If we were to scale up our project, we would have to alter a couple of aspects to make it successful. This would include using another type of organism besides E.coli to produce our proteins, as through our experience in the lab, we have learned that they tend to have difficulties in producing large amounts of proteins. E.coli was an acceptable choice at our current research stage due to its accessibility, but at a larger stage of development we would most likely need to investigate alternatives.
Another possibility includes the designing of our own proteins to better suit whatever organisms we are using, which would also introduce the possibility of creating proteins that have a wider range of abilities, beyond acting as a flame retardant. We would also be able to further explore the applications of our project, whether that be testing its effectiveness on different types of plants, under extreme temperatures, or expanding to applying it onto clothing. At a larger scale of development, we would hope to reach more communities outside of Boston.
Since our project has such a strong and direct interaction with the environment, it has the potential to leave a large impact. The intention of our project is for this impact to be positive, particularly when applying it as a protection for plants. The ongoing results of climate change are reflected in the uptick of wildfires, and the creation of this flame retardant aims to combat this in a way that is different from the current alternatives available. It creates a different way to deter wildfires and help stop them once they inevitably begin.
Another environmental concern is what happens when our flame retardant burns. Proteins can release gases like nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and potentially hydrogen cyanide. We'd need specialized testing to measure these gases from treated versus untreated plants at different temperatures, which is especially important for firefighters, burn crews, and communities near wildfires. For agricultural use, main concerns include ensuring that treated crops are safe to consume, protecting wildlife that feeds on the treated vegetation, respecting the rights of Indigenous communities on traditional fire-managed lands, ensuring that the technology is accessible to all landowners, and not replacing prescribed burns when they're ecologically essential. For clothing applications, priorities include preventing skin irritation/allergies, as well as meeting strict safety/regulatory protocols for the diverse types of clothing.
Although this alternative has its positives, there are multiple ethical considerations we must consider. Obviously, our approach is more lab-based than other products on the market. We would not only have to perform vigorous testing to ensure its safe for both plants and humans, we would also have to make sure we effectively communicate our findings to the public.
The attachment of our proteins must not inhibit the plants daily functions, and overall, testing would have to be completed to guarantee that use of our project in larger forests and environments does not negatively impact the surrounding ecosystems. Our communities will only be able to make use of our project if they trust and understand how it was created, so effective communication and answers to possible questions that could be raised are essential.
As we build on our project, we will be able to explore the possible applications for attaching flame retardant proteins to cellulose binding domains. Our original idea involved helping protect plants and crops from wildfires by making them more flame resistant. Over time, we have also discussed alternative implementations, including applying it to clothing to make them more flame resistant.
We'd need thorough safety testing covering pollinators, soil health, aquatic life, and beneficial insects. This process begins with laboratory tests on model organisms and then progresses to small-scale field studies that monitor the impact of treated plants on their surrounding ecosystems. Our protein-based approach naturally breaks down into amino acids rather than building up as pollution, but we'd still need to confirm it doesn't trigger allergies, interfere with insects' interactions with plants, or harm organisms that decompose plant material.