Project Number: 5438-41630-001-07
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Mar 31, 2012
End Date: Dec 31, 2012

Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research project is to evaluate the potential of bioengineered yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) expressing the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme for the remediation of odors from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) lagoons.

Approach:
Yeast (S. cerevisiae strains) expressing different isoforms of horse radish peroxidase will be evaluated for their ability to reduce p-cresol concentrations. Plasmids will be transformed into S. cerevisiae and assessed for HRP activity using the standard Luminol assay. Transformants expressing detectable HRP will then be tested for their ability to reduce p-cresol in CAFO lagoon water using GC/MS methods optimized for phenolic compounds by the Parker group at USDA-ARS. Yeast strains that are able to reduce p-cresol will be characterized for their viability and growth properties when they are expressing HRP.