Leiden (iGEM 2023 Finalist Presentation) - Overgrad 1st Runner Up
Video from the 2023 iGEM Grand Jamboree: https://jamboree.igem.org/2023
PHAse Out: Transforming Agriculture with Biodegradable Plastics using Green Methanol
Every day, we ingest microplastics through the food we eat, posing a major risk to our health. A major part of these plastics comes from agriculture, where plastic-containing fertilizers and mulch films break down and cause pollution. We, PHAse out, want to change this! Our goal is to replace conventional plastics in agriculture with biodegradable alternatives. Most importantly, our approach does not utilize valuable agricultural feedstocks, unlike most other biotechnological approaches. Our project aims to improve bioplastic production using Methylobacterium extorquens AM1, a non-model organism that can grow on green methanol to sustainably produce PHA, a biodegradable plastic. Our journey has involved characterizing constitutive and inducible promoters, increasing PHA production through gene overexpression, employing metabolic models for improved metabolic efficiency, and designing an autolysis system to facilitate extraction. With this project, we have initiated a viable alternative for renewable PHA production. Let s PHAse Out fossil-based plastic together!
