Team:Edinburgh/Conclusions

Conclusions

In our abstract, we asked a number of questions that our feasibility study was intended to answer.

Would the efficiency of cellulases be increased by having different types close together?

Very probably. Our C model and Kappa model showed that synergy makes sense in silico.

Could this be done by displaying them on a cell outer membrane?

This seems a promising approach. <partinfo>BBa_K265008</partinfo> seems a promising carrier for placing enzymes at high copy number on the E. coli outer membrane.

Could it be done by displaying them on a phage?

Further work is needed to answer this question. There are theoretical reasons to expect that this is a challenging problem.

Does the BioSandwich DNA assembly method work properly?

Like other homology-based assembly methods, it produces both correct and incorrect assemblies. But we successfully used it to produce <partinfo>BBa_K523013</partinfo>.

How would a biorefinery involving either system actually be constructed?

Our biorefinery page includes a process flow diagram that illustrates this.

Would such a biorefinery be economically viable?

Our biorefinery page also attempts to answer this question. We cannot definitively answer the question, but it is plausible that such a biorefinery could be economically viable.

What are the social implications of creating such a biorefinery?

What are people's thoughts and feelings regarding this project?

Should we (meaning society) actually build such a biorefinery?