Transgenic Modification of Sunflowers for More Efficient Phytoremediation of Radionuclide Contaminated Soils
Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Biological Sciences
Research Advisor
Westenberg, David J.
Shannon, Katie
Advisor's Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
Phytoremediation, the process of using plants to clean up a contaminated area, is already in practice for contaminants such as plastics or heavy metals. In particular, the sunflower (Helianthus annuus) has been explored as a bioremediator of radionuclide-contaminated soils, especially uranium contaminated sites. The phytoremediation of uranium by sunflowers can be made more efficient by adding a chelating agent such as EDTA to the contaminated soil. However, EDTA is suspected to be a potential environmental pollutant itself and a biodegradable chelating agent such as citric acid should be used instead. By creating a transgenic sunflower that produces its own citric acid, the need for an external source of citric acid could be eliminated, streamlining the phytoremediation process. Such a transgenic sunflower could have important applications in sites with heavy uranium contamination such as uranium mines, nuclear accident sites and warzones where depleted uranium rounds were used.
Biography
Larry is a senior in Biological Sciences and will be graduating in May. He plans on attending graduate school at Missouri S& T for a master's degree in Applied and Environmental Biology.
Research Category
Research Proposals
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
03 Apr 2013, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Transgenic Modification of Sunflowers for More Efficient Phytoremediation of Radionuclide Contaminated Soils
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Phytoremediation, the process of using plants to clean up a contaminated area, is already in practice for contaminants such as plastics or heavy metals. In particular, the sunflower (Helianthus annuus) has been explored as a bioremediator of radionuclide-contaminated soils, especially uranium contaminated sites. The phytoremediation of uranium by sunflowers can be made more efficient by adding a chelating agent such as EDTA to the contaminated soil. However, EDTA is suspected to be a potential environmental pollutant itself and a biodegradable chelating agent such as citric acid should be used instead. By creating a transgenic sunflower that produces its own citric acid, the need for an external source of citric acid could be eliminated, streamlining the phytoremediation process. Such a transgenic sunflower could have important applications in sites with heavy uranium contamination such as uranium mines, nuclear accident sites and warzones where depleted uranium rounds were used.
