Introduction
Since our subject is biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics, we hope to popularize the method of biodegradable plastics to more people when designing the project, so that we can jointly put forward suggestions, give play to creativity, and implement environmental protection awareness into daily life, so as to reduce plastic pollution and protect the earth’s environment. At the same time, we were also determined to combine dry team projects with wet experiments to serve our experiments. We conducted activities like expert interviews, business visits, cooperation and exchange with other iGEM teams, debate competitions, and a visit to Suzhou landfill sites.
Activities
1. Interview
(1) Interview by Professor Fengxiao Zhu
In order to better understand the biological method to explain PET plastics, the iGEM team NNU-CHINA went to the School of Environment of Nanjing Normal University to interview Professor Fengxiao Zhu, whose main research interests include the environmental behavior and ecological effects of emerging pollutants such as microplastics, the microbial degradation of organic pollutants, and the remediation of contaminated soil. We booked an interview with the teacher and prepared a set of interview questions, looking forward to engaging in an in-depth academic discussion. During the interview, Professor Zhu briefly discussed the environmental impacts and hazards of emerging pollutants like microplastics. In addition, she presented some research findings on the biological effects of degradable microplastics. When we asked teacher Zhu about her opinion on PET biodegradable plastics, she emphasized the significant volume of PET plastic usage and subsequent plastic waste generation, making research on its degradation highly meaningful. Professor Zhu stated that both biological and chemical methods for degradation are feasible, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, and suggests a balanced development of both approaches. Additionally, Professor Zhu also added that introducing beneficial microorganisms or highly efficient degradation enzymes into the environment, such as agricultural soil, to achieve more effective plastic degradation and promote a greener and more environmentally friendly approach. Consequently, she stressed that it is worthwhile to investigate the topic of biodegradation of PET plastics using enzymes.
Through this interview, we understood the principle and mechanism of biological enzymes explaining plastics and get the inspiration of the experiment, so we communicated with the team members responsible for wet experiment, and confirmed the research direction of our wet experiment.
(2) Quality Inspection Institute Visits and Interviews with Experts
We went to the Nanjing Quality Supervision Institute to visit, study and interview. Teacher Nan Zhu , who received us, first took the team members to visit the major laboratories: acid-base titration laboratory, water purifier laboratory, etc., providing detailed explanations of their functions and operations.
Ms. Zhu mentioned an important question, that is, "In the process of degrading plastics, whether new substances will be migrated at the terminal position, and whether there will be substances remaining in the soil", which needs in-depth research and thinking. In response to this question, we communicated and brainstorm with our tutor and the wet experiment team, added the experimental verification part to the experiment and used the obtained data to analyze its performance. However, more work is needed for real applied research. Ms. Zhu's guidance and suggestions were very valuable to our research and provide us with new directions and ideas.
2. Debate Competition
In order to improve team members’ further understanding of the science of plastic degradation and broaden the influence of synthetic biology, we carried out a debate on the topic of “Whether bioenzyme degradation of plastics is a feasible way to solve plastic pollution”. Despite having different words in the debate competition, the pros and cons of the two sides still provide convincing arguments. The main arguments of the pro side include: (1) The bioenzyme degradation process produces fewer harmful substances than the traditional plastic treatment methods, which can effectively degrade plastics and reduce the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment; (2) Bioenzyme degradation of plastics can effectively reduce the accumulation of plastic waste, reduce the impact on the natural environment and ecosystem, and alleviate global problems such as plastic pollution; (3) Enzyme-degradable plastics promote sustainable development, which can reduce the demand for non-renewable resources such as oil and reduce the exploitation pressure on the environment. The opposite side also expressed concerns about the potential risks of bioenzyme degradation of plastics, such as bioenzyme degradation of plastics technology is not mature, and bioenzyme degradation of different types of plastics, the need for further research and improvement, and the high cost of bioenzyme degradation of plastics, limiting its popularity and promotion in industrial applications.
In the end, the game was won by the pros. Through this debate competition, we correctly realized the bright prospect of the direction of bioenzyme degradation, which also stimulated our enthusiasm for synthetic biology and full of confidence in our team's project.
3. Partnership
(1) Biological Carnival
In order to further promote the green concept of iGEM team and get more practical inspiration, the NNU-CHINA team was invited to Nanjing University of Technology to participate in the biological carnival held by iGEM NJTech-China-A team in collaboration with its College of Food and Light Industry, College of Bioengineering and Pharmaceutical and College of Pharmacy. Through various games, the two teams actively collaborated to publicize and explain the project content of their respective teams to more students. NNU-CHINA team members distributed questionnaires along with a promotion to understand the students' awareness of PET plastics. We gathered valuable suggestions and ideas for the wet and dry team's subsequent work during our conversation with the NJTech-China-A team.
