Team:Hamburg/world map

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World map

Scientific language is often too complicated. On this page you can discover easy to understand abstracts of many great iGEM projects from all around the world. Most of the teams even added translations into their native language. We hope that this leads to a truly accessible future of scientific publications.
To read the respective abstract just click on one of the locations marked on the world map below. If you have never heard of synthetic biology, it might be helpful to read through our explanation below the world map. Have fun discovering synthetic biology and great iGEM ideas!

Synthetic Biology - Introduction

DNA is the blueprint of the cell, similarly to the architectural plan for a house, yet much more complex. DNA holds the information on how the cell is build, but it defines also the wire of functional connections in the cell to enable growth and replication. The DNA, or the genetic information of the cell, encodes for proteins, which are the tiny household molecular robots that carry out a plethora of tasks. Some of them participate in building the cell, others break down nutrients for energy production enabling the cell to grow, or take the cellular trash out. The cell has several thousand variants of these molecular robots and each of them fulfills a unique function. Bacteria are very adaptive as they have to survive harsh conditions. Naturally they can take up new pieces of DNA which enables them to acquire new functionalities and adapt to new conditions. This bacterial property is used in science to equip bacteria with new activities and produce products with useful practical applications, i.e. therapeutics, food additives, biodegradable plastics. The man-tailored alterations of bacterial blueprints (DNA) occur through so called transformations, which describe an approach to bring new pieces of DNA or new genes into bacteria. For example, a piece of DNA can be introduced into the bacterial cell, which contains the blueprint for insulin production, so that bacteria can be turned into a factory producing this valuable therapeutic for treating diabetes. Synthetic biology uses approaches to introduce new activities in bacteria and repurpose them for producing useful products.

Yet, science starts with human dedication and understanding. A scientist has to realize the need for a new scientific development and also understand the theory and methods that are necessary for it. The easier and quicker this process is, the more likely it becomes that scientific developments in need are created earlier or even at all. Also, this often requires the input from an informed public.

While this is certainly common sense, there is still the issue that many scientific papers and articles are written in a hard to understand or fragmentary manner. This is also the case with iGEM wikis.

Hamburg

Original Abstract

Summary Engineered genetic circuits are becoming more complex every year. These developments require transformation with more than one plasmid which in turn demands the simultaneous use of different antibiotics. Our aim is to enable a transformation with multiple plasmids and just one antibiotic to minimise the side-effects. In our study we describe a novel RNA-based approach that enables the selection of several plasmids with only one antibiotic. The strategy is based on toehold switches that easily and reliably introduce a complex AND-logic to our design, thus enabling the selection of bacteria with all required plasmids. Our new method shows clear advantages: it increases cell growth and decreases stress, pushing forward the boundaries of synthetic biology.

Simple Abstract

We can equip bacteria with new metabolic abilities by supplying them with new genes of interest, i.e. small pieces of DNA. To monitor which single cell from the bacterial consortium has actually taken up this gene of interest, we couple it with a marker. Commonly, the markers are genes encoding antibiotic resistances enabling bacteria to grow on antibiotics which normally kill them. Thus, survivors in the bacterial consortium are those that have taken up the gene of interest along with the antibiotic resistance gene. Often we need to supply more than one gene of interest to acquire certain complex new activity in bacteria. Until now, every single gene is complemented with its own marker (antibiotic resistance gene) for selecting survivors. Too many antibiotics, despite the resistance genes, put bacteria under enormous stress, so that the number of survivors is limited. We developed a novel tool that enables bacteria to take up several genes, or several pieces of DNA, with just overall one additional gene for antibiotic resistance. We had locked the resistance gene behind a “gate” so that only the first gene of interest is directly connected to it, while the other genes of interest are supplied with little “DNA keys” to unlock and access the same antibiotic resistance. So only those equiped with all keys are able to survive with antibiotics. Through this clever mechanism bacteria grow healthier with a single antibiotic, are better controllable and produce multiple products of interest.

Milwaukee

Original Abstract

As seen in Flint, Michigan, water supplies can be contaminated by aging infrastructure. Our team is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which also has a lead problem. Our team is developing a method to identify lead in water through our sense of smell. By putting the gene for an enzyme that produces the wintergreen scent under the control of a lead-inducible promoter and placing this construct in E. coli, we have created an engineered organism that will detect lead by providing a scent. By putting this engineered E. coli in a capsule which will dissolve in water, any individual can collect a water sample and use this test. The E. coli is safe and this kit is environmentally friendly due to the lack of any plastic parts. This will allow people to test any sample of water they suspect is contaminated by lead and seek an appropriate remedy.

