Developing RHCC-NT as new monitoring and remediation tool for Poly-Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs)

石油和天然气行业的经济效益对加拿大来说是重要的，而且必须长期可持续。确保环境不受负面影响是义不容辞的。多环芳烃(PAHs)是原油中天然存在的成分，一般分为饱和无环酸和环羧酸。多环芳烃具有很强的腐蚀性，在原油(例如沥青)从油田和油砂中提取的过程中以及在随后的回收原油精炼过程中被去除。其结果是，用于原油回收和加工的水变得越来越富含多环芳烃。大量溶解的多环芳烃残留在废水处理水中，因此储存在大型尾矿库中。多环芳烃的问题是，它们在天然水道中的高水平对包括细菌、鱼类、植物和哺乳动物在内的水生生物具有极大的毒性。此外，这些污染物有可能从天然水道进入市政供水系统。在与斯坦泰克的合作中，我们提议开发一种基于右手螺旋线圈纳米管(RCC-NT)的被动采样器装置(PSD)，该装置可以检测和/或回收流体和沉积物系统中的多环芳烃。该纳米管基于海洋葡萄球菌(S.marinus)的RHCC域，该葡萄球菌是一种从黑色吸烟者通风口分离的极端嗜热性古细菌。由于能够适应深海火山的极端条件，S层蛋白具有不同寻常的稳定性(pH、温度、压力、盐度、离子强度)，使其成为生物技术开发的完美工具。在这个项目中，我们的目标是开发基于RHCC-NT PSD的新技术，能够快速检测和亚NM范围内不同优先级的多环芳烃，目的是建立一种经济高效的监测设备，并建立新一代生物利用度工具。此外，我们还将扩展大型空洞的独特存储容量，以开发RCC-NT作为多环芳烃修复工具。这些技术将显著改善加拿大的水质系统，并通过增强环境可持续性使我们的经济受益。

The economic benefit from the Oil & Gas industry is significant to Canada and has to be sustainable in the long-term. It is incumbent to ensure that the environment is not negatively impacted. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are naturally occurring constituents of crude oil and are generally categorized as saturated acyclic and cyclic carboxylic acids. PAHs are quite corrosive and are removed from crude oil (e.g., bitumen) during its extraction from oil fields and oil sands, and during subsequent refining of the recovered crude oil. The consequence is that water used for recovery and processing of crude oil becomes increasingly enriched with PAHs. Significant amounts of dissolved PAHs remain in waste process water and consequently, are stored in large tailings ponds. The problem with PAHs is that their elevated levels in natural waterways are extremely toxic to aquatic life including bacteria, fish, plants and mammals. Furthermore, it is possible for these pollutants to move from the natural waterways into municipal water supply systems. In collaboration with STANTEC, we are proposing to develop a right-handed coiled coil nanotube (RHCC-NT) based passive sampler device (PSD) that detects and/or recovers PAHs from fluid and sediment systems. The nanotube is based on the RHCC domain from Staphylothermus marinus (S. marinus), an extremophillic archea bacterium isolated from black smoker vents. As a consequence of its adaptation to the extreme conditions at the deep sea volcano, the S-layer protein is characterized by an unusual stability (pH, Temperature, pressure, salinity, ionic strength) that makes it a perfect tool for biotechnological developments. In this project, we aim to develop novel technologies based on RHCC-NT PSDs that can detect fast and in the sub-nM range diverse priority PAH's with the goal to establish a cost effective monitoring device and to establish a new generation bio-availability tool. In addition, we will extend the unique storage capacity of large-sized cavities to develop RHCC-NT as a PAH-remediation tool. Such technologies will significantly improve the water quality systems in Canada and benefit our economy through enhanced environmental sustainability.