IIT Delhi-iGEM

As the final purpose of our decursin biomanufacturing is CIA treatment, when designing the project, we wanted to approach this topic in the most sensitive manner as possible. To understand the problem and the available solutions today, we contacted different associations, consulted with experts and talked to patients. All of this input emphasized the importance of our initiatives and values that guided us throughout the project.

Overview

For solving any large-scale problem involving humans it is absolutely essential to take into consideration the people directly and indirectly affected by the problem. These people are called stakeholders and need to be always informed about the status of the project. Their needs, feedback, and values play a vital role in shaping the solution of the project. Inorder to properly assess the success of our project BioSURF, we held multiple meetings with various stakeholders. We also looked into the various fields of our project such as the problem, the solution, the real-world implementation of the problem, the safety and ethics, and the government laws and regulations.

Silver Human Practices

In Silver Human Practice, we discussed the problem and its impact on society as well as on the environment. We identified the relevant stakeholders of this project, how they were affected by the problem as well as how to manage them using a stakeholder grid. Then we conducted a value-sensitive analysis to properly assess the values of various stakeholders as well as the design requirements for those values.

Integrated Human Practices

In Integrated Human Practices, we give a detailed analysis of our learnings from each meeting with stakeholders using the CARE framework. We also explain what the CARE framework is and how it helps us to properly assess our meetings with the stakeholders. It also gives an interactive timeline of our discussion with the various stakeholders and how our project shaped to be what it is now.

Partnership

Collaborations are the lifeblood of any iGEM project, absolutely vital for scientific progress. They bring together knowledge and skills from various teams, driving the advancement of science. This year, we formed valuable partnerships with IISc Bengaluru, working on educational proposals, and MIT-MAHE Manipur, hosting the Bioremediation Conclave and the Bioart Competition. Our collaborative spirit extended to fellow iGEM teams, breaking language barriers and fostering unity through shared efforts like surveys, online competitions, and social media posts. These seemingly small actions had a big impact, strengthening our bonds and commitment to biotechnology's application.

Survey

We conducted surveys in India and Abu Dhabi to assess public awareness of heavy metal pollution, focusing on water contamination and its consequences. The survey results guided tailored awareness campaigns, educational materials, and project strategies. Additionally, the international survey provided cross-cultural insights, enhancing project effectiveness and credibility on a global scale. The findings underscored the need for increased efforts to address this issue.

Safety

As we are a part of the iGEM community and venture into synthetic biology and genetic engineering, safety is of utmost importance to us. We had talked with various experts and also conducted extensive safety training for our Wet Lab team as well.

Proposed Implementation

In the Proposed Implementation page, we have discussed the various future applications of our project and how it could be advanced further. We have devised a scheme for economically viable industrial production of our project. We have also talked about various scenarios or use cases where our tunable bidirectional promoter can be used.