To whom did we reach out and why?

Knowing the severity of forest fires in our country, we sought to engage with an expert who could provide us with information about their impact and the means they use to minimize their consequences. We got in touch with Mr Thalassinos Georgios, head of the Forestry Fepartment of Istiaia, one of the many villages that were affected by the destructive fires of 2021 in Greece.

How were the ecosystem and the community affected?

According to Mr. Thalassinos, over 68% of forest land was destroyed, resulting in various ecological and economic problems. More specifically, a change was observed in the climate and the soil factors of the area, resulting in severe loss of the biodiversity of the flora and fauna. At the same time, many citizens who depended on the production of resin from forest trees lost their main source of income.

What existing solutions did they implement?

In response to a question regarding how they handled these issues, he said that the state mandated the replanting of the burned land and prohibited hunting. As quickly as possible, the charred trunks and branches were gathered so that the aforementioned procedures could start and the plant infections that thrive in these trunks could be eliminated. The forestry staff also put in tree trunk pieces to lessen the likelihood of flooding. Thankfully, the threat of floods was removed thanks to these steps and the mild winters of 2021 and 2022.

What is the conclusion of the meeting?

After our instructive conversation, we had a greater understanding of the most essential issues that arise during a wildfire and appreciated the significance of our effort. We got a better understanding of current practices and the areas we need to concentrate on more in order to develop a workable strategy to stop the dangers that follow forest fires.

Who are the experts?

Drs Xanthopoulos and Michalopoulos from the Institute of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems and Technology of Forest Products.

In what specific cases is our project necessary?

As other experts informed us, the hydrogel can be used to stop water runoff for the same amount of time as the tree trunks. However, there are times when the threat of desertification increases, and in certain situations, our product could be an auxiliary. As they explained to us, soils with steep inclines are an important factor when it comes to the application of tree trunks, as human intervention is difficult. Since water cannot be absorbed, every soil with an incline of up to 25% is at a significant risk of corroding. Inferentially, our proposal becomes a plausible scenario to handle instances like the one above, where other ways are not applicable, due to the use of drones for the hurling of biopolymers.

To whom did we reach out and why?

Dr Athanasios Papaioannou, a professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in the department of Forestry that specializes in reforestation.

What was his overall opinion for our project?

He confirmed that wildfires are becoming a serious threat to our country. Under these circumstances soil’s organic matter is significantly reduced. Since terraformation is a yearlong procedure, the soil can easily get utterly destroyed to the point of desertification. He added that the only existing prevention method about this matter right now is by creating grids and barriers with tree trunks to the affected area. On the other hand, he commented that one negative aspect of our project is that it goes against the general belief that we should allow the forest to regenerate by itself. So, we might have some obstacles implementing our idea since some experts prefer the classic ways of dealing with the matter of burnt forest.

His input provided us with a clearer view of the problem and also confirmed the importance of our idea since the measures that prevent soil erosion are limited. What is more, we were more prepared and aware about how harshly a project like ours could be criticized.

Who did we meet with?

Mr Karamichalis Georgios, a municipal councilor, Mr Koutrodimos Sakis, a farmer and Mr Karafillis Dimitris, a reporter from Istiaia, shared with us their experiences about the devastating events of the fires in 2021. Our visit to the small village in North Evia helped us perceive a better picture of the consequences of forest wildfires. Understanding the problems that people in Istiaia deal with, even two years after the fires, was an important step in configuring our project based on the actual needs of the affected communities.

Mr Karamichalis Georgios, Municipal Councillor

What was his opinion on our project?

Forests have a major role in the everyday life of the community in the village. Mr. Karamichalis informed us that over 85% of the honey production in Greece was coming from beehives in the forests of North Evia, and the existing beekeepers were over 5000, a number that dramatically decreased after the wildfires. Regarding our project, he expressed his positive view since, from his experience, he agreed that the soil is in great danger of erosion after a fire. He also believed that the public would have a positive opinion about our project if we clearly described it and its properties. He highlighted that villagers tend to be more suspicious regarding science issues, so we had to be very clear about our intentions when implementing our product.

Who would, in his opinion, be the buyer of our product?

A possible ideal buyer would be any region of the country that would later distribute it to the municipalities where it’s needed. He once again pointed out the importance of the analytic description of the biopolymer regarding its levels of functionality in any region. As he said, we always have to keep in mind that information about all the aspects of our product will build trust with future buyers, bringing us closer to a real implementation.

Mr Koutrodimos Sakis, Farmer

What was his experience with the problem?

We learned that a serious percentage of arable and forest land was destroyed. Even now, after two years, the soil hasn’t recovered, it is still not fertile, and their crops have no production. His income seriously decreased since a great percentage of his land was near the burned forest. The climate factors of the area changed, and a lot of plant illnesses were caused, especially to plane trees.

What were the consequences for other forest-related jobs?

The beekeepers also suffered significant damage. The beehives were destroyed, and even the ones that were left could not survive or produce honey since there were no trees to pollinate, making it necessary for the workers to move their facilities to other villages.

Regarding the resin producers, the government secured for them job positions at the local forestry department. Even though this kind of action would support these people financially, it can later cause a bigger issue. Since there are no motives for them to return to their previous occupation, the danger of the disappearance of these jobs is lurking.

What was his view for our project?

Through our conversation, he expressed his interest in our work. He believes that our material solves the biggest issues the soil is facing after a fire. Additionally, he was amused by the implementation of biopolymers in agriculture. He even stated that he and other farmers would be willing to try it for their crops, depending on the cost.

Mr Karafillis Dimitris, Reporter

Mr Krafillis, a local reporter, was very involved in the documentation of the fires his community had to face, which is why we valued his opinion. Apart from our project, we talked about the measures the government should take to prevent forest fires. Actions like fire-resistant zones all over the forests are necessary to avoid the consequences of wildfires like the ones they deal with in Istiaia. The soil erosion, the biodiversity loss, and the limited number of forest-related occupations are only some of the challenges after a fire. He hopes that our approach is the start of a product that will save the forest ecosystems in the future.

Who did we contact, and why?

We contacted Dr. Giorgos Vlachos, who is the President of the Executive Committee of the Board of WWF Greece. We wanted to discuss with him the forest wildfires and how we could contribute to solving them.

What are the main problems after a wildfire that WWF is dealing with?

WWF is mostly focusing on the biodiversity issue. More specifically, in Greek forestry environments, there is a variety of unique and threatened flora and fauna. After the destructive wildfires, their population and their survival are at risk, as the environment is no longer friendly. Additionally, according to Dr Vlachos, forests in Greece are the biggest storage of carbon, so their loss is further causing climate deterioration.

What are the existing conditions for forest restoration?

He informed us that from their action in WWF, they have noticed that the areas that are facing the most problems are the ones with high slopes, the ones that have been through strong rains, and the ones that have been treated with wrong geological practices. He considered that the biopolymer could be useful in those areas where, currently, there is no effective intervention to prevent soil erosion.

What is the Boroume Organization?

Boroume is a non-profit organization located in Greece and functioning with the help of volunteers. It aims to reduce food waste and increase the food supply in Greece. We discussed with Mr. Alexandros Theodoridis, one of the founders of this organization.

What is the percentage of food waste from his experience?

Most of the fruit waste, specifically from oranges, comes from unharvested crop production. Over 1/3 of the production from the southern part of Greece remains in the fields. Mr. Theodoridis informed us that many people have fields with orange trees, but they usually can't afford the cost of their harvest. People from his team reach out to them, collect the fruits from them free of charge, and distribute them to people in need. Additionally, he stated that food processing companies have no motive from the government to adopt a more sustainable way of dealing with their waste. So, he believes that the amount of existing fruit and crustacean waste is significant, but he couldn’t provide us with the exact percentage.

Would the food processing companies provide us with their waste?

Generally, he believes the world's increasing interest in adopting more sustainable practices will push more businesses to reduce their waste and find more environmentally friendly ways to discard it. Lastly, he commented that if we provide our services for a price lower than they had to pay to discard their waste, we could, of course, easily find companies with the by-products we need.

What was the purpose of our participation?

It was a great opportunity to communicate the principles of synthetic biology, the iGEM competition, and our project with students, professors, and professionals from the field of biosciences. Another positive aspect of the conference was the interaction with other Greek iGEM teams that also participated

What was the outcome?

We presented the 6-year history of the iGEM Thessaloniki team, our team, and our project. In the time between the lectures at the conference, we had the chance to get feedback and questions from specialists so that we could improve. One of the questions we got was whether the cost of the final product would be a deterrent factor. But, as we pointed out, the use of natural materials for the biopolymer is necessary since a synthetic hydrogel would pollute the forest. So, the increased cost, within certain limits, is inevitable. Additionally, we got to know the rest of the Greek iGEM teams’ projects and exchanged feedback and experiences about our journey towards the competition.

How did we promote the field of synthetic biology?

The term synthetic biology is generally not widely known. Even though someone can easily find examples of biological systems like the production of insulin in their daily lives, most people don’t know that these systems have been generated in the field of synthetic biology. In our effort to change that, we desired to organize an event that everyone interested in keeping himself updated on the applications and comprehension of synthetic biology could attend. That’s when we put the idea of our conference, In the World of Synthetic Biology, into action. Our objectives were for someone to understand the potential of the scientific field we are working on in an intelligible way. Our speakers helped us achieve our goal of a successful conference with their interesting lectures and the interaction they had with the audience. Specifically, our speakers in the timeline of the conference were:

When we planned our conference, we considered that it was really important to include a more practical and hands-on part to give a complete experience to people who are interested in understanding better what synthetic biology is. Subsequently, we decided to organize two workshops, one in the field of the dry lab and one in the field of the wet lab. Our goal was for students and enthusiasts who would participate in our workshops to get in touch with some basic techniques, software applications, and their use to understand how things work. More specifically:

Dry Lab workshop: For the dry lab workshop, we presented the basic databases and software tools that can be used to design and combine the parts for cell transformation, like NCBI, Addgene, NEB, etc. Consequently, we presented analytically the use of Benchling and SnapGene, gave the participants a scenario of cell transformation, and guided them step by step through the way that the design of a plasmid can be done.

Wet Lab workshop: Our first intention was to organize a hands-on workshop about basic techniques for cell cultivation. In our announcement for the conference on social media, the participation in our wet lab workshop exceeded our expectations, and we decided to organize a hands-off workshop so that everyone who wanted to attend could. So, we decided to present thoroughly all the lab techniques that need to be followed for the genetic modification of bacteria, like PCR and its different types, plasmid and bacterial transformation, etc. In the end, we involved the participants in an interactive team quiz to ensure they gained knowledge.

The active and large attendance of the students and people who wanted to meet the world of synthetic biology surprised us positively. Overall, it was a really interesting experience for everyone involved.

How did we get feedback?

During the breaks of the conference, many people approached us to perceive a better image of our project. We observed that a concern for the solution we suggested was human interference in the forest, with the fear that we might prevent natural reforestation. But as we have mentioned before, the hydrogel will be applied only on crucial occasions where there is a high danger of soil erosion and desertification. Despite the concerns, our idea had a positive impact, and the support we received from everyone encouraged us to develop it more.

What was the event?

CIRI (or KEDEK) is a Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, which belongs to our university. Like other research teams, we got invited to participate in the open day the center organized for the public.

How did we engage with the public?

The poster we had designed with details of our project drew the attention of the visitors who were amused by our idea. We discussed our inspirations with students, entrepreneurs, and university professors and in this way understood the perspective of people with different backgrounds. This is an important step in shaping our project based on the needs and opinions of diverse social groups.

What was their feedback and their concerns?

Most people we interacted with, even the ones not related to the field of biology, were positive about our project. Since our country is characterized by a high fire frequency, they could easily understand the necessity of a practical solution. One of the concerns that was mostly expressed was about the biosafety of our product. Since Europe does not consent to the use of GMOs, people were skeptical about the microorganisms in our project. We wanted to know that the community feels safe with a product like ours, so we took into account every concern and focused even more on increasing the levels of biosafety in our project.

Who did we visit?

We visited the American Farm School of Thessaloniki, where we interacted with students with a scientific background.

What was the outcome?

We informed the students about the scientific field of synthetic biology and how they could participate in their scientific research through the iGEM competition. We explained to them the different aspects of an iGEM project, and then we focused on our team’s plans for the competition. They were eager to learn about the soil problems after a fire and how we decided to approach the matter. They were curious about the implementation of the hydrogel, and some students were also of the opinion that we interfere with the ecosystem. As we made clear, the product is designated for specific occasions where, due to climate change, the forests cannot recover quickly without human intervention. Our visit finished with a quiz about synthetic biology and questions about our project. It's worth mentioning the exceptional performance of the students and their interest in discussing with us their opinions even after the presentation.

Where did we participate?

We held an information booth at the seminary that was organized by "Path”, a research student team at our university.

What was the outcome of our participation?

Leaflets with information about our team’s actions were the communication tool for our interaction with everyone eager to look into our idea. University students who were also passionate about science, other student teams at our university with similar or completely different interests or professors who were in the STEM field shared with us their thoughts on our proposal. The leaflets made it easy for someone to comprehend the consequences of forest wildfires since many people are not aware of how soil is affected by them.

6th Grade: What did we present?

Firstly, in 6th grade classes, we started by presenting the principles of molecular biology, like teaching about the DNA bases and explaining how they pair. We continued by explaining what iGEM and synthetic biology are, with very easy examples, and we finished with a small talk about the environment and forest fires. We wanted to underline that fires can occur naturally, but the problem is when they happen repeatedly due to human activity and climate change.

What was the kid’s feedback?

Generally, we wanted to reach out to the students in a more interactive way, so during our whole presentation, we were having small discussions with the children so that we could let them express their thoughts and share their knowledge with us. They were all very engaged in the conversation. They agreed unanimously that forest fires are a big problem for our country, and they thought that our solution was very smart and interesting.

Our trivia quiz

In the end, we made sure that the kids had fun with a game. The class was divided into two teams, and one of our team members was asking questions regarding topics already discussed. The first kid from each team to raise their hand would be able to answer the question, and their team would be awarded 1 point if the answer was correct. The team with the most points would be the winner. This game was a great way not only for the kids to learn in a fun way but also for us to see if the most important parts of our presentation came across. We were excited to see that all the students were very competitive and eager to answer our questions. Almost every student that would raise their hand would answer correctly, something that made us content.

Kindergarten: What did we present?

Later, we visited two classes of kindergarteners. Due to their age and since our project focuses on solving some of the fire’s aftermath, we decided to mainly talk to them about the forest fires and their outcomes. So, we read to them a fairytale that we had made ourselves. The story was about a bunny, Milo, who lived happily in a beautiful forest until a wildfire bursted out. We highlighted the problems that Milo had to deal with after the big fire and that only with the help of the rest of the forest animals would he be able to reconstruct their home, the forest. In the end, Milo succeeds, the trees and the soil regenerate, and all his animal friends return. The kids loved our story and listened carefully.

What was kids' feedback?

After the storytelling, we had a small conversation with them to see what they understood from the tale and their opinions about the matter after the forest fires. At last, we asked them to make a drawing. On one side of the paper, they drew a beautiful forest as they imagined it before a fire, and on the other side, they drew the same forest after a wildfire. The results were amazing and showed that the children had a deep understanding of most of the serious consequences of fires. It was vital for us to know that kids could understand the hazards of wildfires to the ecosystem. Not only our talk after the fairytale but also their drawings depicted their thoughts about this matter.

How did we come up with the idea of podcasts?

When we couldn’t decide how to communicate our actions, we thought of creating our podcast to spread knowledge about our project. That’s how we began to work on our podcast with the title "SYNBIO CHRONICLES: Genetically Speaking".

How have we communicated our project?

The first episodes of podcasts were about the comprehension of terms like synthetic biology, iGEM, and our actions as a team. We strongly believe that it is important for someone to be familiar with the meaning of the above words to perceive details like the scientific parts. Apart from explaining the project, the podcasts also gave us the chance to speak about the happenings that inspired us to look into the forest fires. The ecological consequences of the wildfires as well as bioethical issues about the use of synthetic biology products are also topics of discussion for the episodes.

Why did we decide on Greek for our podcasts?

When we searched the term synthetic biology on platforms, we immediately saw the dearth of videos and podcasts in our native language. So, it was really important for us to enable anyone from our country to easily get informed about this matter. Nonetheless, we always make sure to include English subtitles to make our podcasts accessible to anyone interested!

How have we collaborated with the Greek iGEM teams?

Furthermore, we had prepared, with other Greek iGEM teams, an interrogatory for synthetic biology since we found it interesting to examine on a statistical scale how aware Greek young people are. The number of participants was 329, and here are some of the results of our research.

Since many students weren’t acquainted with synthetic biology and its applications, we wanted to complete our effort to inform them with a leaflet answering the questionnaire as well as some valuable insight into the science of synthetic biology. It was important for the leaflet to be pleasant and easy to read for anyone.

How have we communicated our project?

The first episodes of podcasts were about the comprehension of terms like synthetic biology, iGEM, and our actions as a team. We strongly believe that it is important for someone to be familiar with the meaning of the above words to perceive details like the scientific parts. Apart from explaining the project, the podcasts also gave us the chance to speak about the happenings that inspired us to look into the forest fires. The ecological consequences of the wildfires as well as bioethical issues about the use of synthetic biology products are also topics of discussion for the episodes.

Why did we approach them?

High school kids who are interested in learning about science were a great opportunity to gather opinions and questions about our project. We also focused on explaining how iGEM teams work since this group of students wanted to be involved in the competition next year.

What’s the feedback from the students?

We were pleased to see their attention towards our project, Euphoresis, since they asked us many questions about the scientific details. Some terms, like “Quorum sensing” and “kill switch mechanism,” were unprecedented to them, so we made sure that the students were aware of the mechanisms we were using. Their interest in biology made it easy for us to explain the structure of our project. Then we were asked about the implementation of our idea. It was really important to see how young generations view the applications of synthetic biology products in the environment. We could see that there were concerns about the engineered microorganisms and how they would affect the ecosystem, so we informed them about the biocontainment methods we use to minimize this danger.

How did we inform them about the iGEM competition?

We made sure to explain to them our timeline, the tasks of the team, and some projects from the previous year's competition. We wanted them to be aware of the different tracks that they can choose for their project. The kids were notably fascinated with the achievements someone could accomplish through synthetic biology. The teachers of the school also showed the same interest as the students in the details and procedures of iGEM. We are more than happy to inspire the young soon-to-be scientists to fling themselves into synthetic biology, and we wish them the best of luck in creating their iGEM team!

What is the Thessaloniki International Fair?

It’s a well-known and important event for our city and country in general. Companies, teams, and start-up businesses are invited to participate in the exhibition and spread knowledge about their projects and products.

What was the feedback we received?

We took advantage of this opportunity and found companies that could give us feedback and information about our syn-bio approach. We came in contact with forestry experts who were eager to talk with us about the details of “Euphoresis”. Their opinion on our product is extremely important since the final application of it on the soil is possible only with the guidance of experts from their field of science. We also found many companies that work on the by-products of factories, so we discussed the sustainable aspect of our project. The feedback we got back was very positive since, especially the peels of citrus fruits like oranges, are difficult to discard by-products that can be used in the soil due to their acidity. So, the processing of them for our polymer was found to be an excellent idea from many perspectives.

Who did we contact and why?

We contacted the theologist Athanasios Kalamatas to discuss with him the approach that people from different religious backgrounds would have on our project.

What was his feedback?

Mr Kalamatas informed us about the skepticism that our project would get from a big percentage of religious people. The technological advancements that characterize Synthetic Biology conflicts with the belief that you should not intervene in human nature, which is controlled by a creator. It also raises a lot of bioethical dilemmas on whether or not is beneficial or enhances social injustice and risks nature’s balance.

What was the purpose of the encounter?

The loss of natural beauty because of the forest wildfires is indissolubly linked with consequences on human health. Keeping ourselves informed about that aspect of our project was as important as any other feedback. For that reason, we got in touch with the dean of the faculty of health sciences at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Theodoros Dardavesi.

What was his point of view?

Our attempt to provide a solution for the restoration of burned lands touched him, and he appreciated our approach to the field of health. He pointed out how the increased forest loss, especially in the last few years, has significantly impacted mental welfare and how important it is to expand our project and look into the connection between the environment and human health.

Who did we meet with?