(2) iGEM League in Nanjing
The NNU-China team came to Xianlin Campus of Nanjing University to attend the IGEM Alliance meeting in Nanjing Region. The meeting was hosted by the NJU-China team. Yuhan Bao and Yilong Xu were invited to give comments and guidance to the team. During the introduction of each group, we also comprehend the various subject directions of iGEMers. Through communication and learning, we gain a full understanding of our shortcomings and learn from others' strengths. Water has no substance, but when it is swirling, it is brimming. In the harmonious atmosphere of the NIA conference, unique ideas are stirring each other, and they fit each other.
(3) 14th National Symposium on Enzyme Engineering
On August 19th, we attended the 14th National Symposium on Enzyme Engineering held in Hangzhou. The symposium is divided into seven themes, focusing on basic research and transformation of results in enzyme engineering, as well as mutual cooperation in research, production and application in the field of enzyme engineering. At the seminar, many enzyme engineering experts shared their academic insights, and their unique insights provided a lot of help for our research.
Our research aims to address the growing global problem of plastic pollution, particularly the degradation of PET plastics. In this symposium, some experts shared the content of constructing and modifying the ancestor enzymes of PET hydrolase, which is closely related to our research topic, but also highlights the cutting-edge progress in the field of plastic degradation and its important role in environmental protection and sustainable development.
Plastic pollution is a growing problem around the world. In order to solve this serious problem, we pay attention to the degradation of PET plastics. However, the effect of PETase enzyme is only exerted under certain conditions, and the degradation rate is limited. During the symposium, experts presented research on improving the functionality of PETase by incorporating different algorithms, such as the Greedy algorithm, to significantly improve its degradation efficiency. The symposium also introduced the basic methods of enzyme engineering, including ancestral sequence construction, machine learning, experimental verification, MD simulation, etc. Through these methods, we further optimize PETase kinetic properties.
In addition, we also gained insights from the symposium on the application of enzyme engineering in multiple fields. This expanded vision shows the great potential of enzyme engineering in different fields and also inspires us to approach plastic degradation from multiple perspectives, enriches our research methods with interdisciplinary exchanges, and inspires us to find intersections with other fields to more comprehensively address the complex challenges posed by plastic pollution.
The symposium not only provided a powerful reference for our research, but also deepened our understanding of the entire field of enzyme engineering. At the symposium, experts talked about the current situation of PET plastic biodegradation and proposed methods to improve enzyme function, which undoubtedly added confidence to our research. This will motivates us to work harder and push our research forward. At the same time, the symposium also made us realize that we should not only focus on the degradation of PET plastics, but also further explore more applications of plastic enzymatic degradation, such as the resynthesis of PET monomer into PET. We firmly believe that through exchanges with scholars in various fields, we can contribute towards a more sustainable and perfect future!
(4) The Plastic Degradation Questionnaire
At the end of our wet experiment, our team jointly issued a plastic degradation questionnaire by ZJUT, and we received 300 effective answers. Among them, nearly 99% of the people thought that it was necessary to further strengthen degradable plastics and plastic degradation measures, and 79% of the people thought that the use of synthetic biological methods to degrade PET plastics had greater advantages over traditional plastic degradation methods. Although our project has a high degree of support and recognition in the current Chinese society, it is still necessary to popularize the relevant content of synthetic biological methods to degrade PET to the public.
4. Visit
(1) Visit to Nanjing Vazyme Biotech Co., Ltd.
In order to further explore more efficient ways of environmental protection and deeper exploration in the field of synthetic biology, the iGEM team NNU-CHINA came to Vazyme for a visit and study. Vazyme is a biotechnology company that concentrates on the technical research and product development of functional proteins, such as enzymes, antigens, antibodies, and polymer organic materials. At the same time, it attaches great importance to environmental protection work, based on the characteristics of the industry and the development status of the company, and responds to the national "double carbon" policy. This visit includes an enterprise introduction and laboratory visit. In this process, we understand some business and management modes and accumulated some experience in entrepreneurship and management. At the same time, we have acquired a significant amount of knowledge in biotechnology and gained experience and skills in experimental operation.
(2) Visit to Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-Pack Co., Ltd.
In order to further explore the path of environmental protection and understand the current status of sustainable development in China, iGEM team NNU-CHINA visited Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-Pack Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-Pack Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise with plant fiber production technology as the core, integrating research and development, design, production and sales. The scale of plant fiber industrialization ranks among the forefront in China. Under the leadership of General Manager Zhang of Zhejiang Kingsun Eco-Pack Co., Ltd., the team learned about the company's development history and visited the company's product exhibition and research and development laboratory. The team has gained a greater understanding of the significance of popular science education and environmental protection through this interview. The team will continue to promote the project and contribute to the creation of a sustainable society and the world.
