Team:MSP-Maastricht/Implementation
Proposed Implementation
Future Prospects
Our team's global goal is to contribute to reducing methane emissions from cattle, and this is achievable only with our product being used globally. That is why we are concerned with the strategy of bringing food additives to the market. Our target consumers are dairy and meat production farms as well as industries directly dependent on cattle products, including giant corporations and massive scale farming.
The food additive developed by our team is a competitive alternative to other methanogenesis inhibiting additives on the market. So, like other food additives, MethaGone should be consumed by the cow along with the food. The key advantages of our products are as follows:
1. High methanogenesis inhibition.
2. The profitability of the acquisition due to one-time administration.
3. Enhancing effect on dairy and meat production in an animal.
Safety measures - we got the plan!
It is crucial that we adhere to safety regulations when it comes to GMOs and additive feeds in organisms that would be available to the consumer. MethaGone has high business potential as can be seen on the entrepreneurship page in the business plan. This is because, as meat and dairy industries are growing, so is the pushback for more ethical and environmentally friendly farming. If decreasing the number of cows is not viable, then decreasing their harmful effects is the next best option. Our solution also focuses on a long-term solution for each cow instead of temporary solutions that are currently in place by other companies. Due to the public opinion and restrictions on GMO food additives, the release of MethaGone on the global market will take seven years according to our estimates (you can read the details on the entrepreneurship page). Our plan can be divided into four phases:
Phase 1:
The first phase implies theoretical dry lab testing that has been carried out already. In this phase, we have developed our genes, genetic constructs, and kill switches. All of those were developed using SnapGene, and were adapted for the pET39b(+) plasmid. A gene, nucA, that could destroy dsDNA target pieces was also engineered to be the last line of defense and thus degrade every form of DNA and RNA present in our GMO regulated via a temperature sensitive hairpin structures to reduce the risk of horizontal gene transfer.
Phase 2:
During this phase, further measures for ensuring the safety of our parts and constructs will be conducted, all in our ML-1 lab with GMO safety practices. Two kill switches’ safety and efficiency will be improved and implemented in the 'Gut in Glass' rumen simulation. Additionally, an H2O2 gate will regulate the production of genes: if H2O2 is present, bromoform will be produced.
Phase 3:
For phase 3, the safety assessment of MethaGone will be brought further. Selected cows will undergo the addition of bacteria to their diet using gelatine capsules containing pulverized bacteria. An essential aspect of keeping such cows is isolation: an acre of land, high fences, and a three membrane underground layer will be implemented to prevent "leaking" of GMOs to soil or other animal organisms. Any data on the ingress of GMOs into the environment will serve as the basis for kill switches adjustments. More aspects of the safety features testing can be found under Safety.
Phase 4:
Later on, the cows' food additives will be tested for any adjustments to concentrations made and any changes in the animals will be tracked. Further steps include tests on two generations of cows, specifically, a pregnant cow, in whose diet MethaGone was added, as well as a young calf. The results of the examination on the newborn calf, can verify the fact of the transmission of the genes, which would mean that biosafety needs to be reassessed. Similar research will also shed light on any potential harm associated with the research which the institute can track.
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