Team:UGA-Georgia

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Welcome to the University of Georgia 2013 iGEM Team Wiki!


Contents

Introduction: Global problems

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File:Edinburgh-MicroMaize.jpg
A false-colour SEM of MicroMaize cells.

We have been investigating engineering bacteria to produce starch from the cellulose in waste biomass (that is agricultural waste, wood chippings, waste from paper production etc.). This starch could be:

  1. sold to the biofuels industry for conversion to ethanol
  2. used as feed for livestock
  3. used as a starch supplement in the human diet if needed.

This will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and free up agricultural land for the growth of food crops, ultimately putting less strain on ecosystems.

Secondary Objective: Solving vitamin A deficiency in the developing world

We have also been continuing the work of our 2007 team in engineering Escherichia coli to produce the vitamin A precursor β-carotene. Vitamin A is required for vision and a healthy immune system. 250,000-500,000 children in the developing world lose their vision each year, half of them dying within 12 months of this ([http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/vad/en/ WHO]).

Further Considerations

In the pursuit of our project, as well as the biological aspects, we: