How does dissolved methane endanger our water?

Look at this running stream and imagine how it would appear when contaminated with methane gas. If you pictured it as a flowing stream of seltzer water, then you're not far off.

The demand for natural gas to fuel growing industries has led to the development and increased use of fracking techniques to extract methane and other natural gases from shale outcroppings deep in the Earth's crust. These outcroppings often lie underneath freshwater aquifers, and when disturbed can release gases into the water supply posing health concerns for water well owners.

Our project aims to enable E. coli to produce soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) a protein capable of converting methane into less volatile methanol, which can then be treated by further remediation pathways.