proposed implementation
Our project aimsto strangle locust plague at birthbut without killing them. In detail, we want to degrade the aggregation pheromoneguaiacol and serotonin in locusts’ guts by using degrading enzymes cytochrome P450 & Ferredoxin Reductase (CYP&FR) and monoamine oxidase andAldose reductase (MAO&ALDR)expressed by our engineered bacteria.
If our project succeeds, we plan to further research whether our design is useful in real practice. Our team decide to negotiate with the local government and strive for a testing field to plantgrain, which is located in a locust-prone area. Then, if possible, we could apply for some professional people to overlook the condition of our testing field.Our plan is that this testing field will be separatedinto two parts.One is experimental group and one is control group.In spring, it is more likely that locust plague would happen. Therefore, we would spray the liquid which contains our engineered bacteriafrom irrigation sprinkler onto the experimental group. After a few days, we would compare the difference of degree ofdamage to the grain fieldbetween two parts of the field. The expected result is that the experimental group has less degree of damage than the control group,and the remaining locusts can no longer aggregate.
In addition, we will further investigate theconcentration of aggregation pheromone, guaiacol and serotonin in the intestinal tract of locuststhat have inhaled our engineered bacteria.If the concentration decreases, which match our expectation, then our project would be more comprehensive and successful.
In summer, when locust plaguesare not likely to happen, the heat-responsive suicide switch turns onwhen the temperature is higher than 37°C. If the temperature could not reach that highfor a long period, we decide touse the hot air blower to rise up the temperature to 37°Cor even higherin order to make the suicide switch function. This design shows that our proposed implementation is biosafety guaranteed