https://video.igem.org/videos/watch/8193a410-6c8e-4a3b-a2de-6ca3e9beecdf Title: HYDRA: Engineering a Modular Aspergillus niger Platform for Complex Wastewater Remediation Description: Northwest China suffers severe water scarcity and river pollution including excess phosphorus, organics, heavy metals and high salinity. Our team applies synthetic biology to engineer Aspergillus niger as a practical “water‑purification engine”. In this 15‑minute video, we present our complete project workflow: we built a CRISPR‑Cas9 editing system, knocked out phosphate‑transporter gene pho91 to enhance phosphorus storage (63.3% phosphate removal in 48 h), and constructed seven degradation plasmids targeting benzene, phenol, styrene, PAHs and other hydrocarbon pollutants. Guided by multiple professors, we optimized strains and adopted staged validation: bench‑scale, pilot‑scale and field tests. Our experimental results include 57.2% cadmium removal in mixed‑metal systems and 16.95‑fold target‑gene up‑regulation. We also carried out human‑practice activities: science popularization for children and college students, field visits to wastewater plants, and academic exchanges with other research institutions. Clean water requires sustainable, replicable solutions. Starting from Northwest China, we remodel Aspergillus niger, hoping every purified drop can bring hope to communities in need. Wiki | Official Page Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:22:08 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.igem.org https://video.igem.org/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://video.igem.org/videos/watch/8193a410-6c8e-4a3b-a2de-6ca3e9beecdf All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.igem.org/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.