iGEM Thessaly 2023: Ophaelia

Imagine a world where waste becomes a resource, and a local environmental burden transforms into a global solution. Our project, oPHAelia,bridges the gap between two pressing issues: Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OMW) and the plastic pollution crisis. OMW is a toxic by-product of olive oil production. Greece is the third-largest olive oil producer globally, and in our region, Thessaly, OMW poses a significant problem due to the substantial quantities generated every year. The absence of effective OMW management methods has posed challenges for olive oil producers, often resulting in improper disposal that threatens the environment. Recognizing these problems, we proposed a solution: oPHAelia, an innovative approach relying on a synthetic consortium comprised of two bacteria, Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) and Pseudomonas putida KT2440, with the dual objective of detoxifying OMW and harnessing the waste’s potential to produce a high-value product, called Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs are a family of biodegradable polyesters that resemble synthetic plastics, offering a promising solution to the global plastic pollution crisis.