Difference between revisions of "Team:DTU-Denmark"

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<h1> Building Mycotextures </h1>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;">The DTU biobuilders are looking forward to enter iGEM once again! This year, we are working to develop a toolbox so properties of fungi can be manipulated and exploited to build fungal materials.</p>
 
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<h1 id="frontheadline1">Fungal building materials for extreme environments</h1>
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#fff;text-align: center;">Colonization of uninhabitable areas, like Mars, will require building materials to be transported to the site of deployment. Transport limitations such as space and weight make this process very expensive. Based on these challenges, we propose to make building materials from fungal mycelium to be grown on site.  Therefore, our project is focused on how to optimize the material properties of the fungi through engineering of basic fungal characteristics. Our initial studies identified Aspergillus oryzae as the best candidate chassis for material properties and ease of genetic engineering. Based on our choice of fungi, we decided to increase the gene expression of melanin to improve A. oryzae’s capabilities of withstanding UV radiation and change the colors of the fungi by inserting a blue chromoprotein gene. Furthermore, we have designed a final geometric structure that can withstand external conditions and reduce the amount of work needed to assemble it.
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<h1 id="fronttheplan">The Plan</h1>
  
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<h3> Project Description </h3>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;">For millennia humans have known the value of fungi whether it be the yeast we cultivate for bread, beer and wine, or the mushrooms that serve both as a source of nutrition and natural medicinal compounds. However, the fungi we find on the forest floor are only the fruit of a much larger fungal organism, which stays unseen as a complex network of fungal mycelia that stretches far and wide underground.</p>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;>The use of mycelia in industrial fermentation processes is known to most biotechnologists, but in recent years it has expanded into other fields showing promising potential for being the foundation of a new generation of biomaterials.</p>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;>Briefly summarised, composite fungal biomaterials are generally rapidly generated, renewable, biodegradable, naturally fire resistant, non-polluting and can be produced from the waste of other industries, be it spent grain from a brewery or discarded furniture from Ikea. For this reason, fungal biomaterials can come to play a significant role in fulfilling the demand for new sustainable materials. Frontrunner companies such as Ecovative and Mycoworks are currently exploring the potential use of fungal mycelia to make insulation materials, foams, fibreboards, bricks and even fungal leather.</p>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;>Being a living material, fungal mycelium is a self-growing, fibrous material that self-organizes into complex three-dimensional structures. Taking advantage of these properties, fungal-based composite materials can be constructed to achieve structural integrities that potentially are applicable in construction industries both here on earth or in space. </p>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;>Our project will focus on exploring how synthetic biology can advance the field of fungal biomaterials by targeting genes relevant to the morphology and physical properties of the mycelium. For one, we aim to promote the expression of chitin (what insects shells are made of) in the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus to make its mycelium stronger. Furthermore, due to interest from our collaborators at NASA, we also aim introduce the biosynthetic pathway for melanin such that we can produce UV-resistant biomaterials, which will be important in the context of extraterrestrial construction materials.</p>
 
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<p style="font-size: 70%;">Contact us on: <a href="mailto:dtubiobuilders@gmail.com">dtubiobuilders@gmail.com</a>.</p>
 
