Metabolic Engineering of Seaweeds for the Detoxification of TNT-Contaminated Marine Waters

This project provided fundamental information on the ability of native marine macroalgae, commonly known as seaweed, to tolerate, take up, and metabolize the explosive compound 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) dissolved in seawater.
Research Objectives:
1) Determine the intrinsic capacity of tissue cultures derived from three model marine macroalgae to remove TNT dissolved in seawater;
2) Measure the kinetics of TNT metabolite formation and elucidate the pathways for TNT biotransformation within these organisms;
3) Assess the viability of marine seaweeds following TNT exposure and uptake.