Team:Edinburgh UG/Description
OUR PROJECT
Inspiration & Description
We are Team Hydrolyte! Our project focuses on promoting a future hydrogen economy by exploring biohydrogen as an economically feasible alternative. By genetically engineering Rhodobacter sphaeroides we have produced a design for a novel biological chassis that utilises both fermentative and photosynthetic pathways to produce higher yields of biohydrogen. Ultimately, we have designed ‘Hydrolyte’ - a foundational photosynthetic microbial fuel panel. Running from co-product resources, our hydrolyte proposes a completely green, renewable and, most importantly, affordable energy generating technology for the future.
Clean energy was brought to the forefront in our initial idea brainstorming sessions as the UK agreed to a 2050 zero emission target this summer (2019). We became interested in hydrogen - and increasingly its microbial production. It struck us that while it appears to be a perfect solution for a ‘green’ fuel, it has not been fully developed. The idea to combine different pathways came after looking into the literature and discussion of co-cultures. Further work by the UC-Merced 2012 iGEM Team stated a microbe capable of both pathways would be ideal from their own hydrogen work, and our project became clear. Our further aims to build fuel cells were inspired by the hydrogen fuelling stations designed by Team Macquarie 2017. Fuel poverty and its particular prevalence in Scotland pushed us to reach out to Energy Action Scotland and the Scottish Gas Network. All of this culminated into the final design of our hydrolyte.
The Hydrogen Economy is being talked about now as a real alternative to meet emission targets, with our first day in the lab coinciding with the first day a hydrogen train was launched in the UK. In addition, just a few days before the UK created their 2050 target, hydrogen fuel was discussed heavily at the G20 summit held in Japan. We feel synthetic biology could have a major role to play in the development of this monumental energy shift and we as a team are excited to be bringing this issue, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, and fuel poverty forward in the iGEM sphere.