We ask every team to think deeply and creatively about whether their project is responsible and good for the world. Consider how the world affects your work and how your work affects the world.
In the context of an increasingly environmentally conscious society, as concerns over plastic pollution and climate change grow, there is a pressing need to transition towards sustainable materials. The development of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) through synthetic biology offers a compelling solution to replace traditional plastics. PHB, a biodegradable and renewable biopolymer, is a promising alternative to traditional plastic that can reduce the environmental impact of plastic waste and contribute to the development of a circular economy. Our innovation aligns with society's aspiration for eco-friendly alternatives and reduced ecological impact. By adopting PHB over conventional plastics, we can mitigate pollution, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and pave the way for a greener future. Embracing PHB within synthetic biology pathways not only addresses environmental challenges but also showcases our commitment to responsible technological advancement.
Reflection: Analyze external feedback critically.
Had interview with scientists in this area and learn from them.
Responsiveness: Engage with society and gather feedback.
Conducted a public survey, heard the voice of majority.
Responsibility: Fulfill social obligations and contribute to society.
We have discovered that the 3R principle advocated by iGEM represents a complete cycle of effective thinking. It provides us with a logical and systematic approach. Following this principle, we interact with society, evaluate external inputs, and contribute back to the community.
Understanding the issue of plastic management serves as the foundation of our research investigation. Through active participation with relevant parties, we collaborated with the local community to tackle concerns related to plastic treatment.
The stakeholders are as follows: Bioplastic expert, government environmental department, and environmental research institution.
Dr. Chen, Guoqiang is a tenure-track professor at Tsinghua University, P.R.China. He is a special professor of Changjiang Scholars of the Ministry of Education of China and a National Outstanding Young Man of the China Natural Science Foundation. He has long been involved in the research of microorganisms and biomaterials. More than 200 papers related to microbial technology and biomaterials have been published in international academic journals, and the papers recorded by Web of Sciences have been cited more than 8,000 times (H-index 47). He has obtained more than 70 patents. These technologies are already being used by several companies for the large-scale production of microbial plastic polyhydroxyalkanoate PHA.
General attitude of Mr. Lingjie Tian, Minister, Department of Soil Ecology and Environment, Nanan Ecological Management Bureau, Chongqing: "I really hope that there can be more cutting- edge and environmentally friendly means to deal with plastics, or produce biodegradable plastics. From the front end to fundamentally solve the 'white pollution', the idea of GerogiaState-SWJTU is very meaningful.
Incineration (harmless treatment, in the hope of recycling waste plastic or making it degradable), and landfills is now banned (Tian believes this is simply passing the plastic pollution problem on to the next generation).
Mr.Tian opened the plastic waste control policy issued by the Chongqing Ecological Environment Administration Bureau in 2021 and analyzed it to us article by article, first explaining that express packaging produces a large amount of plastic waste, and the government is also requiring the establishment of " no plastic shopping malls", and the plastic limit in public places such as hotels are added to the management review requirements. Chongqing's plastic limit order can avoid the "plastic promotion" competition between different hotels or shopping malls , that is, under the rule of the business, hotels and shopping malls do not provide plastic bags and other single-use plastic products. But in the end, many of these measures will be undermined by businesses trying to offer convenience to residents in order to attract customers, which can be attributed to competition with other malls. In daily life, supermarkets began to charge for plastic bags, but some shopping malls sold plastic bags which became soft and have poor quality, and there is no data to show that such plastic bags are more environmentally friendly or easier to deal with. Most residents are still willing to buy plastic bags for a few cents, thinking it is more convenient than carrying reusable bags, and using plastic bags is also a long-standing habit. This not only allows the manufacturers of plastic bags to continue to profit, expand the scale, but also does not reduce plastic bag waste, open the source but also does not throttle. This involves three aspects of the plastic products industry: initial production, middle using and end treatment. Due to the needs of market flow and economic development, as well as the habits and environmental awareness of the public, it is not possible to forcibly ban or large-scale reduction of initial production. The policy is more to encourage and guide the use of less plastic products, strengthen publicity and education, and grasp the correct guidance of public opinion.
General Policy on Plastic Use: Encourage civilians to reduce their use
Encourage tourist attractions not to use non-biodegradable plastics, encourage hotels not to provide plastic products (such as hotel disposable toothbrushes, etc.), etc Mr. Tian mentioned following troubles on plastic deposing:
Large market demand: plastic is widely used in all aspects of our production and life, and people rely highly on plastic
Too many involved aspects: There are too many aspects are involved when it comes to plastic products. It involves the people, the producers, etc. In the field, it involves the social economy, people's livelihood, environmental protection, administrative management and many other aspects. Therefore, it is very difficult to consider every thing when making a policy. For example, many supermarkets have charged for plastic bags, but few people cares about it because of the low price. The vast majority of people are willing to buy these cheap plastic bags when they forget to bring their bags. The manufacturers of plastic bags make profits since there are many people spend money on buying their products, which leads to the expanding production of plastic bags.
