Team:Berlin/Project/Implementation
4. Implementation of our Product
The Enzymatic Flagellulose unit will be integrated within the secondary wastewater treatment
phase, where biological oxidation takes place. While we intend it to be immobilize it on a rotor
inside the tanks, another idea is to use beads and have them flow through the sewage
water in the tank. For this decision to be made, we would have to test what geometry has higher
efficiencies regarding the degradation of microplastics. That way, the release of microplastics
into the environment, its distribution, and related environmental consequences can be prevented.
Furthermore, our functionalized matrix can be expanded to other environmental problems, such as
removing medicine residues or pesticides from wastewater. Also, after having developed this modular
machine, it could be applied directly where wastewater enters the system
– meaning in the drain of a home or an industrial facility. For example, we could use it like a
sink strainer by making the Enzymatic Flagellulose domestically compatible. The main reason why we
chose to start applying our idea of Enzymatic Flagellulose in the wastewater treatment plants is
that the enzymes need some time to carry out the reactions. While there is not enough time if the
water just flows through the sink, in the treatment plants it will stay for several hours in one
tank (see below). Later, when we have optimized the enzymes to carry out very fast reactions, the
implementation of a microplastics degrading sink strainer will be the next application of choice.
Thus, our modular machine offers a wide range of application possibilities. By varying and
combining the interlinked enzymes of different functions, it can be applied diversely and
simultaneously for various purposes.
4.1 Collaboration TU Delft
Essay of how to integrate the project of iGEM Berlin and iGEM Delft
The iGEM team of Berlin uses Synthetic Biology to develop a molecular filtering machine. This
project has great opportunities in solving the problems with microplastics finding their ways into
the wastewater treatment plant. During the wastewater treatment, the microplastics are not
removed sufficiently. The ‘escaped’ microplastics are taken up by organisms living in rivers,
lakes and the oceans, but also by human beings through the food chain. To date, no scalable
approaches have been found to solve this problem.
Luckily, the iGEM team of Berlin has the solution for the problem with microplastics; a
molecular filtering machine. Their proposed filter consists of a surface made up of cellulose to
which bacterial flagella will be immobilized. The attachment required for this will be achieved
via a cellulose binding domain. The single flagella-subunits, also known as flagellin, will be
interlinked with plastic-degrading enzymes. Thus, this system enables an increased specific
surface with highly catalytic activity.
Not only Berlin see the opportunities of this project, also the iGEM team of TU Delft. This
teams is working with E. coli bacteria that can form nanowires at an induced moment. These
nanowires will link the bacteria to each other providing a stable structure. With a 3D printer, layers
of bacteria can be formed in a predesigned way. Another advantage of this technique is that the
enzymes produced by the bacteria can covalently bind to the nanowires (Botyanszki, Tay et al.
2015). In this case, the scaffold of cellulose is not required anymore. [MP1] Moreover, the printer
and nanowires generate a highly flexible machine, since every cell type and every enzyme could
potentially be produced. One of the requirements posed by Berlin’s team is that the filter is
highly flexible in use, so that it can be used for different types of water. So, by combining these
technologies, the filtering machine proposed by Berlin’s iGEM team becomes even more
attractive.
Reference:
Botyanszki, Z., P. K. Tay, P. Q. Nguyen, M. G. Nussbaumer and N. S. Joshi (2015). "Engineered
catalytic biofilms: Site-specific enzyme immobilization onto E. coli curli nanofibers." Biotechnol
Bioeng 112(10): 2016-2024.
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