripted easier. PmerT is controlled by MerR. PmerT cannot be transcripted because MerR changes the shape of PmerT. In short, the whole reaction will continue if MerR combines with Hg2+.[3][4]

▲Fig1-2:Circuit design of detecting Copper ion.

Reference

  • [1]J. Agric. Food Chem., 1975, “Metabolism of mercury, administered as methylmercuric chloride or mercuric chloride, by lactating ruminants”.23 (4), pp 803–808,DOI: 10.1021/jf60200a013 Publication Date: July 1975
  • [2]Knowledge、Attitude、Practice and risk assessment of mercury exposure through the consumption of fish from the mercury containminated area邱宇昕,JULY/2007
  • [3]Brown, N. L., J. V. Stoyanov, et al. (2003). "The MerR family of transcriptional regulators." FEMS Microbiol Rev 27(2-3): 145-163.
  • [4]Park, S. J., J. Wireman, et al. (1992). "Genetic analysis of the Tn21 mer operator-promoter." J Bacteriol 174(7): 2160-2171.

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