Difference between revisions of "Team:UMaryland/Hardware"

The PET Net is a biocatalytic flow reactor specifically designed to maximize the degradation efficiency of the PETase fusion protein.

The system consists of a series of interconnected tubes, the inner surface of which are covered in bacterial cellulose. It is partially inspired by the digestive system, which has evolved for efficient degradation of solid material. A slurry of shredded PET plastic and the PETase fusion protein are pumped into the constantly circulating reactor. One of the subunits of the fusion protein is a cellulose binding domain. This semi-immobilizes the protein on to the bacterial cellulose which coats the inside of the tubes. Since the binding is not as strong as a covalent bond, the protein will be able to flow with the slurry. The combination of semi immobilization and free flowing protein will help increase the exposure of multiple surfaces of PET to the active sites of PETase. By increasing the number of interactions of the plastic and the protein the likelihood of a successful catalytic reaction increases. PET Net features a modular design that allows for rapid scalability. The reactor modules can be easily produced and quickly assembled which gives the system flexibility to be used in a variety of situations. The system is cell free, making it more safe to operate in non-laboratory settings while removing the interference of cells with the catalysis of degradation.