Although we were successful in creating a PETase biobrick, we have yet to collect enough data to find an ideal promoter for the construct. As such, the future proceedings of this project would be in gathering a greater amount of data at more frequent intervals in order to identify an ideal promoter.
In addition, we hope to insert an ampicillin resistance gene in our construct, and test for E. coli growth on an ampicillin plate. Testing for another selection factor would act as a secondary confirmation test for the successful construction of a PETase biobrick.
Determining the Andersen promoter with the highest potential to degrade PET plastic would be the first step regarding real-life applications of our lab. The later steps of the PET
degradation process, such as the breakdown of Terephthalic Acid and Ethylene Glycol, may be topics of further investigation.
