CHARACTERIZATION AND FUNCTIONALITY OF RECOMBINANT AQUAPORINS FROM MOZAMBIQUE TILAPIA

Abstract

With the high energy cost of reverse osmosis acting as the main pipeline for desalination in Singapore, the low energy cost biomimetic membrane incorporated with aquaporin, having high water selectivity and permeability, are of interest. Hereby, we propose that Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) aquaporins are potential candidates for the biomimetic membrane due to the ability of this tilapia to survive and adapt in a range of salinities. To date, the functionality of Mozambique tilapia aquaporins still remains unknown except for aquaporin-3. In this project, we aim to produce the Mozambique tilapia aquaporins and test its water function. In total, we have successfully expressed nine tilapia aquaporins in yeast. As Aqp1 is found to have the highest water permeability function, it has proceeded on to be produced and purified in large scale and fermentation scale. This research will establish the basis and feasibility of Mozambique tilapia aquaporins for biomimetic membrane usage.