Fig 1
Fig 2
Team:MTU-CORK/Proof Of Concept
Proof Of Concept
The Biofrag design has also been shown to work through various growth experiments carried out by the team. Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows images from before and after the plantation of the Biofrags in soil.
The current materials (PLA, Woodflex and PVA) that were are being considered for the Biofrag are also currently in testing, the tests include the likes of pressure testing and varying temperature changes to ensure the Biofrags can withstand the conditions to which they will be put through and that degradation times are established under the harshest of conditions. The oxygen sensor is currently in testing, however through the use of RAMAN spectroscopy the team has evaluated that the chloride sensor design works. Figure 3 below illustrates this, showing the various peaks that correlate with chloride concentrations.
Although laboratory development and testing of the engineered bacteria was not possible, the improvements made over the parts listed by the 2018 Exeter team should have ensured its success. The additional optimisation of the codon sequences would have resulted in greater stability which would have increased half lives of gene sequences post transcription. This in turn would have allowed for longer production of desired enzymes and thus remediation would have been ongoing at a more predictable rate.
The current materials (PLA, Woodflex and PVA) that were are being considered for the Biofrag are also currently in testing, the tests include the likes of pressure testing and varying temperature changes to ensure the Biofrags can withstand the conditions to which they will be put through and that degradation times are established under the harshest of conditions. The oxygen sensor is currently in testing, however through the use of RAMAN spectroscopy the team has evaluated that the chloride sensor design works. Figure 3 below illustrates this, showing the various peaks that correlate with chloride concentrations.
Figure 3.
Although laboratory development and testing of the engineered bacteria was not possible, the improvements made over the parts listed by the 2018 Exeter team should have ensured its success. The additional optimisation of the codon sequences would have resulted in greater stability which would have increased half lives of gene sequences post transcription. This in turn would have allowed for longer production of desired enzymes and thus remediation would have been ongoing at a more predictable rate.