Simple Abstract

The WLC-Milwaukee iGEM team is developing a method to detect lead in water by using our sense of smell. Our team’s research centers around modifying a harmless strain of a bacteria called E. coli to perform a chemical reaction when it is introduced to water contaminated with lead. This chemical reaction produces a wintergreen scent when lead is present, so if there is no lead contaminating the water, the water will have no scent. This test kit will include a dissolvable capsule filled with our modified bacteria and another capsule including a chemical that will be converted into wintergreen if lead is present in the water sample. We are currently testing whether the proteins inside our modified bacteria are working correctly. Our project focuses on tackling the issue of high levels of lead water in our home city of Milwaukee. By creating this lead sensor, we can create a cheap and efficient way of testing water for lead. We hope to be able to have every household in Milwaukee not have to worry about high levels of lead in their water. High lead levels in water can make people, especially young children, very sick. Our project, called the Lead Scentsor, will provide a way to help raise awareness of this issue and give people the resources they need to test their water for lead contamination at home.

TU Eindhoven

Original Abstract

dCastect: Fast detection of bacterial pathogens with the use of specific bacteriophages and dCas9-NanoLuc. The discovery of new antibiotics lags behind the continuing increase in antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a process heavily accelerated by the misuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics are misused in a preventive manner (mainly cattle), misused to treat non-bacterial-related ailments and misused by unspecific treatment of bacterial infections. With our fast and specific diagnostic method for bacterial infections, this will become a problem of the past. Our modular method uses the specificity and amplification speed of bacteriophages in combination with the specificity and sensitivity of the dCas9-NanoLuc-complex to revolutionize the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Our method enables the diagnosis of infections within an hour, making fast and specific use of antibiotics possible. Moreover, the application of this method is broad; from fast specific diagnosis of infections, both in human as well as in veterinary medicine, to going beyond the diagnosis of infections by detecting bacteria in drinking water or in the food industry.

Simple Abstract

dCastect: Fast detection of bacterial pathogens in infections. Antimicrobial resistance, which is the resistance of bacteria against antibiotics, is a growing problem in human health care. This problem is so big that in the year 2050, 10 million people across Europe and the US alone will die because of antimicrobial resistance. This is mostly because of the misuse of antibiotics due to slow detection methods. Nowadays it takes around 2 days before you know the kind of infection you are dealing with. In the meantime, unspecific antibiotics are administered, which can lead to antimicrobial resistance. We want to tackle this problem by improving the diagnostics. We want to achieve this by making a detection tool that is fast, specific and modular in use. By only adding a urine or blood sample to our device, you will know within the time scale of one hour which infection you are dealing with. We will achieve this by making use of the amplification speed and specificity of bacteriophages to obtain enough DNA for detection. To detect the DNA, we are using a protein, called dCas9, fused with NanoLuc bioluminescence protein, which can bind to a very specific DNA sequence and displays light after binding. By using this detection system, a patient with a bacterial infection can be treated faster with greater specificity in antibiotics administration, and will, therefore, have a diminished chance of developing antimicrobial resistances.

Native Language

Makkelijk te begrijpen versie Nederlands TU Eindhoven dCastect: Snelle detectie van bacteriën in infecties. Antimicrobiële resistentie (AMR), de resistentie van bacteriën tegen antibiotica, is een groeiend probleem in de menselijke gezondheidzorg. Dit probleem is zo groot, dat in het jaar 2050, 10 miljoen mensen alleen al in Europa en de VS zullen komen te overlijden aan het gevolg van AMR. Dit komt vooral door het misgebruik van antibiotica door langzame detectie methodes. Tegenwoordig duurt het ongeveer 2 dagen voordat je weet met welke infectie je te maken hebt. In de tussentijd worden niet-specifieke antibiotica toegediend wat tot AMR kan leiden. Wij willen dit probleem aanpakken door de diagnostiek te verbeteren. Dit willen wij bereiken door een detectiesysteem te maken dat snel, specifiek en modulair te gebruiken is. Door het toevoegen van een urine- of bloedmonster aan ons device, weet u binnen één uur met welke infectie u te maken heeft. Dit kunnen wij bereiken door gebruik te maken van de amplificatiesnelheid en specificiteit van bacteriofagen om zo voldoende DNA te verkrijgen om te detecteren. Vervolgens gebruiken we een eiwit, genaamd dCas9, gefuseerd met een NanoLuc bioluminescentie eiwit, dat zeer specifiek aan een DNA-sequentie kan binden en vervolgens een lichtsignaal uitzendt. Door het gebruik van deze detectiemethode kan een patiënt met een bacteriële infectie sneller worden behandeld met een grotere antibiotica specificiteit. Ook zal de patiënt hierdoor een verminderde kans hebben in het ontwikkelen van AMR.