Inconsistency of Policies: Due to various reasons, few policies are consistent around China.For example, today, a district in Chongqing introduced measures to restrict hotels' disposable toothbrushes and other plastic products, but people will choose to stay in other hotels because the hotels which do not provide them with plastic products caused them inconvenience. Eventually,hotels in this area are also likely to choose to offer single-use plastic products again because of commercial competition. Therefore, policies cannot have the desired effect.
Profit-hungry enterprises: Some enterprises launched some soft, less robust plastic bags, which changed reusable plastic bags into disposable products, are prompting residents to increase their purchases.
Agriculture: Under the relevant requirements of plastic film production thickness and plastic film recycling policy, the plastic pollution caused by plastic film has been improved a lot. Large- scale or industrialized farmland has strict thickness requirements (thickness requirements for recycling), and a large part of the government funding for the recycling of mulch. However, due to the prevalence of small-scale peasant economy, it is difficult to control plastic using of individual farmers by government.
Mr. Tian figured that the best way to control plastic is from the beginning of production, from the source. Our project is a good way to curb white pollution when the plastic market is still large and unable to ban it on a large scale.(To synthetic biodegradable plastics) But the premise of mass production must be low and cheap and acceptable to most residents.
In today's society, plastic pollution has become a significant environmental issue, putting immense pressure on our planet and ecosystems. To gain a better understanding of plastic disposal and environmental pollution, we had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Zhang from the Chongqing Academy of Environmental Science. The Chongqing Academy of Environmental Science is a professional environmental research institution in Chongqing, China, established in 1982. It is dedicated to environmental science research, technological development, and environmental engineering consulting services. The research areas include atmospheric environment, water environment, soil environment, solid waste treatment and resource utilization, environmental monitoring and assessment, among others. Dr. Zhang, as a professional environmental scientist, has extensive experience and research achievements in the field of plastic pollution. In this interview, we will explore the impacts of plastic pollution, methods of plastic disposal, and ways to reduce plastic usage in our daily lives. It is our hope that through this interview, we can gain a better understanding of plastic pollution issues and make positive contributions to protecting our environment. There are some questions that we covered.
Q: What do you think about the current increase in plastic pollution around the world?
A: The current increase in plastic pollution around the world is a severe and widely recognized environmental concern. It is difficult to curb in the short term due to the slow degradation of plastic waste. The accumulation of past plastic waste and the continuous generation of new waste contribute to the overall increase in plastic pollution. However, global attention and efforts to address this issue are growing stronger, with new technologies and methods emerging. In the long run, with collective efforts, we can eventually resolve the global plastic pollution problem.
Q: In order to alleviate plastic pollution, many plastics are now being replaced by other materials, such as degradable straws in many beverage stores. Do you think plastic can be completely replaced?
A: Plastics will not be completely replaced in the foreseeable future. They have many unique properties and applications that make them indispensable in various industries. While efforts are being made to reduce plastic pollution by replacing certain plastic items with alternatives, complete substitution is not feasible or necessary at this stage. Instead, we should focus on finding ways to mitigate the environmental impact of plastics through technological advancements and effective management. It is important to strike a balance between utilizing the benefits of plastics and minimizing their harm to the environment. Complete replacement may have its own challenges and consequences, and it is more prudent to address the issues associated with plastics rather than seeking complete elimination.
Q: The essence of plastic pollution is the problem of environmental leakage caused by poor management after plastic waste. How does China control such problems at this stage?
A: China has implemented several measures to control plastic pollution:Household waste sorting: The government promotes waste sorting and encourages citizens to separate plastic waste for recycling, reducing the leakage of plastic waste into the environment Industrial waste management: Industries are required to implement waste sorting and recycling practices, with a focus on reusing plastic packaging materials. Specialized recycling companies collect and process unusable waste plastics, while industrial waste plastics generated during production are being recycled and treated effectively.Agricultural plastic film recycling: Agricultural plastic films are a significant source of plastic pollution. China has established a system for collecting and recycling waste agricultural plastic films. Awareness campaigns and patrol management aim to discourage farmers from improperly disposing of these films. However, the challenge of plastic pollution from agricultural plastic films remains due to the vast rural area and limited awareness among farmers. These measures are steps towards controlling plastic pollution, but continuous efforts are needed to address the challenges and improve the management of plastic waste in China.
The above interview indicates that there is a growing demand for plastic waste management, and it has vast and unlimited prospects. This provides great encouragement for us to explore other methods of plastic waste treatment, such as PHB. Through further research and innovation, we can promote the development of sustainable plastic waste management methods and contribute to environmental protection.
