ECOS
BEN 2021 WINNER
MOHITANSU MOHAPATRA, ISHITA TARNEKAR, POORVI KAMBLE
THADOMAL SHAHANI ENGINEERING COLLEGE
mohitansumohapatra@gmail.com
Purpose and Scope
Carbon dioxide (CO2), a product of combustion, fermentation, and respiration is one of the leading causes of atmospheric pollution, physiological disorders and deaths in extreme cases. 5 million deaths were reported in 2017, which approximately contributes to 9% of global mortality. This also results in increased greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2) itself comprises 74% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Autotrophs, which transform CO2 into biomass, and heterotrophs, which consume organic compounds, make up the majority of the living world. Despite massive interest in green energy storage and more efficient food production, designing industrially important heterotrophic model organisms to use CO2 as their sole carbon source has remained a difficult task. We intend to provide a solution to this problem.
About ECOS
ECOS has been specifically designed to reduce the concentration of CO2 emissions from transportation, manufacturing and industrial units. The prototype that we intend to design would involve a particular strain of Bacteria that uses the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle to convert CO2 into useful biomass. Our major objective is to reduce the Carbon Footprint generated globally.
Products made in this way would have lower emissions compared with conventional production methods, and could potentially remove the gas from the air. By contrast, our organism is relatively easy to engineer, and its rapid growth can be quickly tested. It uses CO2 as it’s Carbon Source and instead of Glucose, which helps in reducing the emission of greenhouse gas.
Consumer, market, and financial analysis
Our major target will be to establish a tie-up with leading automobile Industries where the exhaust temperature is high and its major component is CO2. Apart from this, we require financial assistance for the manufacturing unit, basic instruments, and machines which can be considered as a one-time investment. The market value of ECOS will increase as the demand for an eco friendly alternative solution and this will result in great profits in the upcoming years.
Conclusion
It is believed that products created in this way would result in lower emissions compared with conventional production methods, and could potentially remove this gas from the air. We expect the market value of ECOS to increase as the demand for an eco-friendly alternative escalates and we expect great profits in the upcoming years. We hope that all of us will be a part of the solution, and not a part of the pollution!
Reference (Apr-21-A10)