Aachen

Original Abstract

In our project we work with Rhodospirillum rubrum magneticum, which is able to produce magnetosomes. Magnetosomes are small vesicle-like particles filled with iron oxide crystals and surrounded by a lipid bilayer. Thus they can be attracted by magnets. At the moment there is a lot of research on making these particles usable e.g. for medicine. We have chosen another application example - the micro or nanoplastic problem in liquids such as drinking water. In the course of the project, experts in this field explained to us that analytics is a major problem. That is why we have focused on it. We used fusion proteins of polymer binding peptide and fluorophore, which are attached to the magnetosome membrane. Binding to plastic makes it easier to separate plastics from liquids. Fluorescence is used to measure how much of which type of plastic (e.g. polypropylene or polystyrene) was present in the sample. This differentiation should be made possible by using different binding peptides with different fluorophores. In this way, a simple and fast measuring method is to be created. Since ~ 80 highly specific binding peptides were produced at our institute (partly also for metals), a wide field can be opened up and other possible applications are also conceivable. In our project we have examined all individual parts and achieved successes, but due to the lack of time we were no longer able to examine them as a whole, especially since Rhodospirillum rubrum magneticum has a very low growth rate of ~6 h. But the plasmid was successfully integrated!

Simple Abstract

In our project we work with magnetic bacteria. They are magnetic because they build small particles filled with iron inside them. We would like to use these particles for our purposes. At the moment there is a lot of research on these particles, e.g. in medicine, because it is possible to apply substances to the surface of these particles. We have tried exactly that and have considered another field of application. This is the problem of microplastics. The detection of micro- or nanoplastics (the latter cannot be seen with the naked eye) is difficult and expensive. This is where our idea comes in. We have attached proteins to these particles or more specifically had them incorporated by the bacteria during production. The proteins are located on the surface of the iron-filled particles and are able to bind to plastic. In addition, we have incorporated a second protein, which can glow. This combination is intended to detect micro- and nanoplastics in liquids by measuring how strongly it glows. This makes the analysis easier, so that studies can be carried out faster and easier. The data available on nanoplastics, for example, is very thin. In this project, we have tried to use plastic binding proteins that are able to bind to many types of plastics. However, there are some that can only bind to certain species. In the future, this will enable us to differentiate between different types of plastics.

Native Language

In unserem Projekt arbeiten wir mit magnetischen Bakterien. Sie sind deshalb magnetisch, weil sie kleine Partikel in sich ausbilden, welche mit Eisen gefüllt sind. Diese Partikel möchten wir gerne für unsere Zwecke nutzen. Im Moment wird viel an diesen Partikeln geforscht, u.a. in der Medizin, da man an die Oberfläche dieser Partikel Stoffe anbringen kann. Wir haben genau das versucht und uns ein anderes Anwendungsgebiet überlegt. Es handelt sich dabei um die Mikroplastikproblematik. Der Nachweis von Mikro- oder Nanoplastik (letzteres ist mit bloßem Auge nicht zu erkennen) ist schwierig und teuer. Hier setzen wir mit unserer Idee an. Wir haben Proteine – auch Eiweiße genannt – an diese Partikel angebracht, bzw. von den Bakterien schon während der Produktion einbauen lassen. Sie befinden sich an der Oberfläche der mit Eisen gefüllten Partikel und sind in der Lage an Plastik zu binden. Zudem haben wir ein zweites Protein, welches leuchten kann, eingebaut. Durch diese Kombination soll Mikro- und auch Nanoplastik in Flüssigkeiten nachgewiesen werden, indem gemessen wird, wie stark es leuchtet. Somit wird die Analyse erleichtert, sodass Studien schneller und leichter durchgeführt werden können. Die Datenlage zu z.B. Nanoplastik ist nämlich sehr dünn. Wir haben es in diesem Projekt mit Plastikbindeproteinen versucht, welche an sehr viele Plastikarten binden können. Es gibt jedoch welche, die nur an bestimmte Arten binden können. In der Zukunft soll dadurch eine Unterscheidungsmöglichkeit zwischen den Plastikarten geschaffen werden.

