Biofuel Cells
Purifying engineered enzymes
to generate electricity
Tila Hidalgo
Alief ISD
Hastings High School
Zhilei Chen, PhD
Artie McFerrin Department
Department of Chemical Engineering
Biofuel cells have great potential for
real world application.
Addressing issues with current
models of biofuel cells by
engineering proteins will provide low
cost, high yield, green technology
for use in living organisms.
Biofuel Cells
To
improve
power
and
longevity
of the
fuel cell.
• Current Issues
• Not a lot of power
generated
• Poor connections
• Loss of enzyme from
the fuel cell
The Research Objective

Bacterial Transformation and Protein
Purification.
◦ A project for my AP Biology students.
http://media.studienet.dk/images/products/medium/106750.jpg
My Classroom Project:

In addition to lab skills based around the inquiry model of investigation that is part
of the AP Biology curriculum the following college board objectives will be covered:
◦ Essential knowledge 4.A.1: The subcomponents of biological molecules and their sequence
determine the properties of that molecule.
◦ Essential knowledge 2.B.2: Growth and dynamic homeostasis are maintained by the constant
movement of molecules across membranes.
◦ Essential knowledge 3.A.1: DNA, and in some cases RNA, is the primary source of heritable
information.
◦ Essential knowledge 3.C.1: Changes in genotype can result in changes in phenotype.
 Phenotypes are determined through protein activities.
To foster student understanding of this concept, instructors can choose an illustrative example
such as:
◦ Enzymatic reactions
◦ Transport by proteins
◦ Synthesis
◦ Degradation
 Genetic engineering techniques can manipulate the heritable information of DNA and, in
special cases, RNA.
To foster student understanding of this concept, instructors can choose an illustrative example
such as:
◦ Electrophoresis
◦ Plasmid-based transformation
◦ Restriction enzyme analysis of DNA
◦ Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
College Board Objectives
Addressed
Protein Purification Objective:
Day 1

Students will perform the bacterial
transformation. I plan to use the Biorad
pGlo transformation.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_voJSmT_yBgY/SW6KsVpvxI/AAAAAAAACA0/ZZWIX5HNA9c/s320/pglomap.gif
Day 2-3
http://media.studienet.dk/images/products/medium/106750.jpg
Research days.
I want students to do a
literature review of protein
purification. They will use
this to write a presentation
answering the questions:
Day 4-6
• Why is protein purification important?
• What are ways that it is done?
• What are limitations to these protocols?
• What properties of the pGlo protein
could be used to purify it?
• What is your proposed protocol to purify
pGlo?
• The protocol will include a cost
projection, specific steps to follow to
purify the protein, and a method to
calculate a percent yield.
• The collective answer should be that the
cells need to by lysed, and using the
hydrophobic properties of the pGlo protein
it can be purified on a column that address
that property.
• Methods of cell lysis can vary from group to
Students will present their
group as well as specific reagents to wash
findings, and after will
and elute the protein, but they should all
develop a final protocol to
have common chemical properties.
purify the pGlo.
Day 7-8- “Lab Meeting”
www.bio-rad.com/webroot/web/software/.../pGLO_GFP_031208.pp
Day 9-11- Protein Purification.
Students will
perform their
experiments.
They will then
analyze their
results using
electrophoresis,
and calculate a
percent yield.
Day 9-11
www.bio-rad.com/webroot/web/software/.../pGLO_GFP_031208.pp
• Purity
• Quantity
Final
• Final Cost
Presentations
• Percent yield
• Error analysis
Post Test
Day 12-13
Requirement
Points
Methods Clearly Stated
20
Quantative and Qualative Data
was included. (picture of the gel
and yield)
20
Cost of protocol/g of product
10
Percent yield calculated
10
Error analysis (where can your
project be improved and why?
What would your next step be?)
20
Citation, organization, general
presentation
10
Rubric Rough Draft





TAMU E3 program
National Science Foundation
Nuclear Power Institute
Dr. Chen and Dr. Guan
Chris Skinner
Acknowledgements