Welcome back readers!
The second week of my project has mostly been a continuation of the first week. I have continued reviewing literature on genetic transformation of bacteria and on successfully growing bacteria cultures.
In my last post, I said that I would be stepping into the microbiology labs at Arizona State University to begin my project. Unfortunately, my on-site senior project advisor was out with the flu for the entire week and I was unable to come in for lab orientation. On the bright side, I was able to visit Arizona State University’s Tempe campus and take a small tour. I was able to locate where I would be doing my project so now I don’t have to worry about being lost on campus looking for where I will be doing my internship.
In addition to continuing last week’s literature review, I also began looking into the legality of using genetically modified bacteria for industrial purposes and for using those bacteria to clean up the environment. I found that using genetically modified organisms for industrial and economic purposes is relatively easy as long as the organism is contained and does not pose a threat to the surrounding environment. If my experiment is successful, I will be able to integrate it into the recycling industry without legal barriers.
However, legal issues began to crop up when I started looking into genetically modified organisms and their potential use for environmental mitigation. Genetically modified organisms are by no circumstances allowed to be released into the environment because they have the ability to disrupt the balance and potentially ruin the surrounding flora and fauna. Genetically modified microorganisms are given the strictest rules which is understandable. Bacteria have the ability to pass on their genetic information to surrounding bacteria and this could lead to an uncontrolled emergence of new bacteria. Some of these new bacteria could be harmful to humans and the environment. Another issue with releasing a genetically modified organism into the environment is the fact that these organisms tend to die off quickly in uncontrolled environments.
If I am going to use my bacteria to clean up the plastic in the environment, I would have to either remove my bacteria’s ability to transfer genetic information and give it the ability to survive in the wild or develop a machine capable of extracting plastic efficiently from all types of environments without harming the surrounding area. Both are extremely difficult because one requires me to combat the randomness of nature and to counteract one of nature’s mechanisms for evolution while the other would require me to have an in-depth knowledge of engineering which I don’t have. Luckily, I won’t have to face these problems until my project turns out to be a success.
Thanks for stopping by and I will see you all next week.
- CJ Pimentel
Well, that is unfortunate, but it makes sense. I never really thought about the legality of releasing genetically modified bacterial into the environment. It's a good thing you read up on that. I'm sure, if you are successful, that you'll be able to find a way. Keep up the awesome work!
ReplyDeleteI never really considered how complex working with genetically modified bacteria can be, but it's a good thing you pointed out some potential issues. If your project is successful, hopefully you'll find some way to integrate it into the environment to reduce plastic waste. Good luck and I look forward to reading more about your research next week!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see the difference in legal barriers between industrial and environmental uses of genetically modified organisms. Although this is an added complication for you, I'm personally fascinated by the depth of the detrimental effects one microorganism (that too a beneficial one) can make on the environment. But I'm glad to hear that, at the least, this bacteria can be safely integrated into the recycling industry! Best of luck on your first day in lab and I'm excited to see where you go with this!
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