Team Chem Biological Water Filtration

Purification Process Add cells to possibly contaminated water Cells take in arsenic and store it Cells provide an output (color) signaling the water is clean or needs further processing Separate of cells from water Possibility for further processing

Devices 2 Arsenic Sensors –Sensitive: activated by any arsenic –Non-sensitive: activated by maximum tolerable arsenic level 2 Color Generators Arsenic Transport and Storage Device

Arsenic Transport and Storage Remove the gene that encodes this transport protein Tripathi, R.D., Srivastava, S., Mishra, S., Singh, N., Tuli, R., Gupta, D.K. and Maathuis, F. Arsenic Hazards: Strategies for Tolerance and Remediation by Plants. Trends in Biotechnology. 2007, 25.4, Arsenic Measurement

Device Level Diagram Color Generator 1 (constitutively active) Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Non- Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Color Generator 2 Arsenic Transport and Storage Device (constitutively active) Where is Concentration Read? Outside Vacuole Inside Vacuole or with a Timer

Simulation: Pure Water Green Color Generator (constitutively active) Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Non- Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Red Color Generator Arsenic Transport and Storage Device (constitutively active) Result: Cells Stay Green → Separation

Simulation: Maximum Arsenic Result: Cells Turn Red → Separate and Process Again Green Color Generator (constitutively active) Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Non- Sensitive Arsenic Sensor Red Color Generator Arsenic Transport and Storage Device (constitutively active) As MAXIMUM ARSENIC

Timing Diagram: Maximum Arsenic Green Color Generator Sensitive [As] Sensor Transport and Storage Non- Sensitive [As] Sensor Red Color Generator t=0 No Arsenic Contaminated Water Added Midlevel [As]Maximum [As]

Timing Diagram: Midlevel Arsenic Green Color Generator Sensitive [As] Sensor Transport and Storage Non- Sensitive [As] Sensor Red Color Generator t=0 No Arsenic Contaminated Water Added Midlevel [As]Maximum [As]

Biological Parts Background System ARR2 ARR1

Biological Parts Control System YCF1 GSH1 RCGD: BBa_K RCGD: BBa_K GCGD: BBa_K GCGD: BBa_K X- Repressor [As] P(x) P(y) P(z) Y- Repressor [As] max

Cellular Chassis [Source: [Source:

Testing/Debugging Cell Death –Effectiveness of ARR1, ARR1, YCF1, GSH1 Need to determine Vacuole limits Testing Color Generators Promoter Design [Source:

Global Impacts

Impacts If this process succeeds: Solves one of the most problematic issues of the developing world, saving millions of lives. –70 million people are affected in Bangladesh alone - arsenic in ground water is the cause of 23% of all the deaths there!

Why Biological Water Filtration by Team Chemistry? No energy requirement (operates independent of electricity) –Accessibility to effective water filtration technology even in rural parts of the developing world Very low cost of sustaining system The end product is not a waste –Possibility of selling to pharmaceutical companies and turning a profit

Open Issues Elodea is the current choice of organism –Common water weed: robust, packaged for surviving in water The cost of entire project is unknown. Legal issues attached to introducing genetically modified organisms into the environment? Length of effectiveness is unknown –(How long until the organism reaches max arsenic uptake capacity?) The process of genetically modifying plants is very slow…

Go/ No Go?

Citations Saccharomyces Genome Database Standard Registry of Biological Parts