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           <h1>The Green Seed Problem</h1><h2 style="font-family:Barlow">Green Seeds Lead to Green Oil</h2>
 
           <h1>The Green Seed Problem</h1><h2 style="font-family:Barlow">Green Seeds Lead to Green Oil</h2>
 
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          The green seed problem arises when canola plants are exposed
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                    to frost, drought or other inclement weather before maturation is complete.</h2>
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          <h2>The chlorophyll
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                    degradation pathway is suspended and the seed remains green.</h2>
 
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                  <h1>What is it?</h1>
 
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                  <p>As canola seeds mature, enzymes break down the green chlorophyll pigment resulting
 
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                    in a mature brown seed. The "green seed problem" arises when canola plants are exposed
 
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                    to frost, drought or other inclement weather before maturation is complete. The chlorophyll
 
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                    degradation pathway is suspended and the seed remains green.</p>
 
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           <h1>So what's the big deal?</h1>
 
           <h1>So what's the big deal?</h1>
 
           <h2>Green seeds cause financial harm to farmers are oil producers.</h2>
 
           <h2>Green seeds cause financial harm to farmers are oil producers.</h2>

Revision as of 01:38, 22 October 2019

iGEM Calgary 2019

CANOLA: one of Canada's largest agricultural industries

First bred in 1974, canola has gone on to become one of Canada’s leading crops. The industry contributes 19.3 billion dollars to the Canadian economy every year while providing 12.5 billion dollars in wages to 249,000 workers. Canada is also the number one exporter of canola in the world and annually exports 9 billion dollars worth of seed, oil, and meal to countries like the USA, China, Japan, and Mexico.

A major problem

Green seed causes millions of dollars of losses in the canola industry. We're here to change that.

The Green Seed Problem

Green Seeds Lead to Green Oil



The green seed problem arises when canola plants are exposed to frost, drought or other inclement weather before maturation is complete.

The chlorophyll degradation pathway is suspended and the seed remains green.



So what's the big deal?

Green seeds cause financial harm to farmers are oil producers.



Project

Helping the canola industry.

Description

Overview

Learn more about the project as a whole and its inspiration.

Wet Lab

Production

Learn more about how we engineered E. coli to produce a water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein.

Wet Lab

Remove chlorophyll in oil with protein

How we've shown that we can then emulsify the proteins to remove chlorophyll from oil.

Modelling

Inform the project.

How our many models directly impacted and informed the work performed in the wet lab.

Industry

Standardization

How we created software and a standard environment to be able to grade seeds accurately.

Industry

Weather

How we've created a tool that empowers farmers to make informed agronomic decisions.

Wet Lab

Repurpose Chlorophyll

Learn more about how we engineered E. coli to produce a multiple enzymes that degrade chlorophyll into pheophorbide, an anti-fungal that can act on Sclerotinia.

Project Components

Human Practices

We conducted in-depth conversations with professionals from both the academic and agricultural community in Alberta

Project

We created tools and mechanisms to help canola farmers, graders and crushers

Modelling

Computer modelling informed experimental design through every step

Software

We developed a hardware integrated computer vision algorithm to automate the seed grading process

Journal

We meticulously documented methods and protocols used throughout the project

Public Engagement

We engaged with the local community. Spreading our knowledge and eliciting public feedback.