The Optimization of Anabaena Variabilis for the Removal of Nitrogen Oxide Gases from Coal Plant Emissions
Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Biology
Research Advisor
Westenberg, David J.
Advisor's Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) emitted by industrial coal plants are among the most important environmental pollutants. They directly contribute to acid rain, which causes damage to terrestrial as well as marine environments, and the formation of photochemical smog and ozone. Furthermore, CO2, another bi-product of burning coal, is a major contributor to global warming. CO2 is naturally fixed by photosynthetic organisms and N2 can be fixed by nitrogen fixing bacteria. The cyanobacteria species Anabaena variabilis can fix both CO2 and N2. It may be possible to use Anabaena to filter CO2 and NOx from coal plant emissions. To do this, I plan to identify and isolate the pathways responsible for nitrate reduction from a species of denitrifying bacteria and integrate the genetic pathway into the Anabaena sp. This should allow Anabaena to fix nitrogen from both NOx sources and N2.
Biography
Alie is a sophomore in Missouri S&T's Biology department, and the lab manager of the International Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) design team. Her academic interests include forensics, synthetic biology and bioinformatics.
Research Category
Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
10 Apr 2012, 9:00 am - 11:45 am
The Optimization of Anabaena Variabilis for the Removal of Nitrogen Oxide Gases from Coal Plant Emissions
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) emitted by industrial coal plants are among the most important environmental pollutants. They directly contribute to acid rain, which causes damage to terrestrial as well as marine environments, and the formation of photochemical smog and ozone. Furthermore, CO2, another bi-product of burning coal, is a major contributor to global warming. CO2 is naturally fixed by photosynthetic organisms and N2 can be fixed by nitrogen fixing bacteria. The cyanobacteria species Anabaena variabilis can fix both CO2 and N2. It may be possible to use Anabaena to filter CO2 and NOx from coal plant emissions. To do this, I plan to identify and isolate the pathways responsible for nitrate reduction from a species of denitrifying bacteria and integrate the genetic pathway into the Anabaena sp. This should allow Anabaena to fix nitrogen from both NOx sources and N2.
