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From 2011.igem.org

Background knowledge

1. Kyoto Protocol

http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php



2. UNEP Activities in Energy

http://www.unep.org

UNEP works to address environmental consequences of energy production and use, and assists decision-makers in governments and the private sector to make better, more informed energy choices which fully integrate environmental and social costs.
This website provides information on key activities at the global and regional levels, including UNEP Energy Branch, UNEP Risoe Centre, Sustainable Energy Finance Initiative, UNEP Offshore Oil and Gas Environment Forum, Basel Agency for Sustainable Energy (BASE) and OzonAction Branch. Information is also provided on energy-related policies and strategies.
http://www.unep.org/experts/Default.asp?Page=home&ExpertID=70&SessionID=174
Bioenergy has the potential to reduce GHG emissions - the extent to which this potential can be realised depends much on the feedstock used and where and how it is produced and converted. Calculations do exist for specific settings and systems, and we are currently in the process of comissioning more detailed analysis of GHG benefits. With kind regards, Martina Otto

Ownership

figure.1 Pathway of the lux system.

Through the microbiological experiment, most people used lux pathway to get a luminous bacteria. luminescence system consists of luxA, luxB, luxC, luxD, and luxE. For emitting light successfully in this pathway, all of the materials are necessary to be worked well. Contrast to other accomplishment, however, our team focus on the different attribute in this pathway. What we pay attention is the fatty acid reductase pathway to get alkane, not the luciferase. According to the left side of the [figure1], we can find a fatty acid reductase pathway, which contains luxCDE. It can change fatty acid(RCOOH) to aldehyde(RCHO). If luxA and luxB(luciferase) exist, reverse pathway could be worked and the whole pathway would be rotated spontaneously.




figure.2 Design of our project

According to the [figure2], which was designed by our team, we can get fatty acyl-ACP from glucose without any alteration. In the E. coli mechanism, however, there was no fatty acid reductase pathway to get aldehyde, which is necessary to obtain alkane. So we eliminate luxAB to get a fatty acid reductase pathway. If there was no luxAB in the lux pathway, we could get aldehyde efficiently. As a result, we can get alkane as synthetic fuel. Above of all things, what we want to emphasize is that we use lux pathway, which was just used for luminescence, to get synthetic fuel.

Innovation

Tetradecanoic acid is more efficiently used as substrate for LuxC than other carbon chain carboxylic acid in vivo system of V. harveyi. In the luminescence system, V. harveyi emit a different wave length light when the substrate is changed. This system is intact in all of V. harveyi. So, If we use this system to alkane synthesis cycle, we can manipulate the alkane's carbon length that is what we want. Also, We used the luminescence system with a few alterations which is commonly functioned in Vibrio species. Before we invented our innovative procedure producing tridecane, there is no the other process to obtain tridecane in the previous research. We can produce a length 13 carbon named tridecane. There are the aspects that our product is used in the aviation industry(Jet Fuel), the synfuel like biodisel that is alternative energy. According to the Kyoto protocol, Every country all round world must reduce their emission of carbon gas. Because the carbon dioxide is a major cause of global warming, we need to reduce at proper level. Our re-designed micro-organism can uptake wasted materials and produce alkane which is a fuel for transportation vehicle. Otherwise, our gene part is beneficial to all humankind. Our team strongly believe it could be a innovative pioneer.

Contact :

synbiogroup@googlegroups.com

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