In regions across the developing world, heavy metal contamination in drinking water poses a tremendous threat to under-monitored public health systems. While conventional remediation technologies exist, they remain costly and entirely out of reach for communities with limited resources. Our team, E-Metal Detox, set our sights high, aiming to utilize our efficient and cost-effective technology to resolve the rampant issue of heavy metal water pollution in developing countries. Lambert GA-2 attempts to bioremediate water with particular attention to copper and mercury due to their high potency in water bodies worldwide. In our lab, we plan to use genes ctrA and ctrB in tandem with copC and copD in order to allow E. coli DH5-alpha to diffuse extracellular Cu2+ ions into the cytoplasm. Resistance genes will be introduced as well in order to provide increased defense against the heavy copper influx. To put the strain into practice, agar gel/plate will be brewed with water with a heavy metal concentration. Once the E. coli takes in the Cu2+ ions, microfiltration techniques supported by material with smaller pore sizes will filter out E. coli and, thus, the heavy metals with it. Lambert GA-2 will use a colorimetric assay reliant on bathocuproine before and after to measure relative effectiveness.

Bio Busters
School
Lambert High School
Suwanee, GA
BioBuilderClub Season
2024-2025 Season
Category
Resources
BBC Poster_Lambert GA 2_Lambert High School_2025