Team Description
This year our team is working to protect the roots of potato plants from the nematode
parasitism. We will design RootPatch, a community of genetically engineered bacteria that will coat the roots thus protecting it. One set of bacteria will produce a short peptide that will enter nematode’s nervous system and reverse their behaviour, making them move away from the roots. The other will produce DAPG, a molecule that facilitates nematode hatching, thus maximising cyst clearance from the soil.