Team:Hamburg/Sustainable

Sustainability

Protecting the environment with sustainable laboratory practices is only one element of our project's dedication to sustainability. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals ^[1] comprise 17 points working towards a better future regarding sustainability and fairness. We wanted to do our part for a better world by working on a more sustainable and economical terpenoid production. There is a great importance of finding more sustainable ways for the production of chemicals, since the main methods used today are taking part in the production of atmospheric carbon dioxide and in the long run can lead to a shortage of resources.

Terpenoids are used in everyday products, like fragrances, food-flavoring, and pharmaceuticals. However, the chemical synthesis of these terpenoids is based on petrochemicals and is labor-intensive. The chemical synthesis consists of many different reaction steps, the problem is that the yield is not very high in these reactions. Another problem that comes with the synthesis of terpenoids are the chemicals used in the process. The reactions are based on petrochemicals, these are chemicals based on petroleum, which is known to cause many ecological problems, such as carbon dioxide production. As a result, the chemical synthesis is not environmentally friendly nor very efficient.

The biosynthesis of terpenoids by creating fusion constructs of oxygenase and reductase proteins doesn’t require petrochemicals or other environmentally unfriendly chemicals. To achieve this, we decided to express our constructs in cyanobacteria. These have the advantage that they only need light and few nutrients for the synthesis of terpenoids, since the reduction equivalents are connected to the photosystem. Therefore, we can use the light’s energy through photosynthesis for the terpenoid synthesis. We also used Escherichia coli for the biotechnological synthesis. These also require few nutrients and are far less complicated to cultivate. They are even more sustainable, since they don’t need any special equipment for their cultivation.

One job in synthetic biology is to work towards ideas and solutions to achieve a better and more sustainable world for everyone. The Sustainable Development Goals are addressing and defining objectives to reach for a better world. Our project considered a few of these goals:

GOAL 3 – GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Good health and well-being fits in more than one point. First, there are the people benefiting from the pharmaceuticals which can be produced by the biosynthesis of terpenoids. The production doesn’t require as many reaction steps, which could lead to a low yield production, and thus is more economical and possibly more affordable for everyone in the world.

Additionally, workers in the refinement process of petroleum are endangered, since petroleum can be lethal to every form of life. The exposure to petroleum fumes can cause a decrease in white blood cells ^[2]. This causes a weakened immune system, making the workers more susceptible to illness. The biosynthesis of terpenoids in genetically modified organisms is conducted under strict safety regulations, leading to a safer working environment for those involved.

GOAL 12 – RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

The production of terpenoids through chemical synthesis is based on the use of petroleum, which is a finite resource. Fossil fuels are resources which are limited and will run out soon. Therefore, it is important to conserve fossil fuels and consume them responsibly. This includes the usage of alternative and resource friendly synthesis of terpenoids, such as the biosynthesis in cyanobacteria and the usage of light for production.

GOAL 13 – CLIMATE ACTION

The biosynthesis of terpenoids has major advantages in comparison to the more commonly used chemical synthesis. There is no use of petroleum or petrochemicals. The use of these unsustainable hydrocarbons brings many disadvantages. The combustion of petroleum leads to high levels of carbon dioxide, which contribute to the greenhouse effect. In the long run this leads to higher temperatures and the oxidation of nitrogen in the atmosphere. In combination with sulfur and ozone this can create acid rain ^[3], which leads to higher acidity in oceans, rivers, etc. and can cause ecological damage. The synthesis of terpenoids through use of cyanobacteria is a far more eco-friendly and sustainable method, which does not produce a lot of carbon dioxide.

GOAL 15 - LIFE ON LAND

Terpenoids are typically extracted from various plants. Artemisia annua contains the metabolite Artesiminin, which is used for the production of pharmaceuticals ^[4]. The plants which are used for the production of terpenoids are cultivated on a grand scale and often in monocultures. The nitrate containing fertilizer can leak into rivers or the groundwater and contaminate it, agricultural land suffers under reduced soil fertility and leads to alteration of the ecosystem. In addition, the cultivation of these plants is not resource friendly, since only one component gets extracted and used for further productions. When the production of terpenoids is carried out on the biosynthesis level, the land can be used for the cultivation of more important plants and in a more economical way.

[1] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

[2] Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences, Vol. 21, No. 1-2, 2006, pp. 71-75

EFFECT OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS INHALATION ON SOME HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF FUEL ATTENDANTS IN CALABAR METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

A. M. OKORO, E. J. ANI, J. O. IBU, and B. A. AKPOGOMEH

Department of Physiology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, P.M.B.1115, Calabar ,Cross River State, Nigeria.

[3] Acid rain and its ecological consequences Anita Singh and Madhoolika Agrawal*

Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi - 221 005, India

[4] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/anie.201801424?casa_token=Wv2BzAZnO7sAAAAA%3ACLh4qT_ZokRl1IDpqkwtchonAAqnD0NzW_QPIRHtUxbJRj--JqRe1jYnjf1oy0nz6J09IV4lwGc0gd3n