Project Details

Awards & Nominations

Kraken has received the following awards and nominations. Way to go!

Local Peoples' Choice Winner
Global Nominee

The Challenge | Trash Cleanup

Oceanic garbage patches are collections of marine debris that come together due to ocean currents; they have devastating effects on ocean ecosystems. Your challenge is to design a mission to help clean up garbage from the ocean!

Kraken

we find garbage islands using similarities and a neural network, then send the geolocation of those islands to someone who can collect them, then treat that garbage, ensuring that it doesn't return to sea.

Kraken
hi, this is the "kraken" project, we designed a system that uses neural systemsnetwork to search global sea satellite images,in order to find "garbage islands"This will send the geolocation to our web page.to let our collectors get the trash.Enzyme Metabolism of Ideonella sakaiensisThe bacterium Ideonella sakaiensis has the evolutionary ability toproduce two enzymes involved in the biodegradation of PETs, PETase and MHETase. When exposed to an environment that possesses PET, I. sakaiensis will produce the enzyme PETase and release in the medium, thus the PET will be degraded into three products, bishydroxyethyl terephthalate (BHET), monoethyl 2-hydroxyethyl terephthalate (MHET) and Terephthalic Acid (TPA). After that, the bacteria will absorb MHET and inside it will produce MHETase, which will degrade MHET into TPA and Ethylene Glycol (EG). In the end, with biodegradation, I. sakaiensis produces energy metabolites for its survival with PET biodegradation, along with four reaction products (BHET, MHET, TPA and EG).Recycling CenterFrom the moment the waste arrives at the recycling / decomposition center,it will be sent to a sorting and separation center to prioritize Polyethyl Terephthalate (PET)materials, which will be stored later. About 2 to 3 timesper month (time stipulated from the enzymatic reaction), some of this storedmaterial will be subjected to a grinding process and then washing to remove dirtthat may interfere with biodegradation. The shredded material will be sent to anisolated room where it will be exposed to Ideonella sakaiensis bacteria which, dueto their enzymatic metabolism, has the ability to degrade PET (Note: I. sakaiensis bacteriaare exposed to PET along with a solution). 10M NaOH at 100 ° C, conditions that acceleratethe degradation process); PET biodegradation products can be reused later. After biodegradationthe isolation room should be washed to extract the decomposition residues together with thebiofilms; they will be sent to a Decantation system so that, from the molecular weight of theproducts, they are separated by sedimentation. In addition to the biodegradation system,the plant will have a laboratory for the cultivation of I. sakaiensis strains; a TPAtreatment room and a storage room; a place for CO2 storage (the metabolism of the bacteriaitself has the ability to spontaneously produce CO2), gas that will be captured froma piping system; a compost, which will be fed from dead bacterial biofilms derivedfrom biodegradation processes; and, finally, a place for the reception ofcustomers / suppliers, which can be compartmentalized for the creation ofa staff area (cafeteria, bathrooms, etc.).Utilities for PET ProductsThe main products that can be reused are TPAs, together with EGs,for the formation of new PET products, however, since the objectiveof the project is to clean the oceans from the degradation of PETs,their recreation is illogical; Thus, creating a system that can purifyTPA to use it as a subtype similar to Oxycodone (analgesic), focusing onthe pharmaceutical industry, is a viable way to maintain the system. Anotherproduct that is viable for use is spontaneously produced CO2, because whenfiltered and stored it can be used in the food industry, for carbonating beverages,for example. Producing a compost will also provide a small income, as it can be usedto produce earthworms for local fishermen, and may be one of the products used as abargaining chip for the system, and even manure to nurture smallholder plantations. Ontop of all this, the creation of this recycling center will create new jobs in coastalregions and will clean up ocean waste. Products that do not have a specific destination can be discarded in the environment, because after Biodegradation, they gain some reactivity with physical, chemical and biological agents, which they did not have before the process.