Difference between revisions of "Team:Stanford-Brown/SB16 BioMembrane p-Aramid"
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| − | <div class="col-sm-12 pagetext">Current industrial production of Kevlar® is based on materials which are derived from petrochemicals. The long term use of fossil fuels is hazardous to the environment and will become unsustainable as our fuel sources are exhausted. By replacing the monomers 1,4-phenylene-diamine and terephthaloyl chloride with a single biologically produced monomer | + | <div class="col-sm-12 pagetext">Current industrial production of Kevlar® is based on materials which are derived from petrochemicals. The long term use of fossil fuels is hazardous to the environment and will become unsustainable as our fuel sources are exhausted. By replacing the monomers 1,4-phenylene-diamine and terephthaloyl chloride with a single biologically produced monomer, para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), our team can manufacture poly-pABA, a cost-efficient and ecologically sound p-aramid Kevlar® analogue. |
Our primary goal is to optimize the production of pABA by identifying and isolating genes relevant for pABA synthesis and transforming them in <i>Escherichia coli (E. coli)</i>. | Our primary goal is to optimize the production of pABA by identifying and isolating genes relevant for pABA synthesis and transforming them in <i>Escherichia coli (E. coli)</i>. | ||
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| − | <div class="col-sm-7 pagetext-R"><div class="text"> | + | <div class="col-sm-7 pagetext-R"><div class="text">Our p-aramid production is focused on the manipulation of E. coli’s native Shikimate metabolic pathway to maximize the synthesis of our monomer p-aminobenzoic acid. In this pathway, pABA is an intermediate for folate synthesis [2].</div> |
| + | <div class="col-sm-7 pagetext-R"><div class="text">First, we wanted to enhance the activity of the first enzyme of the Shikimate pathway. This enzyme is 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase. By introducing more copies of the gene and overexpressing this enzyme in cells, an increased amount of carbon will be funneled into the pathway. The pathway then proceeds and produces (after several intermediate products) chorismate, which is partially funneled to produce pABA. Blitzen blue plasmid was used to transform DAHP synthase into <i>E. coli. </i></div> | ||
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Revision as of 21:57, 15 October 2016
p-Aramid team member Anna introduces the p-aramid project
Why aramids?
For our exploration purposes, it is important to have a membrane that can withstand harsh environments without bursting. While our collagen-elastin fiber and latex polymer display promising properties of elasticity and strength, their ability to withstand high physical stress is limited. Due to its rigidity (70,500 MPa [1]), toughness (2,920 MPa [1]), and low density (1.44 g/cm³ [1]), Kevlar® is highly capable of meeting the unique needs of inflatable modules and habitats. It can act as both a lightweight balloon reinforcement and shield against atmospheric debris. In addition, it is also highly resistant to chemical, thermal, and physical wear--making it ideal for durability in a harsh environment.
Today, a Kevlar® composite is used as a protective outer covering for the Bigelow Space Module on the International Space Station for exactly these reasons. We wanted to make an aramid fiber similar in structure to Kevlar so that it can exhibit those same desirable properties that Kevlar possesses.
Current industrial production of Kevlar® is based on materials which are derived from petrochemicals. The long term use of fossil fuels is hazardous to the environment and will become unsustainable as our fuel sources are exhausted. By replacing the monomers 1,4-phenylene-diamine and terephthaloyl chloride with a single biologically produced monomer, para-aminobenzoic acid (pABA), our team can manufacture poly-pABA, a cost-efficient and ecologically sound p-aramid Kevlar® analogue.
Our primary goal is to optimize the production of pABA by identifying and isolating genes relevant for pABA synthesis and transforming them in Escherichia coli (E. coli).
Experimental Design
Our p-aramid production is focused on the manipulation of E. coli’s native Shikimate metabolic pathway to maximize the synthesis of our monomer p-aminobenzoic acid. In this pathway, pABA is an intermediate for folate synthesis [2].
First, we wanted to enhance the activity of the first enzyme of the Shikimate pathway. This enzyme is 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase. By introducing more copies of the gene and overexpressing this enzyme in cells, an increased amount of carbon will be funneled into the pathway. The pathway then proceeds and produces (after several intermediate products) chorismate, which is partially funneled to produce pABA. Blitzen blue plasmid was used to transform DAHP synthase into E. coli.
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