We met with the board of directors of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Agri-Food. This center consists of researchers that specialize in agri-food and each one of them comes from different scientific fields. Due to their subject of work we got in touch with them to collect more information about our hydrogel.

What was their feedback?

Everyone was impressed with our idea and was willing to help us by providing their own lab facilities. They also guided us to look for some information we hadn’t thought about. For example, Dr Mourtzinos Ioannis, professor at the department of Agriculture and I.C.AGRO member, suggested that we collect data and statistics about which citrus peels, containing sufficient amounts of pectin, are mostly discarded and not used, in order for us to choose an option that would comply with the circular economy values. Lastly, Mrs. Menkisoglou-Spiroudi professor at the department of Agriculture and head of I.C.AGRO, highlighted the importance of the right growth medium inside our hydrogel that would last enough time for our microorganisms, so that they wouldn’t start to eat away our biopolymer.

Who did we contact and why?

We contacted “Biosolids”, a company that produces soil conditioners out of compost procedures. We met with MsH Evangelos Papaioannou an Environmentalist and Forester Scientist from the Department of Waste Management.

What was his feedback?

He considered our idea really novel and creative. According to his experience on food industry waste he pointed out that we would have a lot of available sources for providence orange peels. He also stated that our idea is essential to be applied in burned forests, but not in the immediate post-fire period, and especially in double burnt terrains. Finally, from his experience in soil conditioners, Mr Papaioanou supported that our idea could be used in areas that are threatened of flooding, too.

Why did we communicate with the Ministry of Environment and Energy?

It was essential to get in touch with stakeholders and receive feedback from their point of view for post-fire restoration. For that reason, we contacted the General Director of Environmental Policy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Kostas Dimopoulos.

What was his overall opinion and concern?

During our Zoom call, he confirmed the severity of the soil’s increased hydrophobicity after a forest fire, as it intensifies the threat of soil erosion. He also highlighted—as we had already been informed by the forestry departments—that there is no other way of dealing with this matter apart from the tree trunks. He was a bit reluctant with our proposal to include seeds inside of our material because, from his experience, sowing reforestation has a low success rate (5–10%), in contrast to classic reforestation with seed tree planting. But, as we explained, we hope that the environment we create inside the hydrogel for seed development will increase the success rate in comparison with previous attempts. He expressed his concerns regarding the cost of the production of our material in large quantities. Summing up, he was supportive and held a strong belief that a well-designed implementation of our project could address critical issues faced by numerous Greek forests.

What was the goal of the meeting?

Among the target groups we approached to communicate our project, our university was one of our priorities. So, this time we came in contact with the Rector of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Professor Koveos Dimitrios, to listen to his opinion about “Euphoresis”.

What have we discussed?

The subject of discussion with Rector Koveos Dimitrios was focused on the future of our project. We talked about the possibility of scaling up and the experimental stage of our product at the moment. We made sure to analyze the further modifications and lab tests our project would need in case of actual application in the forest lands. He was glad to see that we have considered the parameters for a possibility like that and he advised us, for future implementation, to define the economic cost and the quantity we would need approximately in a forest. In this way, we are going to be prepared for our moves after the competition regarding production at a scale-up level.

Who did we contact, and why?

The level of biosafety in our project was one of our main concerns, as we had to ensure that the final product was not hazardous to the environment. So, we contacted Mr Dionisios Vourtsis, the President of the Hellenic Biosafety Society, to share our thoughts about the issue of biosafety.

What was his advice?

He informed us that a holistic biosafety assessment of our project includes the conduct of risk assessments (possibility x severity) on each part of our project. Even though we were more focused on the microorganisms because of their genetic modification, Mr Vourtsis informed us that we should also take into consideration the polysaccharides of the hydrogel. Summing up, the risk assessments should refer to the microorganisms, polysaccharides, biology reagents, lab waste, project waste (what is left after the degradation of our product), and the toxins that are produced by the bacteria. The help of Mr Vourtis was really valuable in order for us to come closer to biosafety processes and have a complete picture of the risks of our project.

Who did we contact, and why?

We contacted Professor Nils Rostoks for his position as Vice Chair in the panel for Genetically Modified Organisms Regulations in the European Union because we wanted his consultation on the legislation issues in the EU regarding the implementation of our project.

