Team:Korea U Seoul/Human Practice/Ownership Innovation

Global warming causes abnormal climate; we should realize the seriousness of the situation and strive to decrease carbon-dioxide. Energy-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, breaking the prior record set in 2008. Moreover, the IPCC adopts policies that will limit greenhouse gas emissions to one of several significantly different scenarios. CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization) is one of these efforts. It's the technique of collecting co2 from power plant, steeling mill and others, converting co2 into hydrocarbon and using it.
We designed Pearl coli from this aspect. Not only Co2 fixation, we also displayed nacrein in E.coli. Pearl coli is an E.coli converting CO2 into a pearl powder (nacre). Nacrein is a major protein component in nacre(an organic-inorganic composite layer found in outer coating of pearls). The Pearl coli has dual-function: mitigating the global warming by CO2 reduction and preparing valuable pearl-like raw materials. By using Pearl coli, it is possible that one liter carbon dioxide gas is changed to 1.62 milliliter calcium carbonate. Also, byproduct can be used various ways such as cement.

In nature, a pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusc. There are two ways for produce pearl artificially in general: cultured pearl and simulated pearl. A cultured pearl is a pearl created by a pearl farmer under controlled conditions. On the other hand, simulated-pearls are imitations of the genuine pearl, usually made from cheaper materials.
Our research is based on cell surface display of nacrein in E.coli. Nacrein is a major protein component in nacre(an organic-inorganic composite layer found in outer coating of pearls). Pearl coli needs only nutrition and proper temperature while removing carbon dioxide; they are eco-friendly. However, pearl and normal CaCO3 crystals have different in their structure. So to we need to imitate pearl oyster to have sparkle like real pearl. Therefore, we will check that nacerin can make special pearl structure without circumstance of oyster.