Green Human Project

To: Faculty and Students of Colorado Universities, Colleges, and High Schools
From: Applied Molecular Evolution, Inc.
Re: Request for Proposals for The Green Human Project: Building a Photosynthetic Human
Date: December 1, 2012

Project Objectives: We require a list of design modifications to human anatomy and physiology that would allow humans to carry out photosynthesis to convert solar energy into glucose or other energy-rich molecules.

Project Rationale: Given the current boom in the global human population, food shortages are occurring and will continue to worsen in severity as natural resources such as phosphates and nitrates are depleted.  Alternative sources of nutrition will need to be found that will be sustainable and non-polluting. Solar energy is abundant and nonpolluting, yet currently cannot be directly harvested by humans for metabolic uses. A clear need therefore exists for investigation into anatomical and physiological modifications which allow humans to use solar energy via photosynthesis for basic metabolic needs.

Design Considerations: In order to create a photosynthetic human, we will need a list of biochemical processes and their necessary cellular components that should be engineered into experimental organisms. We will also need to consider the impact that our photosynthetic humans will have upon human societies and the environment. Some of the issues that need to be addressed are as follows:

1. How will light energy be captured? How do plants capture energy and what similar sorts of components would we have to build into our “green human?”  Would photosynthetic humans have to have green skin or could they be some other color? Will additional appendages be required for additional energy-collecting surface area and if so what form should they take? If we are going to have a photosynthetic human, then it needs to have the ability to go through photosynthesis.  First, the human would have to be able to absorb light. Such as plants that use chlorophyll to absorb light. I would think the “green human” would be green because of the chlorophyll.

2. What sub-cellular structures (organelles) are required for photosynthesis and how does their structure promote the process of photosynthesis?

To make this possible we would have to change the way some cells work. Such as putting chlorophyll in cells. Without this it would be impossible to do photosynthesis. We would also need more storage space because we would be producing more. Vacuoles are where everything is stored so probably need more of these. Respiration would also have to change in the human, because we need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis to create the glucose.

3. How will the energy from energy-carrying molecules be used to create energy-storing molecules like glucose? What types of reactions do plants carry out and what are some of the enzymes that we will need to build into our photosynthetic humans?

Once the energy is created we would need somewhere to store it. Such as more vacuoles. We would probably need more metabolism enzymes. Because we would have to store more than actually using the energy.

4. How will our photosynthetic humans use the energy stores (glucose) that they produce? What are the steps in normal human aerobic respiration that allow for release of energy from glucose?

The way i think the energy will be used is the same way we humans use it now. We will still use it when its needed most.  Exercise is one way in the human aerobic respiration allows us to release energy.

5. What public safety and/or ethical issues will need to be addressed during the completion of this project?

This could be a very risky process. Not knowing what the effects will be on the human. We would also have people willing to put there life on risk in order to try this procedure.

Enzyme Action

     This experiment was about measuring the pressure of the oxygen gas as hydrogen peroxide, is destroyed by the enzyme catalase or peroxidase at various enzyme concentrations. For this experiment we used a lot of materials.  We used H2O(water) and H202(alcohol) and yeast, we also needed the computer with the system logger pro on it, so it could graph our reactions. We also used a vernier gas pressure sensor, with a rubber stopper assembly. We also used three test tubes for three different types of reactions. This experiment was divided up into three different groups of experiments. 

The first experiment we did was fill the beaker with with 3ml of water and alcohol. After used the computer and logged onto logger pro. After we used the yeast and put 15 drops of it in the first tube and we put the cap on it to see its reaction. After we graphed it and moved on to the second tube. We put the same amount of water and alcohol in this tube.  But the yeast we increased to 23 drops, and we waited and graphed its reaction. For the last tube we did the same thing, but this time we increased the yeast drastically to 40 drops, and we watched as the graph spiked up. Here is our graph that i made, when we finished all three  reactions. 

For our second experiment we did kind of the same layout. But this time we switched up some of the materials to see what the reactions would do. This time we kept the yeast drops the same amount but changed the temperature of the water. So for the first tube we got 3 ml of alcohol and put it in the tube. Then we put 3 ml of room temperature water in the tube with the alcohol.  After we used 32 drops of the yeast and watched the reaction. After this we moved on to the next one. We put alcohol and the 32 drops of yeast in the test tube with cold water this time. The reaction was very slower than what the others have been. So we graphed it and moved on. The last one we did had the alcohol and the 32 drops of yeast, but this time we added hot hot water to the test tube and watched it react. the reaction rate was very fast. The molecules in the water must have been moving faster. Here is out graph that we made after out experiments were done. It shows the spike in in rate from the different water temperatures. 

Our last experiments we did dealt with most of the same things. But this time we changed the pH balances in all three test tubes. Our first test tube we mixed the 35 drops of yeast with a pH4 substance, that looked like a reddish colored water. After we watched the reaction we moved on to the second one. For our second mixture we had a pH7 substance that was a very light yellow color in the water. We watched it react and graphed it. Our last experiment we used we had a pH10 substance, that was a light blue color in the water. After we graphed it i noticed that the highest pH balance was the most that spiked on the graph. Here is our graph that we made showing the reaction speed of the pH substance with the yeast.

Cells project

For this project we had to talk about the cells. I made a prezi about the different points in a cell. Also how they help it and what their job is. Here is the link to my prezi where you can see what i talked about in my slides about the cells and how they are important to the cell.

 http://prezi.com/hw5isietegs3/cells-project/