What have we learned about the legislative context?

Professor Rostoks informed us that our project falls under category 4 according to the EFSA guidance because it is a product consisting of or containing GMMs capable of multiplication or transferring genes. For our project to be applied right now in the EU countries, it should be modified to fall under category 1. Ideally, for European Commission standards, we should use genes from the same species for modification and not include antibiotic-resistant genes in our design, as this extends the antibiotic resistance problem.

Moreover, we discussed the new legislation proposal about GMOs that was submitted in 2023 and aims to include the new genomic techniques (NGTs), which are defined as techniques of genetic manipulation that have emerged or developed after 2001 (like genome editing techniques such as CRISPR-Cas or in vivo mutagenesis techniques such as EvolvR, SCRaMbLE, and epigenetic techniques such as DNA methylation, miRNA, etc.). Even if, in the new context, we have more freedom to redesign our project and for it to be applicable from a legal aspect, Professor Rostoks pointed out that the process of changing the regulation will take some years.

Biosafety plays an important role in our life as iGEMers and as young scientists. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about this matter through the undergraduate students. Since, due to our project, we would work with GMOs and other genetic material we wanted to be as informed as possible regarding the safety of the products we use and the proper way to discard them. So, we propose to Professor Lampropoulou Dimitra, to participate in a seminar educating us about the importance of biosafety and the measures our university takes to ensure it.

The biosafety seminar content

Dr Lampropoulou Showed us a really insightful presentation. She talked about the different levels of safety different products belong to. She explained the way we should discard every different substance we use in our laboratory and how our university later discards all this waste safely. After this seminar we were all up to date about the current legislation regarding lab waste and how to retain safety during and after our lab work.

Why did we interact with the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki?

Mrs. Voula Patoulidou, Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki, holds a key position in Central Macedonia’s sustainable development. So, discussing with her was the best way to comprehend how our project can be implemented in our city.

How can we extend the application of our project?

According to Mrs. Patoulidou, it's important to take into account the needs of our community. As she pointed out, we have to keep in mind the importance of individual responsibility. A scientist, like any other civilian, should not be isolated from society but should participate and try to contribute to political, societal, economic, and environmental progress. Her suggestion was the modification of our project to incorporate it into programs that are opposed to intense urbanization and promote sustainable and green cities.

The feedback from different communities was equally important with the advice from experts for the scientific design of our project. Through the year, we redesigned our project multiple times and we always ensured that we were aware of the needs and concerns for the solution we provide.

Where did we participate?

It was our pleasure to participate in the “Astroparty” in the Noesis-Planetarium, where we presented our project through interactive actions for the different target groups in the event.

What was the outcome?

At this point, the final version of our project was formed. So, the outreach to people included the explanation of the mindset behind our idea, from the stage of brainstorming until now. For the enthusiasts who wanted to get to know our actions, we had a booth with activities for children, like a sustainability board game. Sustainability is invisible from our project, and we think it's significant to communicate our goals for sustainable development and raise awareness among children regarding this topic. Our promotion video and leaflets attracted many experts with different specialties. They mainly discussed with us about the specific technique we chose to produce our hydrogel and achieve soil restoration.

Who did we meet with?

We came in contact with Dr Efstratios Stilianidis, Vice Dean of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, who was intrigued by learning about our syn-bio approach to the burned soil.

What was his overall feedback on our project?

He was very happy to hear such an innovative idea coming from a team belonging to our university. He believes that our product is really up-to-date, especially due to the phenomenon of climate change. He advised us to really stress the fact that our biomaterial derives from food waste and follows the circular economy, something extremely important in these days and age. What is more, he suggested that he supports us with the funds we need since he believes that our project would not only be successful in the competition, but it will solve many crucial environmental problems if it continues its development after it.

How have we used the power of social media?

The platforms today give you the power to communicate with anyone, even from the other side of the world. So, through our social media accounts, everyone could express their opinion on our project. Every comment or proposal for improvement is useful for us to consider for the completion of our idea, especially for the ecological outgrowths of it.

How did we receive feedback through social media?