 
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<h2 class="media heading" style="color:#fff;font-size: 180%;margin-top: 0%;">PHASE ONE - preparations on Earth</h2>
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<h4 class="media heading" style="color:#000;">We’d begin by having the fully prepared fungus species ready for launch.</h4>
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">Data confirming that the proper genes in the GMO fungus will be collected.</h4>
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<h4 class="media heading">A clear model of the structure would be confirmed and tested for the necessary exposure.</h4>
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<h2 class="media heading" style="color:#fff;font-size: 180%;margin-top: 0%;text-align: right;">PHASE TWO - Inventory</h2>
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<h4 class="media heading" style="color:#000;">The space shuttle would need to have the essentials for our fungus to be grown.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">Vials of spores from our GMO fungus would be prepared and a necessary means of  biomass, most likely cyanobacteria, will be included.
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<h4 class="media heading">Specific molds will let the fungus grow in a desired shape. Creating the pieces for the dome.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">General laboratory tools will have to be included to perform the needed work.</h4>
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<h2 class="media heading" style="color:#fff;font-size: 180%;margin-top: 0%;text-align: right;">PHASE THREE - producing the sheets</h2>
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<h4 class="media heading" style="color:#000;">Plate production will be established inside a provisional inflatable tent.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">Biomass and spores will be combined in easy-to-manage molds.
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<h4 class="media heading">Growth in a confined place will let the fungus achieve the desired shape.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">When the mold is appropriately filled, the fungus will be extracted and killed as preparation for the building process.</h4>
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<h2 class="media heading" style="color:#fff;font-size: 180%;margin-top: 0%;text-align: right;">PHASE FOUR - assembly</h2>
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<h4 class="media heading" style="color:#000;">Our design will be created as a dome from three different triangular shapes.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">The actual structure will be from the dome itself, but it will not be able to counteract the inner pressure from our man made atmosphere.
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<h4 class="media heading">For this, a layer of sand, mixed with a modified version of biocement, will be placed on top of the dome.
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">To create the atmosphere, cyanobacteria will be kept cultivated inside the dome.</h4>
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<h4  class="media heading" style="color:#fff;text-align: center;">Growth of the fungi in Mars temperatures can prove to be a problem. <br><br>
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The fungal spores may be troublesome: They might smell and A. oryzae is an allergen(1).
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<br><br>
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Need to ask the physicist and mycolab for any met/known problems
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<p  class="media heading" style="color:#000;">(1) Mousavi B, Hedayati MT, Hedayati N, Ilkit M, Syedmousavi S. 2016. Aspergillus species in indoor environments and their possible occupational and public health hazards. Curr Med Mycol 2:36–42.</p>
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Revision as of 23:19, 30 September 2018

Fungal building materials for extreme environments

Colonization of uninhabitable areas, like Mars, will require building materials to be transported to the site of deployment. Transport limitations such as space and weight make this process very expensive. Based on these challenges, we propose to make building materials from fungal mycelium to be grown on site. Therefore, our project is focused on how to optimize the material properties of the fungi through engineering of basic fungal characteristics. Our initial studies identified Aspergillus oryzae as the best candidate chassis for material properties and ease of genetic engineering. Based on our choice of fungi, we decided to increase the gene expression of melanin to improve A. oryzae’s capabilities of withstanding UV radiation and change the colors of the fungi by inserting a blue chromoprotein gene. Furthermore, we have designed a final geometric structure that can withstand external conditions and reduce the amount of work needed to assemble it.

The Plan

PHASE ONE - preparations on Earth

We’d begin by having the fully prepared fungus species ready for launch.

Data confirming that the proper genes in the GMO fungus will be collected.

A clear model of the structure would be confirmed and tested for the necessary exposure.

PHASE TWO - Inventory

The space shuttle would need to have the essentials for our fungus to be grown.

Vials of spores from our GMO fungus would be prepared and a necessary means of biomass, most likely cyanobacteria, will be included.

Specific molds will let the fungus grow in a desired shape. Creating the pieces for the dome.

General laboratory tools will have to be included to perform the needed work.

PHASE THREE - producing the sheets

Plate production will be established inside a provisional inflatable tent.

Biomass and spores will be combined in easy-to-manage molds.

Growth in a confined place will let the fungus achieve the desired shape.

When the mold is appropriately filled, the fungus will be extracted and killed as preparation for the building process.

PHASE FOUR - assembly

Our design will be created as a dome from three different triangular shapes.

The actual structure will be from the dome itself, but it will not be able to counteract the inner pressure from our man made atmosphere.

For this, a layer of sand, mixed with a modified version of biocement, will be placed on top of the dome.

To create the atmosphere, cyanobacteria will be kept cultivated inside the dome.

Challenges

Growth of the fungi in Mars temperatures can prove to be a problem.

The fungal spores may be troublesome: They might smell and A. oryzae is an allergen(1).

Need to ask the physicist and mycolab for any met/known problems

(1) Mousavi B, Hedayati MT, Hedayati N, Ilkit M, Syedmousavi S. 2016. Aspergillus species in indoor environments and their possible occupational and public health hazards. Curr Med Mycol 2:36–42.