Team:Dundee/HumanPractice/CaseStudy

From 2013.igem.org

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           <h2><b>The ToxiMop Game</b> </h2>
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           <h2><b>Clatto Country Park – Case Study</b> </h2>
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           <p>Presenting, the ToxiMop flash game! This was made for us over the course of a few weeks by a group of five undergraduate students from the University of Abertay, Dundee. They go by the name “Digital Janitors” and are made up of two computer artists and three programmers. We’d like to thank them for devoting their time and energy into the game, as they treated it as a summer project to help us out!<br><br>
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           <p><div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 5px"><strong>ToxiMop tackles a local problem.</strong></div>
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Many of the water bodies located in and around Dundee have been affected by outbreaks of Blue-Green Algae. This was a motivation which drove the team to choose this project and to attempt to find a solution which would have a local impact with worldwide applications.</p><br>
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          The aim of the game is simple: you are a PP1-expressing <i>E. Coli</i> cell, under attack from evil toxin-producing <i>Microcystis aeruginosa</i> cyanobacteria! <br><br>
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        <p><div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 5px"><strong>Blue-Green Algae has affected Clatto Country Park.</strong></div>  
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This is one of many locations in Dundee where Blue-Green Algae has had a dramatic effect. In the past, the park has had peaks of 95,000 visitors per year with recreational activities (including watersports), children’s play areas and picnic sites providing entertainment for all ages. All of these attractions were focussed around the park’s freshwater reservoir and the surrounding woods.</p><br>
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           Mop up their troublesome toxic action by firing PP1 and converting them into harmless cyanobacteria, increasing your multiplier for each mopped cell that reaches the centre of the petri dish. Increase your firing speed by picking up the small arrows that enemies drop, increasing your mopping power! Watch out though! Every evil cyanobacteria that reaches the centre of the dish will destroy your multiplier and take away one of your three lives. Lose all three and its game over!<br><br>
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           <p><div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 5px"><strong>ToxiMop is a prototype device to help restore water bodies.</strong></div>
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Moving forward in time, with Blue-Green Algae problems faced by Clatto each year, recreational swimming is no longer permitted. This has led to a closure of the watersport programmes and the display of signage to warn the public of the danger associated with entering the water. These actions have had such a dramatic effect upon the use of Clatto that the number of visitors per year has reduced to less than 30,000. This reduction in visitors has led to the closure of the staffing facilities in the park and has social and economic implications for the immediate community. Clatto Country Park is now a shadow of its former glory.</p><br>
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           Digital Janitors and the Dundee iGEM team would like to point out that the ToxiMop doesn’t literally fire PP1 to mop up microcystin, the ToxiMop works more like an actual mop! For precise details check out the mop section of our Wiki!
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           <p><div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 5px"><strong>MOP campaign raised awareness that testing and regulations may be inappropriate.</strong></div>
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In order to best understand the problems faced by Clatto Country Park, we have been working with Senior Countryside Ranger George Potts who has been involved in the operations of the park for over 40 years. Having discussed the issues surrounding park closures due to algal bloom outbreaks, the team felt that the current testing and safety procedures implemented at the park were in need of questioning. To investigate the suitability of these procedures, the team started the Mop Campaign with the intention of bringing together law legislators and scientists.</p><br>
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          <p><div style="font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 5px"><strong>Moptopus shows the feasibility of a daily monitoring system</strong></div>
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Currently, sampling is carried out once a month. When a high number of cyanobacterial cells are detected, the park is said to have failed the sample test. Three clean tests are subsequently required to clear the reservoir for recreational use. Therefore, should high levels of cyanobacterial cells be detected during the summer, the reservoir is closed for a minimum of 3 months. Using synthetic biology, our ToxiMop project has the potential to allow the rapid re-opening of locations like Clatto Country Park. With time and effort, the park could be restored and once more become an invaluable part of the community. </p><br>
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Latest revision as of 15:32, 1 October 2013

iGEM Dundee 2013 · ToxiMop

ToxiMop tackles a local problem.
Many of the water bodies located in and around Dundee have been affected by outbreaks of Blue-Green Algae. This was a motivation which drove the team to choose this project and to attempt to find a solution which would have a local impact with worldwide applications.


Blue-Green Algae has affected Clatto Country Park.
This is one of many locations in Dundee where Blue-Green Algae has had a dramatic effect. In the past, the park has had peaks of 95,000 visitors per year with recreational activities (including watersports), children’s play areas and picnic sites providing entertainment for all ages. All of these attractions were focussed around the park’s freshwater reservoir and the surrounding woods.


ToxiMop is a prototype device to help restore water bodies.
Moving forward in time, with Blue-Green Algae problems faced by Clatto each year, recreational swimming is no longer permitted. This has led to a closure of the watersport programmes and the display of signage to warn the public of the danger associated with entering the water. These actions have had such a dramatic effect upon the use of Clatto that the number of visitors per year has reduced to less than 30,000. This reduction in visitors has led to the closure of the staffing facilities in the park and has social and economic implications for the immediate community. Clatto Country Park is now a shadow of its former glory.


MOP campaign raised awareness that testing and regulations may be inappropriate.
In order to best understand the problems faced by Clatto Country Park, we have been working with Senior Countryside Ranger George Potts who has been involved in the operations of the park for over 40 years. Having discussed the issues surrounding park closures due to algal bloom outbreaks, the team felt that the current testing and safety procedures implemented at the park were in need of questioning. To investigate the suitability of these procedures, the team started the Mop Campaign with the intention of bringing together law legislators and scientists.


Moptopus shows the feasibility of a daily monitoring system
Currently, sampling is carried out once a month. When a high number of cyanobacterial cells are detected, the park is said to have failed the sample test. Three clean tests are subsequently required to clear the reservoir for recreational use. Therefore, should high levels of cyanobacterial cells be detected during the summer, the reservoir is closed for a minimum of 3 months. Using synthetic biology, our ToxiMop project has the potential to allow the rapid re-opening of locations like Clatto Country Park. With time and effort, the park could be restored and once more become an invaluable part of the community.