Requiem for a Stream

Our project removes ammonia from waste water, and via two E. coli mutants turns it into nitrous oxide.

Ammonia is a common pollutant in agricultural runoff, and excess ammonia in the environment leads to increased algae growth and eutrophication, which starves other water-borne organisms for oxygen. Our project reverses nitrogen fixation, and is a means to clean up polluted streams and wastewater. The final product is nitrous oxide, which can be sold as an industrial product or reclaimed and used as a source of small scale sustainable energy.

For more information on the mutants, please see project details.