Drought and Heat
Crop losses caused by heat and drought tripled in the last fifty years and climate change can explain the increase in frequency and severity.1
Soil Degradation
In the European Union (EU), 60-70% of soils are degraded as a direct result of unsustainable management practices and have lost significant capacity to provide ecological functions for various forms of life.2
Plant Pathogens
Climate change leads to changes in the distribution, abundance, and virulence of many plant pathogens. These plant pathogens and pests contribute to food insecurity since they are estimated to be responsible for the loss of 20 to 40% of global crop production every year.3
Human Population
Many people are at risk of being displaced from their homes because of the drastic environmental changes caused by climate change such as degradation of their local food security and extreme weather events.4
OUR SOLUTION: Hyper-Robust Biofilm
We engineer Pseudomonas sp. IsoF, a bacteria found in the rhizosphere, to form an enhanced biofilm on plant roots. This biofilm increases the plant's tolerance to drought, improves the uptake of nutrients and offers protection against pathogens.
More details in the Project Description
MEET THE TEAM AND PEBB OUR TINY HELPING FRIEND!
This year's UZurich iGEM Team is a group of 10 students from the University of Zurich. Team
We designed Pebb, our Plant Enhancing Biofilm Bacteria. Pebb helps us tackle the challenges of climate change in agriculture by forming a biofilm on the roots of plants which protects them from drought and other related stresses.
WET LAB
Our RhyzUp Wet Lab team has been working tirelessly all summer, designing, engineering and testing our genetic circuits to make our dream of a hyper-robust biofilm come true.
Learn more about their results
DRY LAB
Our RhyzUp Dry Lab team spent countless hours coding models to figure out ways to improve biofilm production and study the effects on our engineered bacteria strain.
Learn more about their model
HUMAN PRACTICES
Our RhyzUp Human Practices team talked to farmers, politicians and researchers to find out what the real challenges of drought are and had lots of interesting discussions about the future of sustainable agriculture and GMOs.
Learn more about their work