Education is not limited to students. Our team firmly believes that confining educational activities within schools is too restrictive, and the educated group should also include people in society. Therefore, we step out of the school and delve into the community to conduct our investigation.
We conducted a survey and distributed it through social media platforms such as WeChat. Currently, we have received over 100 responses.Through analyzing the data, we have discovered insights that drive our project.
Firstly, when asked about the frequency of plastic usage, 52.94% of respondents reported using it every day, while less than 15% claimed to use it rarely.This indicates a strong reliance on plastic products, leading to an increase in daily plastic waste generation. It also emphasizes the urgency of addressing the problem of waste pollution.
Fortunately, when asked about the environmental impact of plastic waste, nearly 98% of respondents recognized its harmful effects.This indicates that people have developed a strong environmental consciousness, which aligns perfectly with the objectives of our project.
Additionally, we have received many valuable suggestions from individuals on how to tackle plastic waste, which will provide guidance for our future work.
These results are significant as they indicate the current dependence on plastic waste while also acknowledging its environmental hazards.This strengthens our determination and ensures that in future activities, we will not only improve our project but also incorporate the suggestions provided by others. This change will not only be in terms of ideas but also in our own actions.
Street Interviews
We conducted random street interviews to understand the public's support for plastic recycling and their views on synthetic biology. In order to ensure an adequate sample size, we visited crowded areas such as Nanjing Xinjiekou and Confucius Temple for interviews.
We first inquired about the attitudes of passersby towards plastic recycling. The results showed that the vast majority of respondents expressed support for plastic recycling and believed it to be an important measure for environmental protection and resource conservation. They believed that recycling plastic can reduce plastic pollution and resource waste.Next, we turned to the cutting-edge field of synthetic biology. We explained that synthetic biology is a discipline that utilizes biological principles and engineering techniques to create novel biomaterials and bio-products. We asked respondents about their views on the potential of synthetic biology in addressing plastic pollution. The majority of respondents expressed optimism about its potential, believing that synthetic biology can address plastic pollution by designing and modifying microorganisms. Some mentioned research on biodegradable plastics as a viable solution. However, some expressed concerns about the safety and feasibility of synthetic biology, emphasizing the need for further scientific research and practical validation.
During the interview process, we found that the public's understanding of plastic recycling and synthetic biology varied.Therefore, we suggest strengthening the promotion and popularization of relevant knowledge to enhance public awareness of these important issues.In terms of experimentation, we communicated with the experimental group, improving our experiments to ensure their safety and feasibility.
Exchange Meetings
To effectively promote our project and broaden our mindset, we actively participated in and organized various exchange meetings.During these exchange meetings, we witnessed project presentations from universities across the country, which inspired us and challenged conventional thinking.
NIA: During the early stage of the experiment, team members went to Nanjing University to participate in an on-site exchange meeting. They discussed how to carry out the experiment, interacted with other universities in Nanjing, and understood projects from other schools. After discussions with groups related to our experiment, we reached an agreement on further cooperation. Eventually, we established offline biological carnival communication and collaboration with the Nanjing Normal University's iGEM sub-team, and conducted related activities.
Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development:On the afternoon of July 18th, the NNU-CHINA team hosted an online exchange meeting on “Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development.” The eight participating teams were NJTech-China-B, Aalto-Helsinki, NJTech-China-A, NNU-CHINA, Nanjing-China, SZ-SHD, ZJUT-China, and SCU-China.
Through the presentations of each group, the teams gained a deeper understanding of synthetic biology solutions employed by iGEMers to improve the ecological environment. During the exchange and learning process, the teams fully embraced the strengths of others and recognized their own shortcomings.
During the exchange and learning process, the teams fully embraced the strengths of others and recognized their own shortcomings. “Water has no pattern, but it ripples when stirred.” The essence of iGEM lies in mutual progress and accomplishment. We wish everyone to live up to the present and fear no future, taking firm steps forward with the purest passion.
Biosynthesis empowers new developments in bioremediation: On August 5, 2023, this conference was hosted by ZJUT-China, and dozens of teams including HiZJU-China and NJTech-China-A participated. The main discussion focused on the application of mutation methods in experiments. Teams shared their thoughts and elaborated on current project designs and work progress. iGEMers from different teams engaged in enthusiastic discussions on future collaboration directions and existing issues in projects.
CCIC:Online CCiC (Community Collaboration in iGEM & Cobalt Cloud) discussion on new standards and HP (Human Practices) themed sharing meeting: The showcase featured past and upcoming activities related to HP. Teams had the opportunity to learn about and understand the activities of other teams.
Offline meetings with NJTech-China-B team:During the summer stay on campus, our team had multiple, primarily to discuss and improve experimental issues and HP activities.Furthermore, we partnered with the B team to conduct community outreach and deliver joint presentations.The exchange meetings with the B team have brought us many valuable insights, including solutions to experimental problems and collaborations on HP community activities between the two teams.
We have been cooperating and communicating with ZJUT-China on wiki. They invited us to try out their software Wikibreeze, and we got a lot of inspiration from it. At the same time, we also provided suggestions for their wiki writing, such as navigation bar optimization. We constantly promote each other's progress through communication.
Online exchange meeting with Zhejiang University of Technology: The main focus of this meeting was on discussing modeling and sharing the methods used by each team. There were discussions on the treatment methods of the test fluid PET leachate and the selection of raw materials for reaction systems.
