What we are doing

If our project could be successfully implemented in the world, its main customers would be those who are interested in cleaning fertilizer (those that contain nitrogen) runoff from their waterways. In order to utilize our product, one would need to release the E. Coli containing our nitrate-capturing system in these waterways, which would activate once the nitrate-sensing promoter detects nitrate in the water. Once activated, the E. Coli would secrete a biofilm outside the cell that would capture the nitrate.

Our nitrate-capturing system would have to be delivered to customers as a lab specimen, so it would have to be handled and stored with proper care. Once released, it would take some time for the system to take effect. It would be best if this process was done out of the sun, since UV-rays are known to kill bacteria such as E. Coli, which would be counterproductive. After a satisfactory level of nitrate in the water has been reached, one would still need to take proper precaution to then remove the E. Coli, since E. Coli is a bacteria that should not be ingested. There are many known water filtration systems that can easily remove E. Coli, which would be something our team would potentially need to look into if we wanted to market our product.

Working with E. Coli in general can be dangerous if it is accidentally consumed, which is a potential safety hazard. In order to combat this, there would need to be some proper procedures put into place to prevent the the working E. Coli from the waterways from ever reaching someone’s mouth. Perhaps not only filtering the water, but also letting the water sit in a shallow out in sunlight for a while before releasing it back into the public.