Vilnius Lithuania (iGEM 2023 Finalist Presentation) - Undergrad 1st Runner Up
Video from: iGEM 2023 Grand Jamboree Final Day Show: https://jamboree.igem.org/2023
Exullose unlocking the potential of biomaterials
Researchers have shown an ever-growing interest in bio-based materials, driven by their sustainability and versatility for various industrial applications. Our quest for the ideal material to meet the demands of a complex world was accomplished by employing genetic engineering principles. We have created synthetic biology tools for in vivo alterations of bacterial cellulose composition in Komagataeibacter xylinus. This system was utilized to modify the cellulose polymer in three different ways: (1) bacterial cellulose-chitosan polymer was produced after cellulose-chitin deacetylation. Not only this copolymer is an easily modifiable platform, the enhanced chemical reactivity of the polymer allows for specific functionalizations in the biomedicine field, such as wound dressings; (2) indigo-dyed cellulose is one of the ways that cellulose may be employed in green chemistry processes to tailor bacterial cellulose in the textile industry; (3) cellulose and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) composite is a potential alternative to fossil fuel-based materials.
