Oklahoma State University’s 2023 iGEM team has begun to develop engineered bacteria that can be used in dairy digesters. Wastewater from dairy farms is typically treated in open or closed lagoons in which microbes are added to break down solid wastes. While biogas can be collected and used from these treatment plants, methane can still escape from the digesters. If our engineered bacteria were added into the treatment plant process, whether into the lagoons themselves or in a separate bioreactor, the excess methane would be converted into methanol which could then be used elsewhere. This process would make wastewater treatment more efficient and create a molecule with a higher potential for use while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.
See Illustration Below:
