Project Background :

The iGEM Nantes team is back this year for the continuity of the A3 project which has evolved since last year!
Indeed, our new team continued the project by bringing modifications to make it more rewarding.

This year, we have decided to further develop our project by keeping the first idea of valorization, with sulfur production, and, expanding this valorization by adding new perspectives to the recycling of all components of this green algae.

Following a discussion with different researchers, we chose to abandon our first thought of transformation which was theoretically mentioned last year. We wanted to transform SO42- into hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
In fact, the idea of industrially developing the algae using this technique was not profitable and that was the main problem in making our project a reality.

The 2021 team had a brainstorming period in order to think about various l ways to add value to these green algae after their degradation.
We wanted to recycle everything from these algae, to improve all of its components.

That’s why we called these new perspectives ULVALORIZATION.

Firstly, to keep our sulfatase and enzymes useful, we decided to transform H2S into liquid sulfur.
Then, with the remaining biomass, we wanted to make some bioplastics thanks to bacteria that can create a bioplastic called PHA.
We also think about creating compost by mixing biomass with other components.
Lastly, methane production is also a possibility by adding some manure to our biomass.

This year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to do most of our meetings online.
Moreover, we had to organize our experiments according to the restrictions of the lab that was hosting us.
The sanitary conditions in France started rapidly improving this summer, which meant we could manipulate almost as much as we wanted and express sulfatases and enzymes capable of degrading the wall of Ulva Spp. in an E. coli strain that was designed last year!

In our wiki, we hope you will take part in our project, by surfing through our train of thought and experimentations that you can find by clicking on these different tabs.

Enjoy reading :)