Team:Korea U Seoul/Project/Application

Various environmental problems caused by population explosion and pollution have been issued. Global warming is the largest issue among these environmental problems. Global warming is a phenomenon which is caused by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Although there are many countermeasures about reducing carbon dioxide, there is no effective solution.

By using cutting edge genetic engineering technology, our team made Pearl coli which produces carbon anhydrase, which does carbon dioxide fixation and makes solid calcium carbonate by reacting calcium ion in solution, on its cell surface. By using Pearl coli, it is possible that one liter carbon dioxide gas is changed to 1.62 milliliter calcium carbonate. Also, byproduct can be used various ways such as cement.

While other method using general catalyst needs additional management, the method using E.coli does not need any additional management. The catalyst in our method is E.coli and its division supply more catalyst. If there is enough calcium in solution, this method will be almost permanent. Thus, this method is consistently removing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

In environmental view, original countermeasures are using much electrical energy and a large amount of matter. In contrast, the things Pearl coli needs are only nutrition and proper temperature. Since this method is inexpensive and consistent countermeasure of removing carbon dioxide and does not raise any environmental problems, it is suitable for solving global warming.

Also our research can be basement for make real pearl. Pearl and normal CaCO3 crystal have different in there structure. So to have sparkle like real pearl we need to imitate pearl oyster. Therefore we want to check not only nacrein can hold CO2 but also they can make special pearl structure without circumstance of oyster. Furthermore we want to make pearl from bacteria. We wish we can make pearl from pollution-able CO2.

Surely, the most important thing is efficiency. Even if the theoretical yield is 100%, there is no use if it takes a long time to make a product, so efficiency per time should be especially of importance. To improve it, we should make many forms of Pearl coli. Our team aims to make the real pearl, but conchiolin, adhesive of pearl, is necessary for making the real pearl.
Synthesis of real pearl could be achieved by the synthesis of E.coli which could produce conchiolin under special condition. Surely, making the real pearl is difficult. Even if we succeed in making lump out of pearl materials, iridescence of pearl can be exerted only when a unique plate structure is present. We should not only conduct many experiments but also consider cooperating with the department of physics for the optical aspect of pearl iridescence.