Team:MichiganState/Integrated Human Practices
Integrated Human Practices
Human Practices Overview
We wanted to go above and beyond, furthering our knowledge about our project and surrounding issues. We did this by reaching out to different professionals in the field, including those in the biochemistry department, as well as engineers, and environmental specialists. They were able to give us helpful feedback and information that we then used to modify our project and create the most thought through project.
Initial Meeting with Advisors
Description:
MSU iGEM originally started the year by brainstorming many different ideas with the help of our mentors. They directed our excited brains in directions that could be realistic and beneficial.
Input:
Our mentors advised us to split into groups and do a little bit of research on different project ideas to see which ones fit our interests, then as these ideas became more solidified, to brainstorm how to design experimental approaches that would be feasible.
Modifications:
Our group split into three different subgroups to focus on different project ideas. The three groups were focused on reducing mosquito-borne illnesses, reducing landfill emissions, and creating a biosensor to diagnose Lyme Disease. Each group did extensive research into each of these three topic areas, including a background of the issue, how synthetic biology could be used to improve the issue, and potential target genes that could achieve a solution.
Biochemistry Department
Description:
We presented 3 different research topics in front of the Michigan State University biochemistry department to gain feedback and ideas for our project going forward. We had over 100 people in attendance, including students and professors.
Input:
We received so much helpful feedback from all different kinds of professionals in the field. They asked each group questions to get us thinking more deeply about our different projects. They also directed us to different issues that we may encounter for each project idea. They advised us to choose the most feasible project, so something could be accomplished in the short time frame of the iGEM experience. They also encouraged us to choose the project with the fewest regulatory hurdles so it can be tested and applied. Finally, a consistent piece of advice was to design the project with multiple independent subparts, so that the team can use resources more effectively, accomplish more in the time frame, and reduce the risk of one part not working.
Modifications:
We got very good information from professors who work directly in the field. We took these comments seriously and started to develop our initial project outline. Each group took this feedback and worked to address valid concerns that were brought to our attention. After developing potential solutions we reconvened as a large group and selected the best project to move forward with. We decided to select the project related to reducing landfill emissions of methane and converting it into a precursor for biofuels. This project was selected because of strong interest (see Human Practices), because we were able to incorporate aspects of all three subgroup projects into it, as well as it was the most feasible to be completed due to time constraints and regulations. With that being said we did want to do more research into the regulations set for landfills especially the ones regarding methane emissions. Finally, we wanted to incorporate a design subgroup that could focus on creating a bioreactor to be implemented in landfills.
Wei Liao First Meeting
Description:
Dr. Wei Liao got his Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering and works at MSU in Biosystems Engineering as an associate professor and as the director of the Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC). His vast knowledge of bioenergy, anaerobic systems, and gas capture systems was critical to our bioreactor design. We presented our bioreactor design and system to him and he gave us helpful information to direct our design.
Input:
We were heavily focusing our design ideas on the bioreactor itself and trying to maximize the surface area for the biofilm. Wei Liao informed us that there were already many mainstream bioreactor designs that can be commercially ordered. He directed us to look more into the whole system from the initial landfill gas to the end product of 2, 3 Butanediol. This involves statistical data such as mass transfer involving the percentages of 2, 3-Butanediol produced for the amount of methane put in.
Modifications:
We took Wei Liao’s feedback very seriously. We researched and found that the maximum yield of 2,3 Butanediol is 0.809 g (2,3 BDO)/ 1 g CH4. We are very happy about this yield because it is a good ratio that improves the feasibility of our project. We also discovered that concentrations above 20g/L of 2, 3 Butanediol inhibits the growth of methanotrophs, so we determined that our system would need to be designed to be frequently drained of the butanediol. This also caused us to change our focus of designing our bioreactor, instead of looking into those already designed and researching which would be best for our specific project and working off of that.
Wei Liao Second Meeting
Description:
We met with Wei Liao a second time to discuss the data we found about our methanotroph. We wanted to talk about the actual design of the bioreactor. We had created a cad model of the bioreactor and wanted to hear how the biofilm would grow.
Input:
He advised us to find a design with the most surface area so that we can maximize the bacteria volume ratio. He also said that they have premade biofilm material that we should look up and make our design similar.
Modifications:
Our team researched different kinds of mainstream products that have maximized surface area for bacteria growth. We were able to create a "mesh-like" design in our model and calculate the most efficient surface area to volume ratio while keeping the integrity of the structure.
Rodney Nemeth
Description:
We went to a landfill in Lennon Michigan to visit Rodney Nemeth who is the Michigan Area Gas Operations Manager for Waste Management. We wanted to talk to him to gain insight from an engineer who works in the field and knows more about the actual process of how our design would be implemented.
Input:
Rodney said that similar ideas are being used in the landfill circuit. He said that some of the landfills are using GMO bacteria to perform certain tasks more efficiently. He also talked to us about how much leftover gas is released into the environment because there is too much for the current capture system. He also showed us the different parts of the landfill and how they work.
Modifications:
We took what Rodney said to heart and was able to modify our project to make it better. From this conversation, we began focusing on all of the leftover gas emissions that are not being used and are just released into the atmosphere. We were also able to modify our bioreactor implementation design after seeing the current structures that they have implemented.
Gina L. McCann, Senior Environmental Quality Analyst
Description:
Gina is a Senior Environmental Quality Analyst in the Air Quality Division working for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. We wanted to talk to her to get an idea about the current regulations that we would face when trying to implement our GMO into a landfill. She has expertise in environmental and air regulations.
Input:
She was able to tell us that under the Clean Air Act, there are currently a couple of different regulations that require landfills to control their emissions. They are the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) WWW and XXX. She was able to give us many different resources to find the exact regulations that would apply to our project.
Modifications:
We were able to take this information to heart and modify our implementation to make sure that we were following all of the standards. We were also able to incorporate one of our subgroups creating a kill switch to keep our GMO DNA contained.
Kenneth Ruffatto, Environmental Engineer
Description:
We wanted to talk to an environmental engineer to get real experience from someone who works in the field. He has expertise in engineering as it applies to what will functionally work when designing projects for the environment.
Input:
He told us about different regulatory hurdles as well as the regulations that have proven to be the most difficult for many biotechnology companies to comply with more developed projects. He was able to tell us about the new regulations that are in place and about other companies who are working with landfills using GMO bacteria.
Modifications:
Our team thought about our project and how it would comply with these new regulations. We were able to look up the other companies that use GMO bacteria and have currently implemented their systems including LanzaTech. Looking into these systems helped us figure out how to proceed with our implementation.