Staying connected to reality necessitates grasping market demands and public opinions. Hence, we crafted a survey centered on public needs and perspectives regarding synthetic biology, a highly advanced field encompassing controversial techniques like gene editing. Recognizing its potential social implications, we aimed to gauge public understanding and acceptance beforehand. Gathering a comprehensive and authentic dataset was our priority, urging us to delve into a diverse range of perspectives.
We received 195 questionnaires from the public, our interviewees were all from the United States and China. We found 83.08% of people was supportive to the idea that producing PHB by the co-culture of E.coli and C. reinhardtii. 89.23% of interviewees believe PHB would be promising and 56.90% of them believe it will be very promising. 78.46% interviewees was willing to buy PHB products with a reasonable price. These data provided the impetus for our project to move forward.
Considering the historical and philosophical aspects of science, along with its developmental process and inherent characteristics, it becomes evident that scientific knowledge is not absolute truth but rather subject to falsifiability. This inherent quality highlights the crucial role of expression and communication within the realm of science.
- Determine the intended audience
- Employ suitable resources to enhance effectiveness
- Increase accessibility of synthetic biology to a broader public
- Develop creative methods for educational outreach
The GeorgiaState-SWJTU team successfully organized the "iGEM Project Seminar" on the Tencent Conference Platform with cooperation of SWJTU Life Science Association of Students(LSAS) on July 11, 2023. LSAS is the largest life science related student association in SWJTU.
Nearly 300 students from various schools in SWJTU attended this seminar. This seminar was divided into three parts. In the "Sharing Research Experience" session, senior students shared valuable insights, covering topics from finding supervisors to conducting scientific research.
The "Introduction of Project Content" session provided an overview of the iGEM competition, a prestigious interdisciplinary competition in synthetic biology. Xiang Li, representing the team, discussed the team achievements in 2022 and outlined our 2023 project involving co-culturing E.coli and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to enhance biodegradable Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production.
Group representatives further presented innovative approaches to increase PHB production through gene editing and co-culture methods. The presentation concluded with a free question session, during which the team members addressed inquiries from the attendees.
This seminar promoted the communication and learning of the students, guided the direction of learning for the students, popularized the relevant knowledge of synthetic biology and iGEM to the students, and provided help for the students' future learning career.
Georgia State-SWJTU was not limited to promoting their project, but also hammered at synthetic biology knowledge promotion. We created an official account on Wechat in the summer of 2022, which more than two billion people use to announce the progress of our project and disseminate knowledge of synthetic biology.
It is a platform that provides scientific knowledge to readers interested in biology, helping them gain a deeper understanding of biology. We also use it to promote our iGEM competition projects and provide real-time updates on the progress of our projects.
Until October 2023, our promotion on WeChat had a great success. Our Synthetic Biology Knowledge Promotion Collection SynBio received thousands of views with 15 articles. Many of these papers were our original arrangements from published papers. A number of them are interesting stories about the background of our project.
These articles cover a wide range of topics, including familiar yet often overlooked issues like global warming, plastic pollution, B virus, and early detection of feline diseases. Additionally, we conducted interviews, such as the interview of the Soil Ecological Environment Department of Chongqing Municipal Ecological Environment Management Bureau. We have also introduced some iGEM environmental track gold medal winners, to increase readers’ interest.
To broaden our audience, most of our articles on this public account were shown in both English and Chinese. On the other hand, we also creatively introduced a form like an audio book. This allowed more readers to learn about our project and synthetic biology. Our work on Wechat is an important part of our human practice, giving thousands of people the opportunity to learn synthetic biology.
The GSU-SWJTU iGEM team is working with Dr. Robbins, a professor at Georgia State, to create an educational BioBus moduel.
The BioBus is a nonprofit organization that visits schools in the Atlanta-area and provides hands-on science education. We are working with Dr. Chandan Morris Robbins, the BioBus’s Associate Director. You can learn more information about the GSU BioBus here: https://biobus.gsu.edu
We are working with Dr. Robbins to establish a module for Biobus. Our team presented our module for the first time to biology students at Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The aim of this educational outreach event was to teach students basic principles of synthetic biology, applications of synthetic biology, and introduce them to iGEM.
Our module first focused on presenting the purpose of synthetic biology, how synthetic biology is developed through natural biological processes, such as the central dogma, and its applications.
Students brought up synthetic biology milestones, such as the cloning of Dolly the sheep, and even asked about CRISPR being used as a gene editing tool. Another student mentioned the idea of insulin production after genetic engineering could also be an application of synthetic biology.
We also provided further details about applications, particularly examples of roles humans have in synthetic biology. We discussed the importance of safety in a lab setting. We then proceeded to work with the students to complete an activity that would allow them to understand the process of creating a recombinant plasmid and transforming bacteria with a recombinant plasmid. Along with that activity, we discussed the importance of getting “sticky ends” after restriction digests of a plasmid and before ligation. Our final slides covered information about iGEM as a means to introduce high school students to the potential opportunity to join the iGEM team at Georgia State University.