Team:Newcastle/Attributions
Welcome to Alternative Roots
Alternative Roots
Newcastle iGEM
Hello There
We are Alternative Roots
Sustainability is a topic of increasing concern in the fields of agriculture, food security and rural development. There is a dire need for innovation in this field; primarily driven by predictions of substantial global population increase coupled with severe pressure on non-renewable resources. The result is a necessity to increase food production whilst reducing our impact on the environment. As such, our aim is to find sustainable solutions that address some of these issues.
Nitrogen-fixation for fertilizer production is extremely energy-intensive, accounting for 80% of energy use in agriculture. This is due to the high temperatures and pressures involved in the Haber-Bosch process. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth but cannot be directly accessed from the atmosphere by plants despite its abundance. If an alternative to fertilizers could be developed to provide nitrogen for plant growth that is cheap, easy to use and sustainable, then energy use in the agriculture sector could be greatly reduced.
In 2018, Team Newcastle aim to engineer microbes for sustainable agriculture. The team shall build upon Newcastle University’s long and illustrious history in agriculture and food security research by engineering root colonising microbes. The microbes will attract bacteria that modify the soil's composition including nitrogen content, in a fashion that is suitable for uptake by plants via the roots.
BILLION PEOPLE WILL
INHABIT EARTH BY 2050
MILLION EXTRA PEOPLE
NEED TO BE FED EACH YEAR
MILLION PEOPLE SUFFER
FROM HUNGER WORLDWIDE
MILLION TONNES OF
FERTILIZER USED ANNUALLY
2018
Meet the Newcastle Team
Parts
Check out what parts we're using
We will be utilising iGEM registry parts sequenced by IDT to construct a biosynthetic operon for expression in Escherichia coli. The operon will synthesise naringenin, a flavonoid that attracts nitrogen fixing bacteria. The operon will contain the genes for four enzymes: 4 – Coumaryl ligase – 4CL (BBa_K1033001), Tyrosine ammonia lyase - TAL (BBa_K1033000), Chalcone isomerase - CHI (BBa_K1497000) and Chalcone synthase - CHS (BBa_K1497001). Each of these parts contain a strong ribosome binding site (BBa_B0034). This construct will be under the control of a T7 promoter (BBa_I712074) to observe its expression in E. coli as a proof of concept. Once biosynthesis under the control of T7 is achieved, the construct will be tested under a constitutive promoter (BBa_J23100). Parts for biosynthesis in the final chassis organism, root-colonising Pseudomonas fluorescens, will be constructed in the plasmid backbone pBSC1C3.Our Sponsors
Newcastle iGEM is proud to be sponsored by:
The iGEM Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology, education and competition, and the development of an open community and collaboration. This is done by fostering an open, cooperative community and friendly competition.
iGEMers are building a better world by solving problems with the help of synthetic biology. We inspire responsible innovation through our efforts in biosafety, biosecurity and public outreach.
This global network is leading the field, taking what they learned in the competition and expanding it to continue to build a better world.
Contact Us
Reach out for a collaboration or just say hello
Get Involved
We are always happy to hear from individuals, groups or organisations that would like to support our project. If you wish to discuss a collaboration, sponsorship or if you just want to learn more about the project, please get in touch using the contact details on the right. Alternatively, if you would like to donate a small amount to fund our project, you can do so through Experiment.com - an online platform for discovering, funding, and sharing scientific research.
Any support is greatly appreciated and funds raised will be used in all areas of the iGEM project - such as lab equipment, human practices research, merchandise and travel to jamboree in Boston, USA.
Contact Info
Where to Find Us
Devonshire Building
Newcastle University
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU
Email Us At
igem.team@newcastle.ac.uk