$3.3 million for cleaning up contaminated land
Posted on 25 July 2006
A team from the University helped to develop a method of using micro-organisms found in soil to turn trees and plants into highly-effective pollution-busters. They are led by Professor Neil Bruce in CNAP (Centre for Novel Agricultural Products) in the University's Department of Biology, and their initial research was published recently in Nature Biotechnology.
Now the CNAP team, and their research partners at the University of Washington in Seattle, have been given $3.3 million by the US Department of Defense to identify plants which can break down toxic and carcinogenic explosive more effectively on military training areas.
Decades of military activity have resulted in pollution of land and groundwater by explosives resistant to biological degradation. Large tracts of land used for military training, particularly in the USA, are contaminated by RDX, one of the most widely-used explosives.
The presence of RDX is a major problem. Military training ranges have plumes of RDX threatening to contaminate water supplies to local communities
Professor Bruce
CNAP scientists have already isolated a bacterial micro-organism in the soil in contaminated land that can utilise the explosives as a source of nitrogen for growth. Because the bacteria do not degrade RDX quickly enough to stop the contamination of land and ground water, the York scientists, redeployed the enzyme in the bacteria into plants, giving them the ability to biodegrade the pollutant more efficiently and make it harmless.
Now they aim to introduce the enzyme into low-growing fire-resistant perennial grasses, perfect for military training ranges, which can absorb and break down RDX directly to prevent groundwater contamination.
Professor Bruce said: "Because this is a sustainable, low maintenance and low cost process it has the potential to clean up large areas of land in military training ranges or industrial sites, while offering protection to nearby communities.
"The presence of RDX is a major problem. Military training ranges have plumes of RDX threatening to contaminate water supplies to local communities and one training area, in Massachusetts, has already been closed."
The initial research involved redeploying the enzyme into a model plant system - Arabidopsis thaliana. The technique can also be used to modify plants to resist other organic pollutants.
Notes to editors:
- The Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) is a highly acclaimed research centre based in the Department of Biology at the University of York. CNAP is dedicated to realising the potential of plant- and microbial-based renewable resources, using biology to benefit society and to provide a sustainable future. Target-led programmes undertaken by CNAP are underpinned by fundamental and strategic research, funded by the UK Research Councils, charitable organisations, the EU Framework programmes and US funding agencies.
- Research expertise encompasses plant and microbial genetics, biochemistry and genomics, with specialist interest in the biosynthesis and metabolic engineering of oils, glycans and secondary metabolites. Current strategic work is focused on oils, medicinals, flavours and fragrances, nutraceuticals and bioremediation, with an increasing emphasis on biocatalysis for the production of plant- and microbial-based bioproducts as renewable resources.
- CNAP also undertakes science support projects such as hosting the DTI-funded Bioscience for Business Knowledge Transfer Network and co-ordinating EPOBIO, an EC-funded consortium established to realise the economic potential of sustainable resources. CNAP also has an active Science and Society programme, aiming to make bioscience interesting and accessible to all sectors of society. For further information see www.cnap.org.uk.
- The University of York's Department of Biology is one of the leading centres for biological teaching and research in the UK with a top ranking of 5 for research quality. The Department both teaches degree courses and undertakes research across the whole spectrum of modern Biology, from molecular genetics and biochemistry to ecology. Its biomedical research includes an Immunology and Infection Unit, work on infertility and three separate research teams studying cancer.
- The DOI for the paper An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX is 10.1038/Nbt1184 and it is available at http://dx.doi.org/.