Team:SoundBio/Human Practices
Alfie Germano, CEO of Nanollose, introduced us to the usage of microbial cellulose to make clothing that is environmentally friendly. His work informed us about the issues that currently exist in clothing production. “Currently nearly all cellulose is procured from cultivating trees and chemically extracting it.” Using microbial cellulose, clothes can be produced without cutting down trees, chemical extraction. On top of that, Nanollose designers can repurpose organic waste for the cellulose production. Besides the benefits from using a greener raw material, Germano also suggested that enhancements in tensile strength and absorption could further establish microbial cellulose as an effective and efficient biomaterial in the textile industry.
Dr. Edmund Seto (UW Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences) researches air pollution exposure measurement and modeling. We initially contacted him to explore whether BC can be functionalized to address air pollution in the Pacific Northwest. He raised concern about the logistics of our project while giving us some guiding tips to overcome those obstacles. “I'd want to see what's been done before: what specific bacteria were used and how they were used? Was it effective? Was it cost-effective?”
One of the key themes was seeing how feasible it would be to use BC in terms of effectively removing particulate matter 2.5 as well as implementation of BC technology for large scale impact. He also brought up the accessibility of our project, how we’d maintain our bioreactor, install it, and eventually discard or recycle it.
Dr. Nicole Gibran, UW professor of Surgery and Trauma & Burn,
answered the following questions for us:
What are current burn/wound treatment methods? Are there any disadvantages or issues with them?
We learned that there is no agreement among experts about which approach is best. 20 years ago, Silvadene was introduced into the market due to its sulfa properties which can treat bacterial infections, but lacks the ability to let doctors monitor the wound and is really painful.
She told us that she could consider using bacterial cellulose for patients she has encountered , but would need to know more about its effectiveness.
Her 5 key properties in a burn treatment option are that it is:
Dr. Richard Gustafson, UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, is an expert on biofuels and bioproducts.
We contacted Dr. Gustafson for suggestions on the application of bacterial cellulose in the manufacture of jet fuel and other biofuels. Although Dr. Gustafson advised against the use of bacterial cellulose in the production of fuel due to its high expenses, he suggested that “it’s much better to focus on using bacterial cellulose to produce high value products like the membranes for burn victims.”
Integrated Human Practices
Throughout the course of the year, our team reached out to a variety of researchers, surgeons, and academics to guide the design and future of our project. Seeking to diversify our team’s skills and knowledge, connect our project to important societal issues, and adapt our project’s design accordingly, we intentionally integrated our human practices work with all facets of our project.Learn More About SoundBio's Integrated Human Practices
Education & Engagement
Our team also placed an emphasis on sponsoring educational outreach, especially by teaching principles of STEM and biology to local children and our community. Our main initiative, dubbed Minterlab, and its curriculum has been used both by our own team and by other iGEM teams around the world. We sought to not only inform the general public about our project and the significance of synthetic biology, but we also engaged with your community to better inform our own project in turn.Learn More About SoundBio's Education and Engagement
Learn More About Minterlab