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The University of Calgary iGEM team aims to build a biosensor for naphthenic acids. Naphthenic acids are a family of organic acids that are toxic to terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, and are waste products of the bitumen extraction process. Naphthenic acids are stored in on-site settling ponds called tailing ponds; not only do they poison the environment, but they also contribute to the corrosion of refinery equipment, which directly increases maintenance and replacement costs. Currently, sophisticated and expensive procedures such as mass spectroscopy and gas chromatography are needed to identify and assess the concentration of naphthenic acids in solution. A bacterial sensor, if developed, could greatly improve the cost- and time-efficiency of naphthenic acid detection, and facilitate a workable approach for remediation.

The Vision: A Naphthenic Acid Biosensor

We plan to create a relatively small, cheap biosensing device that can respond to naphthenic acids and produce an electrochemical output. Roll over the individual parts for more details.