Team Team
Project Project
Wet Lab Wet Lab
Dry Lab Dry Lab
Human Practices Human Practices

Promotional Video

TV

In recent years, the volume of e-waste has been constantly increasing, leading to an emerging crisis. Conventional methods for metal extraction from e-waste are environmentally unsustainable, due to their high energy demands and the generation of harmful by-products. e-PHAESTUS, our innovative bioleaching project, aims to protect the environment and public health from the compounds found in electric and electronic equipment, but also to create a novel method for the production of glutathione-metal nanoparticles, derived from e-waste upcycling. To achieve this, the iGEM Athens team has transformed a strain of the E. coli bacterium, using recombinant plasmids, containing two genes necessary for the synthesis of the tripeptide glutathione, which can bind to metals and dissolve them.

Accessibility Menu