Bulgaria

Original Abstract

Peptidator P-800: Pathogens, you`ve been terminated! Pathogens, you`ve been terminated!Our novel synthetic platform for high throughput isolation and characterization of peptides with antimicrobial properties will serve as The Terminator for multi-resistant bacterial pathogens.We are planning on using the available genomic and meta-genomic sequencing data as a source of novel peptide sequences that can be used instead of antibiotics. To identify such elements, we will be using different versions of the BLAST algorithm and known antimicrobial peptides as quarries. The next step would be to have these exact sequences synthesized as an oligonucleotide pool and cloned like an expression library in E.coli. Last but not least, we will be testing the activity of this library against a selected group of indicator strains that represent most of the major important human and animal pathogens as to find the perfect Peptidator!

Simple Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is one of the most urgent threats to the public’s health. It is the cause of more than 30 000 deaths in the European Union every day. Unfortunately, infections like tuberculosis, pneumonia, gonorrhea, and others, caused by pathogenic bacteria, resistant to the currently used medicines, continue to rise. Finding new antibiotics and making them available on the market is not economically viable because bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics really fast. That’s why antibiotic resistance is recognized as a priority issue by the World Health Organization and the European Commission. If no action is taken, multiresistant bacteria could cause 10 million deaths each year by 2050. That’s why isolating and researching new components with antimicrobial activity has attracted a lot of interest in the past few years. One of the most promising candidates for battling pathogens is the natural organic compounds - peptides with antimicrobial activity. They could be isolated from different organisms and take part in the natural defense mechanisms against bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. Thanks to their unique structure, these peptides could easily be synthesized and tested, using the methods of modern synthetic biology. Our solution is based on developing a new system for the isolation and production of peptides with antimicrobial properties. This system allows fast, easy and cost-efficient isolation and characterization of these peptides from exotic animal and plant species, whose DNA sequence is already known, as well as their production. The current methods for DNA analysis allow us to identify and test a great number of these compounds after our system is ready. Thanks to our contacts with leading microbiology specialists, we have the opportunity to test the antimicrobial peptides against pathogenic bacteria and choose only the most promising ones. These pathogens are isolated from Bulgarian patients with different diseases and infections.

Native Language

Антимикробната устойчивост е една от основните заплахи за здравето на човека и животните. Тя е отговорна за около 33 000 смъртни случая в Европейския Съюз всяка година. Тенденциите са негативни – непрекъснато нараства броя на инфекциите като туберкулоза, пневмония, гонорея и други, които са причинени от патогенни бактерии, устойчиви към прилаганите в момента лекарства. От друга страна, откриването на нови антибиотици и налагането им на пазара е все по-неизгодно икономически поради бързата поява на резистентност. Поради това, антимикробната устойчивост е дефинирана като приоритетен проблем с най-висока важност от Световната Здравна Организация и Европейската Комисия. Данните показват, че при липсата на нови лечения, до 2050 г. ежегодно ще загиват по около 10 милиона души поради инфекции, причинени от мултирезистентни бактерии. Тези факти обуславят защо изолирането и изследването на нови компоненти с антимикробна активност е приоритетно направление, привличащо сериозен научен и обществен интерес през последните години. Едни от най-обещаващите кандидати в това отношение са естествено срещащи се съединения - пептиди с антимикробна активност, които могат да бъдат изолирани от различни живи организми. Те участват в естествените защитни механизми срещу бактериални, гъбични и вирусни патогени. Благодарение на уникалната си структура, подобни пептиди могат лесно да бъдат синтезирани и изследвани, използвайки подходите на съвременната синтетична биология. Поради това предлаганото от нас решение е базирано на разработката на нова система за изолиране и продукция на антимикробни пептиди. Подобна платформа ще позволи бързо, лесно и евтино изолиране и характеризиране на такива пептиди от екзотични животински и растителни видове с разчетени ДНК секвенции, както и тяхното производство. Съвременните методи за ДНК анализ ни позволяват да идентифицираме и тестваме много такива компоненти след като нашата система е готова. Благодарение на контактите ни с водещи специалисти-микробиолози, имаме осигурена възможност да тестваме откритите от нас съединения срещу патогенни микроби, изолирани от български пациенти с различни заболявания и инфекции и да изберем само най-обещаващите съединения.