We took advantage of the options the platforms offer, like quizzes and Q&A (questions and answers), to interact with everyone willing to look into our project. The quizzes were a fun way to educate people about scientific information, like the strains of the microorganisms we are using and the effects of the wildfires. On the other hand, the Q&A makes it easy to see the concerns that arise for our project. It’s a great chance to answer questions and simultaneously get feedback to improve the feasibility of our idea.

What was the event at which we participated?

Our team was part of the researcher’s night event, where we had the chance to interact with people who find science amusing and desire to gain knowledge.

What were our actions?

We had prepared easy and simple experiments to promote environmental values that are related to our project. In the first one, we used leaves from different trees that we put into water and observed the bubbles that were created from the production of oxygen. We explained to everyone who stopped by our stand the procedure of the leaves breathing, and we pointed out how this experiment is plain proof of the significance of flora. Then, we focused on the soil by comparing two pots: one of them had a plant, while the other one had just soil. By pouring water on the pots, it was obvious how much the roots of plants increase water absorption. After the experiment, we communicated our project inspiration about the hydrophobicity of the soil and the results of water run-off and floods after the forest fires. We were glad to see people comprehending our project and our goals through the experiments.

Mednight Video

After taking part in the researcher’s night in Thessaloniki we had the opportunity to be a part of Mednight! Mednight is a project created by Researcher’s Night Europe. This project aims to give the opportunity to many experts and professors coming from Mediterranean countries to spread their knowledge and share their opinion about certain subjects. So, we made a video describing our project in a comprehensive way and in English language, so that everyone that would come across it would get the opportunity to learn about our innovative idea.

One picture is a thousand words!

After almost one year of researching the matter of wildfires and experiencing the problem first hand due to the destructive fires of 2023 we wanted, as a last activity ,to share the serious consequences of the uncontrollable wildfires on the soil. So, we held a picture exhibition regarding the most important fires our country had to face. We printed photos of places before and after destructive wildfires that depicted the disturbance of the ecosystem. We chose to exhibit these pictures in the school of agriculture and forestry from our university. We wanted to get the feedback from students more related to the matter of wildfires.

What was the feedback?

The university students were all very interested in our activities. We informed them about the impact the fires had on the depicted places and explained our project and its necessity. Most of them were positive towards it and congratulated us on our proposal. On the other hand, some of them were a bit hesitant since they were more familiar with the practices of natural regeneration. We clearly explained the reasons why natural regeneration sometimes is impossible and that’s when our project comes as a solution. With a lot of discussion even the hardest to convince students believed that our proposal is necessary.

Why we approached Dr Effimia Papatheodorou?

Dr Papatheodorou is a professor at the school of biology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki who specializes in soil microbiology gave us important feedback in the stage of brainstorming.

What was her feedback?

She shared with us the enthusiasm for the final product, and she commented that we have incorporated her advice the best way possible. She encouraged us to extend our experiments in the future in order to test the biopolymer in real soil conditions.

Who did we approach and why?

Dr Yiangou Minas is a professor in the department of Biology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and his field of science refers to molecular biology and immunobiology. His interest in the law of biology was a great reason to discuss our concerns with him.

What was the outcome of our encounter?

As we were aware, the laws in Greece forbid GMOs, an indivisible part of our project. Although there were limitations because of the legislature, he supported the opinion that we had approached the issue of biosafety correctly. The kill switch mechanisms that are incorporated and the antimicrobial peptide in our hydrogel respond to the biosafety requirements quite efficiently. We also discussed with him the dilemma of whether it’s the right choice to interfere in the forests. Nevertheless, as Dr Yiangou claimed, when there is no other solution, we have to be open-minded to proposals, like our project, that give the answer to the problem.

Who did we approach and why?

Professor Aravanopoulos at the School of Forestry and Natural Environment at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, shared his opinion about the origin of the seeds that will be inserted inside the hydrogel.

What is the feedback we got back?

Professor Aravanopoulos informed us about the process of natural reforestation, and he immediately agreed that human intervention in forests is inevitable in some cases. He also reminded us that the most important parameter that we have to keep in mind is the seed’s origin. The best scenario to ensure environmental conservation would be that the seeds used for the reforestation of a burned forest would come from the same forest. The endemic species must be considered when there are no seeds available in the local forests.