2014: Sponge Patrol
Wipe the ocean clean!
Our team wants to heighten awareness about environmental pollution and particularly its devastating consequences on the aquatic life. In this line of thinking we are driven to design a bioremediation tool to decrease the marine pollution and protect aquatic ecosystems. We aim at tackling elements of the main pollutant families by focusing on 5 toxic agents: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, nitrite, phenol, lead and cadmium. The bioremediation tool will be based on Pseudovibrio denitrificans, a bacterium living in symbiosis with Spongia officinalis. Our goal is to engineer the bacterium to detect, signal and degrade/capture pollutants and to bring it as new chassis in the iGEM competition. The project's originality lies on the duo formed by Pseudovibrio denitrificans and its symbiotic sponge. Combining these two organisms allows for safe containment of the engineered strain while the extensive filtration capacity of the sponge stimulates the optimal sensing, signaling, and capturing of pollutants in water.
For more infos, visit our WIKI and/or look at our POSTER.
Rewards
Bronze Medal
The 2014 iGEM competition
In 2014, 299 team from 35 countries participated at the competition and more than 2300 people attended the Giant Jamboree that was held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA, USA from 30th of October to 3rd of November 2014. Full infos and results are available on the iGEM 2014 website.
