4. Recent Discovery!
Nanobioremediation: a technique that
deals with environmental cleanup by
using biosynthetic nanoparticles that
are produced in bacteria, fungi & plants
to remove contaminants in
groundwater, wastewater, soil, etc.
5. Is this ethical?
How ethical is it to release microbes into an environment
without knowing how other organisms will react or
without knowing how this will impact the balance in the
ecosystem?
6. MLA Citations
Aggarwal, Mayank. “How Microbes Can Clean Polluted Water, from Drains to Rivers.” Livemint, 20 July 2015,
www.livemint.com/Politics/H6eL4JewrqqatlKmGQdnON/How-microbes-can-clean-polluted-water-from-drains-to-rivers.html.
“Environmental Cleanup.” Environmental Cleanup - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-cleanup.
Lorch, Mark. “Microorganisms Eating Plastic .” Http://Theconversation.com/, http://theconversation.com/new-plastic-munching-
bacteria-could-fuel-a-recycling-revolution-55961
Editor's Notes
Intro to topic:
We are focusing on how biotechnology can be used to help clean up our environment. We are going to be talking about how scientists can use genetic biotechnology to modify organisms to help clean up the world around us.
- Modified microorganisms can eat/extract certain harmful chemicals that would pollute the environment… and us!
- Scientists take DNA from bacteria and insert it into cells of microorganisms
For example, there are bacteria that can take heavy metals from their surroundings, such as nickel or lead, and then add them on to compounds such as lead sulfate, which is more easily removable from water or soil. There are also genetically engineered bacteria that can help to reduce toxic waste from mining, and biotechnologists are currently trying to engineer microbes that can degrade toxic compounds in wastewater and help with water treatment.
Recent discovery: Nanobioremediation is a technique in which deals with environmental cleanup by by using biosynthetic nanoparticles (super tiny particles) that are produced in bacteria, fungi and plants to remove contaminants, (such as heavy metals organic and inorganic pollutants from the soil) groundwater and wastewater
