Abstract

The project SANCE is a 14-months project starting from August 2018 and ending in October 2019. The project demonstrates and proves the concept of a controllable nanoparticle/microparticle collector microorganism, through which, we would able to solve the current issue of suspended solids exceeding standards in Macau sewage treatment process and eventually lead to cheaper and more effective wastewater treatment technique. The project also plan to largely engage in public society by holding diverse outreach activities including local wastewater treatment plant visiting, social survey and interview, university workshop and summer camp engagement. Through this project, we aim to achieve a more efficient sewage technique and hereby enhance the awareness of Macau residents in water source protection.

Introduction

With the entrance into 21st century, enormous new techniques and innovations are expanding rapidly, people’s demands of high-quality life are rising along with. Industrial water consumption increased, so as domestic water consumption. In the decade between 2008 to 2018, the total water consumption in Macau increased more than 20 million cubic meters. However, according to the official statistics from DSEC Macau, the daily average of total suspended solids in the waste water treated at the WWTP in Coloane exceeded the limit value by 276.7% in 2017. A new advanced solid-particle collection technique is in an urgent need.

Our team, as a participant in the 2019 International Genetically Modified Machinery (iGEM) competition, aim to apply the synthetic biology into society by engineering a controllable nanoparticle/microparticle collector microorganism via bacteria aggregation in the process of wastewater treatment. Additionally, via a magnetic field, we would achieve a goal of microorganism immobilization to eventually collect the nano- or micro- particles in wastewater. Its capabilities in collecting nanoparticles will be applied to remove possible pollutants, particularly those undegradable pollutants, such as heavy metal mercury, phosphate, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, and organic compounds. The success of our project would provide a cheap and renewable organism that we can use to clean up particles at the nano- or micro- levels. We are targeting at particle-free water release, and treated water can be educed into natural water or used for domestic supply after post-treatment.