DEVELOPMENT OF MICROBIAL HOST SYSTEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

THE MILITARY HAS A TREMENDOUSLY WIDE RANGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS THAT NEED REMEDIATING IN BOTH SOIL AND WATER ENVIRONMENTS. MICROBIAL PROCESSES HAVE SHOWN PROMISE FOR REMEDIATING MANY OF PROBLEMS FACED BY MILITARY CLEAN UP EFFORTS INVOLVING HYDROCARBON FUELS, SOLVENTS, GREASE, PESTICIDES, AMMUNITIONS AND NERVE AGENTS. IN ADDITION TO POTENTIAL WIDESPREAD APPLICATIONS, BIOLOGICAL REMEDIATION PROCESSES TEND TO OFFER LOW COSTS IN COMPARISON TO INCINERATION AND CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSED RESEARCH PROGRAM WILL BE TO DEVELOP AN ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIAL HOST SYSTEM, MUCH LIKE THE INDUSTRIAL MICROBIAL HOSTS USED IN THE INDUSTRIAL ENZYME AND BIOPHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES TO PRODUCE DESIRED PRODUCTS. IN THIS CASE HOWEVER, THE HOST ORGANISM WILL BE DEVELOPED TO HAVE THE BASIC PROPERTIES REQUIRED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS AND SERVE AS A VEHICLE FOR CARRYING THE SPECIFIC METABOLIC FUNCTIONS REQUIRED FOR A GIVEN REMEDIATION TASK. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR RAPID TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND MARKET INTRODUCTION INTO THE EXPECTED $200-300 MILLION/YEAR BIOREMEDIATION MARKETS. HAVING A MICROBIAL HOST SYSTEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS WILL DRAMATICALLY SPEED UP THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR THE REMEDIATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTES IN BOTH SOIL AND WATER ENVIRONMENTS.