What is Chromium?
Chromium is the 24th element on the periodic table, and a commonly used metal in a variety of industries, such as electroplating, tanning, textile dyeing, chemical plants, and more. Though it is frequently used in industries, its isotope, hexavalent chromium Cr(VI), is highly toxic, carcinogenic, and water soluble. After industrial use, it is often released in aqueous form along with wastewater, potentially entering water bodies, soils, air, and if not properly disposed of, it may cause detrimental consequences to the environment and human health.
Hazards of hexavalent chromium
In our daily lives, hexavalent chromium can enter the body through contaminated drinking water or food sources. Long-term exposure has the potential to damage the respiratory tract, liver, and kidneys' functions, possibly even causing cancer. Not only does hexavalent chromium affect humans, it also poses significant risks to the ecosystem, particularly endangering the survivability of aquatic life. Hence, it is our utmost priority to devise solutions for reducing the emissions of hexavalent chromium, as well as ways of quickly detecting and removing it from water.
Our workaround
To reduce the harm of hexavalent chromium, or Cr(VI), we genetically engineered two E. coli strains that can be implemented in our hardware device, the Microbial Remediator, allowing Cr(VI) to be efficiently detected and removed. Our microbes are capable of detecting hexavalent chromium within minimal amounts of time, and then sufficiently convert it to trivalent chromium, which can react with NaOH to form a precipitate. This then provides safer and cleaner water for the people, as well as the flora and fauna in the ecosystem.
Who Are We?
We are iGEM Team Crouton of Shanghai High School International Division. We hope to detect and degrade hexavalent chromium in water through sustainable and environmentally-friendly synthetic biology, as well as a hardware device named the Microbial Remediator to minimize heavy metal pollution in the aquatic environment and foster a healthier future for our Earth.
