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Team:Edinburgh/Project
From 2008.igem.org
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Saving the World
"Cellulose is the most abundant form of fixed carbon, with 100,000,000,000 tons produced in cell walls by plants each year"[http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/full/10.1196/annals.1419.026 (Wilson, 2008)]Nowadys the world-wide food shortage is engulfing the entire world, pushing food price to a new high point. A research from [http://www.earthpolicy.org/Updates/2008/Update72.htm Lester R. Brown] (April 16,2008) disscusses about the importance of our life. It is not only about the economy, but also to overburden the environment which concerns to the human future.
Engineer a biobrick to convert cellulose to starch will be one of the most sufficient ways to solve this problem and it becomes our project aim. There are two kind of gene which can convert cellulose to glucose and convert glucose to starch. This study is focus on making the conversion possible in E.coli. However, the applications of starch will be about 2 aspects which depend on the quality. One is uing for biofuel produce and the other will be supplied as human and animal food.
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