Team:UM Macau
Biofilm Removing E.coli for Aquarium Cleaning
Abstract
As biofilms grow rapidly, it attaches to the inner surface of aquariums and aquatic organisms; this lowers the water quality if not cleaned regularly. However, the removal of biofilms in large aquariums is time-consuming and relies on inefficient labor through scrubbing. To address these concerns, we engineered the BL21 bacteria strain of E.coli to detect and biodegrade biofilms. The promoter, LuxR is utilized to drive the expression of the AHL receptor, which recognizes the signaling molecule AHL that is secreted by biofilms to direct the movement of the BL21 Bacteria. With co-expression of DNase, proteases and an adhesive protein, Ag43, our engineered bacteria will bind to the biofilm and degrade it efficiently.