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| <h4 style="font-family: Slim-Joe;">Environmental Bioremediation</h4> | | <h4 style="font-family: Slim-Joe;">Environmental Bioremediation</h4> |
| <p>As a non-replicative, stable transport mechanism able to carry functional proteins and molecules, the potential for OMVs to aid in bioremediation without posing a biosafety risk was evident since inception of our project. To investigate this application, we met with <b>Mike Manefield</b>, a researcher and founder of Environmental Biotechnology company Micronovo, which specialises in bioaugmentation of polluted environments.</p> | | <p>As a non-replicative, stable transport mechanism able to carry functional proteins and molecules, the potential for OMVs to aid in bioremediation without posing a biosafety risk was evident since inception of our project. To investigate this application, we met with <b>Mike Manefield</b>, a researcher and founder of Environmental Biotechnology company Micronovo, which specialises in bioaugmentation of polluted environments.</p> |
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− | <p>Picture of the team with Mike or something relating to environmental bioremediation?</p>
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| <p>A key question our team had for Mike was how environmental biotechnologies can successfully be implemented into Australian industries, and what barriers exist to this implementation. The first issue he identified was the disconnect which exists between research, classically conducted at university institutions, and businesses. In Australia there exists a need for greater interdisciplinary integration, so that the foundational research is able to be developed effectively into useful products for society. The difficulty of regulation, particularly environmental regulation, was flagged by Mike as a definite difficulty he faces in the continued implementation of his own work. Liaising with environmental protection agencies is necessary, and requires effective scientific communication, not only about the mechanics of the project, but the risks which have been evaluated. Mike found himself often dispelling preconceived notions, which had caused bias against the progression of environmental biotechnologies. Another hurdle to effectively creating a market for environmental bioremediation was the inclusion of terminology in legislation which unintentionally impacted the use of bioremediation technologies. </p> | | <p>A key question our team had for Mike was how environmental biotechnologies can successfully be implemented into Australian industries, and what barriers exist to this implementation. The first issue he identified was the disconnect which exists between research, classically conducted at university institutions, and businesses. In Australia there exists a need for greater interdisciplinary integration, so that the foundational research is able to be developed effectively into useful products for society. The difficulty of regulation, particularly environmental regulation, was flagged by Mike as a definite difficulty he faces in the continued implementation of his own work. Liaising with environmental protection agencies is necessary, and requires effective scientific communication, not only about the mechanics of the project, but the risks which have been evaluated. Mike found himself often dispelling preconceived notions, which had caused bias against the progression of environmental biotechnologies. Another hurdle to effectively creating a market for environmental bioremediation was the inclusion of terminology in legislation which unintentionally impacted the use of bioremediation technologies. </p> |
| <ul> | | <ul> |
− | <li>Scientific communication</li>
| + | <p><b>Lessons learnt & implemented into Bleb from this line of enquiry:</b> |
− | <li>Environmental protection agencies</li>
| + | <li>Identifying a <b>gap in the market</b> is necessary to create a successful product. Particularly in Australia, where the biotechnology industry is relatively small, thoughtful technology design is very important. For our project, continued market research will be necessary to determine the scope of its applicability in this area.</li> |
− | <li>Discrepancy between states</li> | + | <li><b>Industrial optimisation </b> is an essential factor to consider. Particularly as our product does not replicate, the viability of the product to be produced on a large scale must be assessed. Additionally, the benefit of biosafety against the need to place large amounts of product in polluted sites should be balanced, and research into companies who have considered similar ideas in the past need to be studied.</li> |
− | <li>Dispelling preconceived notions biasing against progression of these technologies</li>
| + | <li>The potential by-products of OMV biodegradation in the environment must be adequately tested in order to comply with environmental protection laws. This testing will be part of our future research </li> |
− | <li>Emergent technologies accidentally captured in legislation not specific to the technologies</li>
| + | <li>As an industrial product, the longevity of OMVs both in the environment and on the shelf need to be investigated. When functionalising OMVs for industrial use in later research stages, stabilisation will be considered as a key design element </li> |
− | </ul>
| + | </p> |
− | <p>Considerations:</p>
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− | <ul>
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− | <li>What gap in the market is it filling: this must be established to be successful</li>
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− | <li>Learn from the commercialisation effort of putting enzyme straight into the environment (Dupont Orica)</li> | + | |
− | <li>Replication: consider that although it may be a positive, or may also be a hurdle? Numbers to degrade the pollutant need to be made in the lab</li> | + | |
− | <li>Potential by-products </li>
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− | <li>Longevity and shelf-life </li> | + | |
| </ul> | | </ul> |
| <p>Importance of interdisciplinary integration </p> | | <p>Importance of interdisciplinary integration </p> |
| <h4 style="font-family: Slim-Joe;">Medical Biotechnology</h4> | | <h4 style="font-family: Slim-Joe;">Medical Biotechnology</h4> |
− | <p>The production of OMVs by bacterium has been theorised as a means of passing information between pathogenic organisms. Extending upon this potential for OMVs to transport biologically significant molecules, our foundational technology could be customised for medicinal use, as a drug delivery system, or biosensor.</p> | + | <p>Our OMV platform technology could be customised for various medicinal uses by using OMVs for the uptake, delivery or transport of biologically significant molecules. For example, we hypothesised the potential functionalisation of OMVs into a drug delivery system, biosensor, or vaccine carrier.</p> |
− | <p>To discuss the potential of this application, we met with <b>Lawrence Lee</b>, an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow at the University of New South Wales, who specializes in the artificial synthesis of complex nanoscale biological machines and other bio-inspired technologies. As supervisor of the Biomod Australia team, Lee has a keen interest in synthetic biology, and the potential it holds for the future of medicine.</p> | + | <p>To discuss such applications, we met with <b>Lawrence Lee</b>, an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow at the UNSW, specialising in the artificial synthesis of complex nanoscale biological machines and other bio-inspired technologies. As supervisor of the Biomod Australia team, Lee has a keen interest in synthetic biology, and the potential it holds for the future of medicine.</p> |
− | | + | <p>From our dialogue with Lawrence, we came to appreciate the potential for synthetic biology in the medical field. By utilising nature as a blueprint, as we have done with the design of our project, we are able to capitalise on exisiting biological processes, and optimise them for novel uses. Some advantages which Lawrence identified from our initial ideas was the clear potential for targeted drug delivery which OMVs provide. Additionally, potential customisation of a biosensor could be optimised to provide point to care diagnostics, and greatly improve patient care.</p> |
− | <p>Picture of the team with Lawrence or something relating to medical biotechnology?</p>
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| <p>Potential Synbio and our project:</p> | | <p>Potential Synbio and our project:</p> |