Protection

Overview

To enhance the protective qualities of our antimicrobial BC packaging, our team integrated PHB-producing E. coli into our co-culture. We hoped this would reinforce the mechanical properties of BC, and reinforce its viability as a sustainable, antimicrobial packaging in a plastic-dominated packaging market.

To ensure our proposed solution was both effective and relevant to consumer needs, our team employed an iterative human-centred design process:

1. Understand the Problem: How can synthetic biology prevent plastic waste?
2. Research and Ideate Solutions: Identify a way to improve PHB production
3. Design Solutions: Integrate PHB into bacterial cellulose and test RBS strengths
4. Create and Test: Express PHB in E. coli and perform uniaxial testing
5. Evaluate: Produce PHB in our co-culture design and improve overall strength

The cycle of HP-informed iteration will continue as we further develop Cellucoat, and explore future directions for its applications.