Project Description
In this project we were assigned to identify a world problem and pose a solution to try to fix that problem with an application of biotechnology. So for this project, my group members and I decided to make our problem oil spills. Oil spills have become much more frequent due to such a high demand for it these days. In order to fix this issue we came up with genetically engineering bacteria to be placed in the effected area of a spill and eat the oil so the oil will not contaminate the water any more. Originally we had to come up with multiple different solutions and then narrow it down to one solution as the project continued. We created a slideshow to show people our ideas.
Slideshow
Content
Genetic Engineering- the deliberate modification of the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. We plan on genetically engineering the bacteria to eat the oil.
Microbes- a microorganism, including bacteria. We planned to genetically modify bacteria, which are microbes.
CRISPR- a segment of DNA containing short repetitions of base sequences, involved in the defense mechanisms of prokaryotic organisms to viruses. A genetic engineering tool that uses a CRISPR sequence of DNA and its associated protein to edit the base pairs of a gene. We plan on using CRISPR to genetically modify the genes.
Hydrocarbon- a compound of hydrogen and carbon, such as any of those that are the chief components of petroleum and natural gas.
Enzyme- a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
Controlled experiment- An experiment in which an observer tests a hypothesis by looking for changes brought on by alterations to a variable. In a controlled experiment, an independent variable is the only factor that is allowed to be adjusted, with the dependent variable as the factor that the independent variable will affect.
Microbes- a microorganism, including bacteria. We planned to genetically modify bacteria, which are microbes.
CRISPR- a segment of DNA containing short repetitions of base sequences, involved in the defense mechanisms of prokaryotic organisms to viruses. A genetic engineering tool that uses a CRISPR sequence of DNA and its associated protein to edit the base pairs of a gene. We plan on using CRISPR to genetically modify the genes.
Hydrocarbon- a compound of hydrogen and carbon, such as any of those that are the chief components of petroleum and natural gas.
Enzyme- a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction.
Controlled experiment- An experiment in which an observer tests a hypothesis by looking for changes brought on by alterations to a variable. In a controlled experiment, an independent variable is the only factor that is allowed to be adjusted, with the dependent variable as the factor that the independent variable will affect.
Reflection
For the most part this project went well but it had its ups and downs. My group wasn't exactly the most studious, but we got the job done. We definitely had a lot of fun during this project because it was really interesting to research oil spills and how they affect the ocean and bacteria that can eat oil. We all had a job throughout the process of the project and we all completed it well. What could have went better would be the understanding of the concept. We had to learn about genetic engineering in depth in order to complete the project and my group mates were only half clear on what it was. In this project I learned new leadership skills such as taking on more responsibility and picking up slack where it needed to be picked up. We also learned how to manage time better because of our use of Ms. Mathews timeline of the work we needed to complete. Two things I can improve on for future projects could be being more empathetic and more open to new ideas. A peak we had was when we finished our poster and our slideshow. We thought this way to demonstrate information would be quick and to the point. A pit we had was when we didn't have enough information on our original idea as needed and we needed to change. We solved this by switching our idea to oil spills.