Team:SDU-Denmark/Tour10

Introduction

Rubber demand, a new approach, and what we accomplished

Rising global demand for quality rubber calls for innovative ways of satisfying needs without compromising the environment. Natural rubber is produced by draining the rubber tree, and the establishment of new rubber plantations causes deforestation of the rainforest and occupation of arable lands.

We thought of an environmentally friendly approach. Imagine a world where natural rubber is produced by gene manipulated bacteria; perhaps inside fermentors that can be placed underground or in barren environments unsuitable for agriculture.

We introduced natural rubber-producing abilities from the rubber tree into the widely used production bacteria, Escherichia coli. Moreover, we tested whether the manipulated bacteria were in fact capable of producing the natural rubber.

The result? We found strong evidence for proof of concept: rubber producing bacteria. We look forward to presenting this - both throughout this wiki, and at the regional jamboree.

The chassis of our production system will be the bacteria E. coli

The team carrying out the project consists of 9 undergraduate students in the fields of: medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, biomedicine, and applied mathematics. Furthermore, our team was guided and supported by 3 supervisors from the university staff.

Dig deeper to read more about the team, who helped us, and how our wiki is different from other iGEM wikis.

Fast forward to learn more about the problem at hand.