Our Journey
Back in December 2021 our team was assembled under the name Patras Uni Hellas. Over the span of a few months, we engaged in extensive conversations about our aspirations for the iGEM competition. Inspired by the slogan “local people solving local problems” we decided to deal with the conservation of the ancient monuments, which everybody believed was a very important topic, especially in Greece. The project we came up with was M.ER.CURE. Due to economic factors and paperwork delays our project reached only the early stages of development. In November 2022 we reassembled the team under the name PatrasBio and decided to continue with the project M.ER.CURE 2.0 aiming to give a solution to the bioerosion of the marble monuments.
Greece is a country with very important and long-lived history. Historical monuments since the ancient times until modern age reveal the advancement of the Greek civilization throughout the centuries. Historical monuments are an integral part of cultural heritage, consisting the trademark of cultural heritage. A lot of Greek monuments are constructed of marble, a very impressive white stone with high production in Greece and worldwide popularity, which exterior and quality is abased by biotic and abiotic factors. Compared to other inorganic materials, the surfaces of rocks are easily colonized by microorganisms. The mere presence microorganisms in / on the rock does not necessarily indicate decomposition. In fact, the process of biological decay begins when the presence of microorganisms with other agents such as chemical, physical and environmental factors that have an impact on the development of microflora. Marble monuments exist not only in Greece and in the Mediterranean basin, but also all over the world, so their protection is of high importance. The study aims to eliminate the bioerosion seen in marbles, using a natural way to kill microorganisms that corrode the marble, with AMPs. We hope that this time, our passion for Synthetic Biology and the will to save the marble monuments from bioerosion in a biological way, will drive us to the creation of the biological biocide “M.ER.CURE”.
M.ER.CURE 2.0: Our solution to combat bioerosion in marble using synthetic biology
What is Bioerosion?
Bioerosion is a phenomenon caused by biotic factors and is defined as the decomposition of the materials of an object by (micro)organisms, which either nest and grow or feed on it. This phenomenon not only threatens the marble monuments of Greece and other Mediterranean countries, but is found all over the world, so its limitation is of paramount importance.
Microorganisms in marble
The classification of microorganisms is based on in their localization and distribution over and/or within the substrate, thus we have Epilithobionts, Endolithobionts. Endolithobionts are divided into: 1.Chasmolithic microorganisms (living in pre-existing cracks or fissures) 2. Euendolithic (they actively enter the substrate) 3. Cryptoendolithic (development under the surface) (Urzi 2004).
Treatment
Nowadays, the phenomenon of bioerosion is mainly treated with the use of chemical biocides, which can be effective against microorganisms, but carry a series of consequences for humans, the environment and the material itself. In particular, regarding the environment, toxic compounds of biocides diffuse into nature, posing a threat to the biodiversity of the surrounding area of endangered monuments and the aquatic ecosystems in which they end. Also, these toxic compounds are dangerous for the human health an for the marble itself.
What are antimicrobial peptides?
An abundant and diverse group of molecules that they are produced by many tissues and cell types in a variety of invertebrate, plant and animal species. The composition of their amino acids and their size allows them to cling and enter the pores of the membrane thus damaging and killing them micro-organisms (A.Brodgen, Kim2005) .
Goal
Aiming to evaluate the activity of antimicrobial peptides as key components of a biological biocidal product, the experimental procedures will involve the transformation of E. coli strains with recombinant pSB1C3 plasmids containing the desired nucleotide sequence. After isolation, characterization of the expression and purity of the peptides under study, their efficacy will be assessed in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as fungi and viruses found in the marbles. This innovative biocide will be suitable even for domestic use.
References:
A. Brogden, Kim, Αntimicrobial peptides: pore formers or metabolic inhibitors in bacteria? www.nature.com/reviews/micro, 2005, 238-250of the Conservations Project of Acropolis, Geomicrobiology, 2014, 726-736
Kanini, Dora Nikolakopoulou Efstathios Katsifas Nikolaos I. Kyratsous Grammatiki, Bacterial Deterioration of Marble Monuments: A Case Study
Μ. Garcia-Valles, C. Urzi and M. Vendrell-Saz, Environmental Geology 41, 2002, 889- 897
Toshiyuki Miyata, Fuminori Tokunaga , Takashi Yoneya Katsuhiro Yo, Antimicrobial Peptides Isolated from Horseshoe Crab Hemocytes, Tachyplesin II and PolyphemusinsI and II: Chemical Structures and Biological Activity, J.Biochem, 1989, 663-668
Urzi, Clara, Μicrobial deterioration of rocks and marble monuments of the Μediterranean basin: a review, Microbial Deterioration of Rocks and Marble Monuments, 2004, 441-457