Team:Copenhagen/Project/Water
water cleansing power
Background information:
A characterization of the cytochromes p450 is the main objective with this project. We will exploit the wide specificity of these cytochromes to target many different damaging agents continuously by hydroxylation, which can reduce the damaging activity of e.g. estrogen that it excerts when it binds to the estrogen receptors to often. It The human isoforms CYP1A2 has been proven to have a very high catalytic activity for hydroxylation of the number 2 carbon of estradiol(1)
Ecological and economical prospects:
Another future aim with our project is to improve wastewater treatments and thus contribute to a cleaner and uncontaminated drinking water for everyone. With this scientific project, we will move towards this realization, but more research is needed. Our belief is that further research on the use of cytochrome p450 will give a valid and an inexpensive product for use in wastewater treatment plants, thus benefitting the environment and our planet.
References:
1. Lee, A. J., Cai, M. X., Thomas, P. E., Conney, A. H., and Zhu, B. T. (2003) Characterization of the oxidative metabolites of 17beta-estradiol and estrone formed by 15 selectively expressed human cytochrome p450 isoforms, Endocrinology 144, 3382-3398.