Thessly

Original Abstract

ODYSSEE: A modular platform for field diagnosis of Tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the 10 deadliest diseases worldwide, causing around 1.3 million deaths in 2017 and nearly 3 million people are left undiagnosed, each year. Once Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes the disease, dies in a patient’s lung, it releases DNA fragments into the blood that eventually appear in urine. We developed a diagnostic test that detects these fragments by targeting the specific gene IS6110. After 4 rounds of amplification including isothermal amplification, in vitro transcription/translation of a toehold switch and a colorimetric readout enabled by b-lactamase, the results can be visualized with a naked eye. Our design can be easily implemented for several diseases due to its universality and modularity. As TB is a leading health threat for populations affected by crises, our test is destined to be applied in refugee camps in Greece, as well as worldwide, making a step towards achieving universal health coverage.

Simple Abstract

ODYSSEE: A modular platform for field diagnosis of Tuberculosis Tuberculosis is one of the 10 deadliest diseases worldwide, causing around 1.3 million deaths in 2017. Of the estimated 10 million cases each year, 3.6 million cases are left undiagnosed. Once Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes the disease, dies in a patient’s lung, it releases DNA fragments into the blood that eventually appear in urine. We developed a diagnostic test that detects these fragments by targeting the specific gene IS6110. The detection result can be then visualized with a naked eye, through a color change from yellow to red. Our design can be easily implemented for several diseases due to its universality and modularity. As Tuberculosis is a leading health threat for populations affected by crises, our test is destined to be applied in refugee camps in Greece, as well as worldwide, making a step towards achieving universal health coverage.

Pune

Original Abstract

PEred: Solving plastic based menstrual waste crisis using synthetic biology. The aim of this project is to create a genetically modified bacterium that has the capability of releasing extracellular degradation enzymes to degrade polyethylene (PE) based sanitary pads. The bacteria will be engineered to sense K+ ions found after RBC lysis from menstrual blood would upregulate the expression of polyethylene degrading laccase enzyme and biofilm production CsgD gene. The proof of concept will be shown in Escherichia coli. Successful transformation of these genetic components can lead to a novel and eco-friendly way of dealing with colossal amounts menstrual waste produced each year.

Simple Abstract

Robustness, one of the plastic’s greatest qualities is now turning into its curse - its longevity means that plastics stay in our environment for hundreds of years. Even when degraded, plastics break down into fragments (microplastics) and propagate into the marine food chain, choking them to death. The last decade has seen a multitude of measures being undertaken to clamp down on non-biodegradable plastics. But one kind of plastic commodity still largely remain unnoticed. Sanitary pads today comprise 90% plastic, namely polyethylene and polypropylene. They are non-biodegradable and take a minimum of 700 years to degrade. To add to its contents, used pads are classified under solid waste according to Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules of India. This means used pads are more often than not wrapped in paper and discarded with the rest of the household waste. Moreover, just 2 cities in India (Pune and Bangalore) actually intervene to segregate menstrual waste from other solid waste. Menstrual waste constitutes of menstrual absorbents, soiled blood, and human tissue remnants. The lack of any form of an eco-friendly menstrual waste management system is an extremely distressing issue. Living in one of only 2 cities in the nation to actively address the issue, we at MIT-ADT University want to do more. Using the tools of synthetic biology and in the spirit of innovation that iGEM believes in to combat real-world problems; we would like to present a novel solution for dealing with a sanitary waste problem called PEred. Our approach to decontamination includes engineering in our bacteria a genetic circuitry which includes a K+ responsive promoter system with our gene cascade, which includes polyethylene degrading enzyme, laccase, and biofilm creation Curli proteins for enhanced adhesion to these pads.We envision PEred to be a one-stop solution to handling soiled sanitary napkins safely and in a sustainable way.

