Natural meets Synthetic - Discovery in Plant Metabolism
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Project scope
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Biotechnology Data analysis Data science Data visualization Scientific researchSkills
enzymes botany biochemistry research adaptabilityThe main goal for the project is to explore the reaction of natural plant enzymes when they encounter synthetic chemicals that are not found in nature. This will involve studying the biochemical processes involved and understanding how plants react to these synthetic chemicals at a molecular level. The project aims to contribute to the understanding of natural enzyme promiscuity in botany and provide insights into how plants react metabolically to synthetic compounds.
What tasks will learners need to complete to achieve the project goal?
- Researching the existing knowledge on plant biochemistry and synthetic chemicals (to the best of our knowledge only 3 peer reviewed papers exist on this topic).
- Conducting experiments to observe and analyze the reaction of natural plant enzymes to specific synthetic chemicals using our Agilent 1100 HPLC.
- Hypothesizing the biochemical processes and molecular interactions involved in the plant enzyme reaction.
- Analyzing the data collected from the experiments to draw conclusions about the promiscuity of plants to synthetic compounds.
- Providing recommendations for further research and potential applications of the insights gained from the project.
Providing specialized knowledge in the project subject area, with industry context.
Sharing knowledge in specific technical skills, techniques, methodologies required for the project.
Direct involvement in project tasks, offering guidance, and demonstrating techniques.
Providing access to necessary tools, software, and resources required for project completion.
Scheduled check-ins to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide feedback.
Supported causes
The global challenges this project addresses, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about all 17 SDGs here.
About the company
Our company is engaged in mapping out a new branch of botany called natural enzyme promiscuity (or 'silent metabolism' - see resource file). This is the way plants react when introduced to exogenous chemicals.