Natural meets Synthetic - Discovery in Plant Metabolism

Open Opened on October 30, 2025
Main contact
EGIPH
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Gordon Glaze
CEO
(5)
5
Project
60 hours per learner
Learner
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Intermediate level

Project scope

Categories
Biotechnology Data analysis Data science Data visualization Scientific research
Skills
enzymes botany biochemistry research adaptability
Details

The 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.

Deliverables


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.

Mentorship
Domain expertise and knowledge

Providing specialized knowledge in the project subject area, with industry context.

Skills, knowledge and expertise

Sharing knowledge in specific technical skills, techniques, methodologies required for the project.

Hands-on support

Direct involvement in project tasks, offering guidance, and demonstrating techniques.

Tools and/or resources

Providing access to necessary tools, software, and resources required for project completion.

Regular meetings

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.

Quality education

About the company

Company
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2 - 10 employees
Hospital, health, wellness & medical, Science, Technology
Representation
Small Business Sustainable/green

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.