Difference between revisions of "Team:OLS Canmore"

 
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<h4 class="ols_header"> BREAKING DOWN HAIR AND FEATHER WASTE INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS </h4>
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<h4 class="ols_header" id="ols_home"> BREAKING DOWN HAIR AND FEATHER WASTE INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS <br> <br> <br> </h4>
  
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The Breakers aim to break down hair in wastewater treatment facilities and feather waste in the poultry industry. This is done using keratinase - a proteolytic enzyme capable of breaking the strong bonds in keratin. The name Breakers was created from the words “break”, “keratinase” and “keratin degradation”. <i> The team’s motto is simple: ker-ate chop keratin waste! </i> <br> <br>
  
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Hair build-ups in wastewater treatment facilities lead to increased maintenance costs.  In addition to hair in water, an estimated 8.5 billion pounds of feather waste is produced every year.  Current methods for disposal of keratin waste include: incineration, which can lead to the release of many pollutants, foul odors, and harmful runoff capable of contaminating livestock and plants in the surrounding area; or burying the waste, which can lead to harmful leachate.  Both these processes have detrimental environmental impacts and are inefficient. <br> <br>
  
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<p class="ols_bodytext> The issue of keratin waste buildup is still a global issue that needs to be eradicated. In order to solve the problem, our team has decided to construct a Keratinase expressing E&#183; coli in order to speed up the degradation of hair and feathers in industrial waste systems. Keratin is a protein found both in hair and feathers and is extremely difficult to breakdown. The disulphide bonds, hydrogen bonds, and tightly wrapped helixes or polypeptide chains with amino acids make keratin one of the strongest natural proteins. The Bacillus genera is found to be the most prominent natural Keratinase producer. Without the help of Keratinase found in bacteria and fungi living in soybean waste, solfataric muds, polluted rivers, hot springs, Antarctic Soils and the Mediterranean Sea, keratin buildup would be a much larger issue. </p>
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As feathers and hair are protein-rich, there is an opportunity to turn the keratin waste into more beneficial protein products that can be of higher quality animal feed or fertilizer. Keratinases are capable of chemically degrading keratin down closer to its amino acids, resulting in a higher quality product.  The goal for the project is to provide an inexpensive and efficient method to more completely degrade keratin in both hair and feathers. Engineering <i> E. coli K12 </i> to express keratinase will accomplish this goal. <br> <br> <br>
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Contact us at: <br>
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https://www.facebook.com/OLeSsence/ <br>
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@igem_canmore <br>
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larvisais@redeemer.ab.ca
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Latest revision as of 00:43, 20 October 2016

BREAKING DOWN HAIR AND FEATHER WASTE INTO USEFUL PRODUCTS


The Breakers aim to break down hair in wastewater treatment facilities and feather waste in the poultry industry. This is done using keratinase - a proteolytic enzyme capable of breaking the strong bonds in keratin. The name Breakers was created from the words “break”, “keratinase” and “keratin degradation”. The team’s motto is simple: ker-ate chop keratin waste!

Hair build-ups in wastewater treatment facilities lead to increased maintenance costs. In addition to hair in water, an estimated 8.5 billion pounds of feather waste is produced every year. Current methods for disposal of keratin waste include: incineration, which can lead to the release of many pollutants, foul odors, and harmful runoff capable of contaminating livestock and plants in the surrounding area; or burying the waste, which can lead to harmful leachate. Both these processes have detrimental environmental impacts and are inefficient.

As feathers and hair are protein-rich, there is an opportunity to turn the keratin waste into more beneficial protein products that can be of higher quality animal feed or fertilizer. Keratinases are capable of chemically degrading keratin down closer to its amino acids, resulting in a higher quality product. The goal for the project is to provide an inexpensive and efficient method to more completely degrade keratin in both hair and feathers. Engineering E. coli K12 to express keratinase will accomplish this goal.


Contact us at:
https://www.facebook.com/OLeSsence/
@igem_canmore
larvisais@redeemer.ab.ca