Vellore

Original Abstract

We have designed a genetic circuit to detect and specifically destroy multiple target bacterial species/strains containing antibiotic resistance gene using bacteriophage. Our genetic circuit employs two parts. The first part is the antisense RNA to determine the presence of antibiotic resistance gene. The second part is the J protein hopping mechanism. The antisense RNA is used to identify antibiotic resistant bacteria. On detection, a switch to the lytic life cycle of virus results in the disruption of the bacteria and release of more phages. In the absence of resistance gene, lysogenic state is maintained. Normally, a single virus can target a specific bacteria. J protein has been identified to play a crucial role in recognition of its bacterial target. Our system employs alternate promoters controlling the expression of multiple J protein. This allows the virus to have multiple bacterial targets.

Simple Abstract

Antibiotic resistance is a major problem in medicine today. Mis-consumption of antibiotics & unnecessary prescription of antibiotics for minor bacterial & viral infections has led to a situation where existing antibiotics have stopped having an effect on the pathogens. Our project ARM’D UP deals with the epidemic of antibiotic resistance by using bacteriophages to transfer certain genes (pieces of DNA) which will target only resistant bacteria for cell lysis, so as not to disrupt the normal bacteria in our body. Bacteriophages can be termed as “bacteria-targeting viruses” that only target bacteria they have specificity for. Our genetic circuit first detects if the bacterium has antibiotic resistance gene, by using an ‘anti-sense’ RNA mechanism. This anti-sense is complementary to the antibiotic resistance gene, i.e. only if the resistance gene is present, the anti-sense part will attach to it & activate the rest of the circuit. Subsequently, the anti-sense attached to the antibiotic resistance gene is cleaved off & a protein called ‘Cro’ is released that switches the phage from lysogenic to lytic cycle. The lysogenic cycle helps the phage transfer its genes to the target bacterium while lytic cycle disrupts the bacterium & produces more phages. A hypothesis involves broadening the target range of a single phage. We put multiple ‘J proteins’ or specificity factors (through which it recognizes its target bacterium) in a single phage under different controls (promoters). This way, after the phage with active J protein specific t the first type of resistant bacterium has targeted the bacterium, it undergoes lysis producing phages with J protein specific to the second type of resistant bacterium. These phages go & target the second type of resistant bacterium, lysing it & producing phages with J protein specific to the third type of resistant bacterium. The cycle goes on until all resistant bacteria in the consortium are destroyed. With our project, phages can only target & kill bacteria only having AMR & a single phage can target qmore than one target bacteria in series, thereby, killing all different kinds of resistant bacteria in a population using only a single phage.

University of Ohio

Original Abstract

"The application of nitrogen fertilizers to agricultural crops often causes eutrophication of freshwater sources and environmental damage. Additionally, nitrogen fertilizers are currently produced using the Haber-Bosch process which is very energy intensive and uses large amounts of the world’s natural gas supply. With a growing population, new methods are needed to improve agricultural sustainability and yields. Some plants form a natural symbiosis with bacteria that can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and provide it to the plant, in a process termed nitrogen fixation. Unfortunately, many agricultural crops lack symbiotic nitrogen fixing partners. A major crop lacking a bacterial partner is maize. We are attempting to take a natural colonizer of corn roots, Pseudomonas protogens, and introduce a 27 kb gene cluster from Rhodopseudomonas palustris that encodes the ability to fix nitrogen. If successful, this organism could reduce the need for industrially fixed nitrogen fertilizers."

Simple Abstract

All plants are nourished from below by soil bacteria that manufacture critical nutrients. Naturally-existing soil bacteria cannot produce enough of some nutrients, especially nitrogen, to sustain serious agriculture of crops like corn. About one century ago, chemists learned to build factories that could economically produce nitrogen, which farmers would buy and spread on their fields. This system fuels modern agriculture, but at a steep cost. Such factories consume enormous amounts of energy. Perhaps more importantly, about half the nitrogen farmers put on their fields ends up in waterways, where it fuels catastrophic disruptions of aquatic ecosystems. Our solution is to take the genes responsible for nitrogen-production from a free-living soil microbe and put them in a microbe that adheres to corn roots. Instead of dumping nitrogen fertilizer on their fields, farmers will apply copious quantities of these engineered microbes. Because the microbes will produce nitrogen mere micrometers from the plants' roots, the plants will absorb most of it before it escapes into waterways. Our bacteria will protect aquatic ecosystems and put fossil-fuel guzzling nitrogen-factories out of business. So far, we have successfully transferred the genes into our host organism. We are presently testing whether our engineered organism is indeed producing enough nitrogen; tests so far have been ambivalent.