Team:RUM-UPRM/Description
Project Description
Our Problem
Vieques, an Environmental Crisis
The Chassis
Pseudomonas putida
Pseudomonas putida is considered one of the most versatile bacterial strains since it possesses several distinctive characteristics that are required in order to create a viable prototype. This bacterium is Gram-negative and aerobic, requiring oxygen for its metabolism. This saprotrophic bacteria is rod-shaped and measures between 0.5 and 0.8μm. A favorable element that this bacterium provides is the many plasmids it contains, which is a great attribute to apply in synthetic biology mechanisms. It also has the ability to emit green fluorescent pigments.15
In order to survive, P. putida requires a temperature between 25-30°C and a neutral pH of 6-8. It is important to highlight that this bacterium can be considered a human pathogen; however, it’s naturally found in soil and is non-pathogenic to plants or animals. Another significant characteristic is the tolerance to environments with metal contamination and the ability to increase resistance to heat and saline stressors through its filamentous phenotype. These characteristics make this organism of great interest for bioremediation and serves as a biosensor for the detection of a variety of pollutants, which we found to be a determining factor in order to apply it to our genetic construct that focuses on the detection and biodegradation of contaminants like mercury and RDX. 15
Our Solution
Mer-Nite to the Rescue
References