(3) Visit to Suzhou Everbright Environmental Protection Energy Co., Ltd. and Qizishan Landfill Site
In order to understand the waste disposal process in detail, the team came to Suzhou Everbright Environmental Protection Energy Co., Ltd. to visit and learn at the Qizishan landfill site. Under the guidance of the staff, we visited the central control room, exhibition gallery, garbage control room, etc., to understand the complete waste disposal workflow. In addition to the introduction of the staff, we also raised doubts to the staff. Burning a large amount of household waste will generate a lot of carbon dioxide, is that not quite sustainable development of society. On this basis, we have publicized our bioenzyme degradation PET method to local staff, and the carbon dioxide produced by bioenzyme degradation is far less than that produced by incineration, in this sense, it can well reduce carbon dioxide emissions, effectively protect the earth's ecology, and suppress the greenhouse effect. The staff also expressed their approval, support and encouragement for our project. After that, the NNU-CHINA team went to Qizishan Landfill to see how the local waste incineration process is specific, and realized that the amount of waste is huge, and the sustainable development work is still a long way to go. Our team members have gradually come to realize the significance of the current era in the practice of sustainable development goals through various visits, interviews, and exchanges. The continued development of human society is also the continual improvement of biodegradation requirements. Only in this way can our development be more stable in the future.
（4）Visit to Zhihe Biotechnology Co., LTD.
We interviewed an emerging biotechnology company - Zhihe Biotechnology Co., LTD. Founded in April last year. The company is headquartered in Nanjing, with production in Shandong province. In this interview, we had the honor to communicate with Mr. Chairman Guosheng, chairman of Zhihe Biotechnology Co., LTD., who introduced the basic situation of the company and the application of synthetic biology in detail, and made intimate suggestions for our young people.
According to Chairman Guo, Zhihe Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in the manufacture of oil chemicals, and is committed to the applied research of synthetic biology. In addition to the usual hyaluronic acid, genetically modified items and synthetic yeast, the company is also involved in PHA, bacteria, microalgae production of health products, synthetic life, the use of fungi to produce artificial meat and other fields. We can't help but sigh that the development of technology has given human imagination more space to play.
At the same time, Chairman Guo also put forward some suggestions for us young people. He pointed out that the field of synthetic biology requires a long-term continuous effort, continuous learning and practice. He suggested that we young people should pay special attention to teamwork, because this field needs interdisciplinary and cross-field cooperation to achieve better results. He also stressed that do not be afraid of failure, and every failure will be a further opportunity for you to succeed, only the courage to try, the courage to fail to go further. This makes us feel Chairman Guo's humanistic care and entrepreneurial spirit.
Finally, the rapid rise of Zhihe Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Chairman Guo's successful experience have proved to us that studying and researching synthetic biology is a field with great potential. We believe that with the attention and support of the whole society, more outstanding scientific and technological achievements will emerge in the future and make more important contributions to the future of human society!
5. Education
In order to promote the knowledge of synthetic biology and bioenzyme-degraded plastics to the public, NNU-CHINA team members designed relevant questionnaires and completed the distribution and collection of questionnaires in the community. We have a conversation with the general public, from children to the elderly. At the same time, we created a WeChat public account to push our activities and little knowledge, and also made micro-class videos and webpage dictionaries on the Internet for people to learn and understand.
Please click here for details6. Sustainable
Through in-depth understanding of sustainable development regulations, we have carried out related activities according to our own topics, including producing and uploading children's picture books, online micro-lessons and plastic pollution-themed board games, visiting low-value waste recycling demonstration communities, and holding international summits on environmental protection and sustainable development.
Please click here for details7. Education and Sustainable
In addition to promoting synthetic biology, we also promote the idea of sustainable development. Our production of children's popular science picture books focused on environmental protection and marine plastic waste. Meanwhile, we have also made micro-lesson videos about plastics to spread the knowledge of PET plastics to more people.
Conclusion
As for our human practice, we specifically interviewed and consulted two experts in related fields before officially carrying out the wet experiment, and received constructive suggestions to improve the experiment. At the same time, we organized a debate competition related to the subject in the school, so that the members could think deeply and understand our subject from a more dialectical perspective. It is worth mentioning that we also visited the Suzhou landfill site and learned about its history and changes, which made us have a deeper feeling of environmental protection and more firm confidence in the good impact of the project we did. During the work, we actively communicated and discussed with other iGEM teams and had a clash of ideas. The work on education and sustainable development was also completed successfully. After concluding the wet experiment, we also visited relevant enterprises to understand the current situation of plastic use and pollution, and to consult the feasibility of large-scale application of our experiment in real life. Clearly, our ideas need to be developed and evaluated against the demands of the current state of plastic disposal.
