To address the problem of contamination of aquatic bodies and water purification, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of the complexity of the problem we face. Before diving into the scientific, ethical and business aspects of our project, we took the time to fully understand the nature and scope of the challenge.
Microplastic pollution is a multifaceted problem that affects aquatic ecosystems and, ultimately, human health. We investigated the various dimensions of this issue, including its origin, geographic distribution, and consequences for biodiversity and drinking water systems.
We explored fundamental questions, such as equity in access to clean water and environmental justice, and considered how our actions might address these concerns. The conversations we will share below are the result of our strong commitment to addressing water pollution and considering the social aspects of our project. Throughout our research journey, we collaborated closely with leading professors, experts and industry representatives who played a key role in our understanding of the problem and in formulating solutions. These interactions have significantly enriched our project.
Educational and Awareness Needs
Throughout history, education has presented great challenges that require the commitment and dedication of those involved in order to find solutions and develop effective educational resources. Keeping this in mind, we sought to understand the educational needs and various perspectives of teachers and students in Latin American countries.Through interviews we had meaningful conversations with teachers and specialists in primary and secondary education that helped us understand their challenges and difficulties when working on environmental education in the classroom. From this we were able to develop educational materials that aimed to contribute to the solution of some of the problems mentioned during the interviews.
- Ronaldo Adriano Ribeiro - Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences
Professor Dr. Ronaldo has a long history of research related to science education teaching, so the conversation with him helped us to effectively direct the interviews and the elaboration and development of educational materials that were later applied in public schools in Foz do Iguaçu-Paraná (Brazil).
After defining that we wanted to have contact with professors from Latin American countries, to direct the social activities of our project, we contacted:
- Eliana Navarro - Biologist and specialist in Environmental Pedagogy
- Karina Pacsi - Primary school teacher
- Vera Bana - Graduated in Mathematics and Science
- Mariana Gravina - Degree in Biological Sciences
- Consuelo Navarrete - Pre-school education graduate
- Marli Queiroz - Postgraduate in early childhood education and initial series
- Patricia Justen Da Silva - Biologist, specialist in teaching methods and techniques, genetics and environmental analysis.
- Edith Verón - Graduated in Chemistry
Each of the teachers interviewed has experience educating children and adolescents, which helped us to understand broadly the educational difficulties at different levels. The voices of Latin American teachers reminded us of the importance of education and pushed us to create inclusive educational resources to address environmental education.
Collaborators in the laboratory and design
The cultivation of microalgae was a critical step in our research, as these microorganisms are a valuable source of data and materials for our experiments, modeling and design are fundamental aspects of our approach to addressing microplastic contamination and water purification.
Below, we introduce the laboratory experts and experimentalists who have been instrumental in conducting high quality experiments and obtaining accurate data for our project.
- Cleto Kaveski Peres
As we didn't have enough knowledge to work with microalgae, we spoke to Professor Cleto, who provided us with shared materials, documents and information on the morphophysiological characteristics of microalgae.
- Isac José da Silva Filho
- Livia Seno Camargo
Since our university was not yet working with microalgae on the experimental side, we had to look for someone to supply us with these microorganisms. Isac and Livia helped us by donating strains of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii so that we could get the laboratory project going.
- Vitor Marchesan
For the implementation of our project, we had to think about where to grow our microalgae so one of the ideas was the use of photobioreactors, for which Vitor collaborated by sending materials and sharing information about the construction of photobioreactors.
- Marcus Vinicius Xavier Senra
To carry out the experimental processes with the microalgae we needed protocols to perform the cloning, so Marcus shared with us useful articles to develop strategies for the cloning method of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
- Bernie Rolando Reyes López
The processes in the lab usually take a bit of time, so we needed the help of people who had already worked on the experimental side with genetic engineering. Bernie helped us with the execution and realization of the lab experiments carried out by the Wet Lab front 3.
- Wesley Luzetti
The development of laboratory experiments requires specific reagents and materials for the project. Wesley helped us by donating the antibiotic Zeocin to enable the transformation and selection of microalgae strains with resistance genes.
- Maura Harumi Sugai Guerios
Addressed what was missing in the model, such as the rate of expression or secretion of the protein, and also suggested the possibility of setting oxygen equal to zero, to simplify the model.
- Wasim Syed
Reviewed our complex prediction studies, provided valuable recommendations for molecular modeling experiments, and encouraged the inclusion of docking studies in our research.
Wiki development
Our Wiki is not only a showcase for our project, but also a valuable resource for those seeking to understand and learn from our research and practices, requiring specific computer skills and tools to develop it.
- Allison Borba Cabral
- João Vitor de Paula
Our colleagues Allison Borba Cabral and João Vitor de Paula helped with this process.
Collaboration
- SANEPAR
Our interview with Sanepar, a company with expertise in wastewater treatment, helped us visualize how our project could be applied in an industrial context, providing data and information on the use of microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants. We explored how our water purification methods could be integrated into their process, contributing to solving environmental problems on a larger scale.
- ITAIPU
In order to enable the team to take part and carry out the project's research, we had the collaboration and sponsorship of Itaipu Binacional.
Learning from Stakeholder Dialogues
Conversations with these stakeholders not only enriched our understanding of the ethical and social implications, but also influenced our key design decisions and approach. We learned the importance of effective communication and interdisciplinary collaboration in synthetic biology and are committed to continuing to work with these valuable connections in the future.