The Plague that is Plastic Pollution
Location
CoLab, COM 384
Start Date
30-4-2026 5:30 PM
Document Type
Poster
Description
There are many pollutants that plague the world we live in today, and plastic pollution is one of them. Plastic persists in the environment for centuries, damaging ecosystems, contaminating food and water, and damaging ecosystems and wildlife. My goal with this project is to create a strain of algae that makes enzymes that degrade plastic. To achieve this goal, I introduced DNA to algae, selected and screened clones for DNA and protein, and tested their ability to degrade plastic. My efforts in this research yielded a positive DNA result and good green growth for my algae sample. If replicated in large quantities, an introduction of plastic degrading algae to the natural environment could serve as a cost-effective environmental cleanup strategy and contribute to nature's fight against plastic pollution.
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The Plague that is Plastic Pollution
CoLab, COM 384
There are many pollutants that plague the world we live in today, and plastic pollution is one of them. Plastic persists in the environment for centuries, damaging ecosystems, contaminating food and water, and damaging ecosystems and wildlife. My goal with this project is to create a strain of algae that makes enzymes that degrade plastic. To achieve this goal, I introduced DNA to algae, selected and screened clones for DNA and protein, and tested their ability to degrade plastic. My efforts in this research yielded a positive DNA result and good green growth for my algae sample. If replicated in large quantities, an introduction of plastic degrading algae to the natural environment could serve as a cost-effective environmental cleanup strategy and contribute to nature's fight against plastic pollution.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Heather Seitz.