Wisconsin Lutheran College - Milwaukee

The goal of our research project is to engineer a probiotic bacterium to secrete the cellulase enzyme that will break down indigestible cellulose in plant material to its digestible glucose components. By introducing this bacterium into an animal, the animal would be able to gain nutritional sustenance from plant material that is normally passed as waste. Molecular biology methods will be performed to clone a cellulase gene into a cloning vector that will allow this enzyme to be produced in a bacterial cell and ultimately secreted into its environment. Specific genes will also be incorporated into the bacterial strain to ensure the new cellulase-secreting strain will not be harmful to the environment.

Our team also aimed to assess feelings towards biotechnology through a survey that we administered. We outreached to our community by hosting a camp for high school students. Our camp served home schooled students and students from area Lutheran high schools so we provided opportunities to gain lab experience that they otherwise may not have.