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The Amazon, the lungs of the Earth, faces a silent threat.
Artisanal mining has released mercury into our rivers.
This invisible contaminant puts the health of entire communities at risk.
Aquatic species and ecosystems are severely impacted.
Discover how we are fighting this crisis and saving our home.
The Amazon faces a major challenge due to mercury released by artisanal mining.
Mercury seeps into rivers and the air, contaminating the water that many people drink.
But not all is lost. Amid this crisis, a tool has emerged that can help us identify which waters are safe and which are contaminated.
Hello! I’m Mercurito, the mercury detective. Along with my friend, the capybara, we’ll show you how we’re fighting mercury contamination in the Amazon.
Our biosensor is like a game of billiards... but with science!
We use two key strategies to detect mercury in rivers. It’s like playing a game of billiards, where we hit the mercury balls and figure out their type.
Here we go with our first move. The white ball represents the signal that hits the mercury balls to identify their type.
If the white ball hits organic mercury (MeHg) first, the table lights up magenta, indicating we’ve detected organic mercury.
If the white ball hits inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺) first, the table turns green.
This happens because a special ball, called TetR (red), blocks the magenta signal and ensures it only lights up in green.
There’s another way to play—we only let organic mercury play and eliminate inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺). To do this, we use two new tools: MerA and MerB enzymes.
MerA and GDH. These enzymes are like two powerful new abilities, and their mission is to convert inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺) into elemental mercury (Hg⁰) outside the bacteria. Once transformed, the mercury becomes undetectable and disappears from the system.
This is where the third cue stick (construct 3) comes into play. It gives the bacteria the ability to produce very important proteins.
MerB is responsible for transforming organic mercury (MeHg) into inorganic mercury (Hg²⁺). By doing this, the bacteria changes color and lights up green.
With this master move, we eliminate the inorganic mercury and ensure that the green signal means all organic mercury has been detected and identified. We've defeated mercury!
Thanks to our biosensor and teamwork, we're closer to solving the mercury problem. Each move brings us closer to a cleaner, safer Amazon.
Join our mission and help us protect the health of communities and the environment.
ProjectExplore our efforts to combat mercury contamination in Bolivia through innovative biosensor technology.
HardwareDive into the technology behind our portable device that detects mercury levels in water with ease and precision.
Humans
PracticesLearn about our ethical approach to creating solutions that benefit communities and ensure social responsibility.
EducationDiscover how we teach Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology through interactive workshops and real-world applications.