Comments on: DIY bioengineering – recap of the recent MIT Soapbox session on DIYbio http://blog.ginkgobioworks.com/2009/01/26/diy-bioengineering-recap-of-the-recent-mit-soapbox-session-on-diybio/ By Ginkgo BioWorks Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:52:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Bioengineering http://blog.ginkgobioworks.com/2009/01/26/diy-bioengineering-recap-of-the-recent-mit-soapbox-session-on-diybio/comment-page-1/#comment-9379 Bioengineering Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:32:31 +0000 http://blog.ginkgobioworks.com/?p=85#comment-9379 Read Latest story of <a href="http://science-n-technology-updates.blogspot.com/2009/11/bioengineers-succeed-in-producing.html" rel="nofollow">Bioengineers Succeed in Producing Plastics Without the Use of Fossil Fuels</a> Read Latest story of Bioengineers Succeed in Producing Plastics Without the Use of Fossil Fuels

]]> By: Cathal Garvey http://blog.ginkgobioworks.com/2009/01/26/diy-bioengineering-recap-of-the-recent-mit-soapbox-session-on-diybio/comment-page-1/#comment-6203 Cathal Garvey Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:11:27 +0000 http://blog.ginkgobioworks.com/?p=85#comment-6203 Regarding the nuclear waste suggestion, for years I have pondered whether it would be possible to make a heavy-metal tolerant plant that actively transports said metals to its apex for collection and disposal. You could use a plant like this to leach aluminium out of toxic soils and render them fertile, if the field is tended and the metal-loaded shoots disposed of. Hey, they might even collect measurable/harvestable amounts of some precious metals for you, to boot! Can this be used to clean up toxic wastes? Maybe; you could have the plants heavily lignify themselves when the heavy (and radioactive) metals you're dealing with overcome their resistance, so you'd have tightly bound wooden nuggets with a low metal density, probably perfect for easy burial/disposal. Just my thoughts! Regarding the nuclear waste suggestion, for years I have pondered whether it would be possible to make a heavy-metal tolerant plant that actively transports said metals to its apex for collection and disposal. You could use a plant like this to leach aluminium out of toxic soils and render them fertile, if the field is tended and the metal-loaded shoots disposed of.

Hey, they might even collect measurable/harvestable amounts of some precious metals for you, to boot!

Can this be used to clean up toxic wastes? Maybe; you could have the plants heavily lignify themselves when the heavy (and radioactive) metals you’re dealing with overcome their resistance, so you’d have tightly bound wooden nuggets with a low metal density, probably perfect for easy burial/disposal.

Just my thoughts!

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