Stony_Brook 2021

Project Description:

Toxins from cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) contaminate lakes and cause severe illness or even death in humans who consume contaminated water. These toxins are also a severe threat to wildlife! Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) in particular is one such toxin that is the most common in lakes with cHABs but is challenging to remove with conventional water purification techniques. Our project is to develop a novel synthetic biology solution to water contamination that will be cheaper and safer than conventional water filtration methods. To do this, we have designed two novel strains of an easy to grow bacteria known as E. coli which can break down MC-LR by genetically modifying it with an enzyme called mlrA, found in other bacterias. One can over-express the MlrA enzyme onto the surface of the E. coli to degrade MC-LR. The other strain can freely secrete MlrA into the periplasm via a modified secretion system. A third strain was also designed to detect MC-LR in water. These modified bacteria can then be embedded into a bioreactor to act as a filtration device in bodies of water and drinking-water filtration plants.

...