Team:KEYSTONE/Judging
Abstract
| Medal | Criteria | Achievement | Awards | Evidence |
| Bronze | Competition Deliverables | Wiki: ✔ | Inclusivity Award | Public engagement |
| Poster: ✔ | Best Sustainable Development | Contribution | ||
| Presentation video: ✔ | Best Integrated Human Practices | Human Practices | ||
| Project Promotion Video: ✔ | Best Education | Public engagement Human Practices | ||
| Judging Form: ✔ | Best Hardware | Hardware | ||
| Attributions | ✔ | Best New Basic Part | Basic | |
| Project Description | ✔ | Best New Composite Part | Composite | |
| Contribution | ✔ | |||
| Silver | Engineering Success | ✔ | ||
| Collaboration | ✔ | |||
| Human Practices | ✔ | |||
| Proposed Implementation | ✔ | |||
| Gold | Integrated Human Practice | ✔ | ||
| Proof of Concept | ✔ | |||
| Part Improvement | ✔ | |||
| Partnership | ✔ | |||
| Science Communication | ✔ | |||
| Excellence in Another Area | ✔ | |||
Bronze
Competition Deliverables
We have completed the following competition deliverables:
- Wiki: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE
- Poster
- Presentation video
- Project Promotion Video: https://video.igem.org/videos/watch/0ca5a8c9-1d3c-4e3c-8d24-e1c9c9ef9d90
- Judging Form: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Judging
Attributions
We have listed the contributions of each of our team members and credited the help of others here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Attributions
Project Description
Our team was inspired by new trash sorting policies in Beijing, our school’s plastic-free policy, and other interviews. We are employing synthetic biology to construct the LCC enzyme and Linalool Synthase in order to degrade plastic and make the trash can smell better. We are also designing a hardware of trashcan. Please read more about it here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Description
Contribution
We have designed hardware and used 3D printing to demonstrate it. The documentation potentially allows other teams to recreate this hardware. We have also documented the usage and other information regarding the MHET linker that could benefit future teams doing projects relating to PET plastic degradation. Please read more about it here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Contribution
Silver
Engineering Success
We successfully engineered the LCC plasmid and the bLiS plasmid. We first researched through journal articles, designed it with SnapGene, inserted the DNA plasmid into E. coli, and used it for both PET plastid degradation and linalool fragrance production. Please read more about it here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Engineering
Collaboration
We had many opportunities to collaborate with other teams to achieve greater objectives. For example, we organized a series of synthetic biology fair where several teams presented their iGEM projects to different communities. We have also led the creation of a synthetic biology game that many teams collaborated on creating. Please read more about it here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Collaborations
Human Practices
We consulted with multiple experts of plastic recycling, plastic degradation, environmental protection to shape our product’s target audience and key approaches. Through discussions with the experts about the problems relating to PET plastic trash.Please read more about this here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Human_Practices
Proposed Implementation
We are creating a trash can with the enzyme for tourist sites, especially those that are close to nature. This will be implemented by local institutions as public facilities for tourists. The trash can is a one-way entrance for bottles, meaning that the E. coli will not leak. The opening of the can is small, preventing people from trying to reach inside. Please read more about this here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Implementation
Gold
Integrated Human Practice
Under a systematic framework, we consulted experts and other stakeholders involved in different fields and parties related to our projects, who gave us valuable advices and information that were incorporated thoughfully into the development of our project. https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Human_Practices
Proof of Concept
The LCC enzyme we produced are tested by HPLC to be effective in degrading PET powder, as well as shredded post-consumer PET plastic from a predominant manufacturer. Our bacteria containing the two plasmids for linalool produced a significant fragrant scent, and was tested by GC to show a distinct production of linalool. Our hardware was designed and manufactured to be able to serve the conditions needed for PET degradation, including a plastic shredder, a 72˚C degradation bin, solar panels, etc. A chamber is also added on the bin for the purpose of linalool synthesis and diffusion. Please read more in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Proof_Of_Concept
Part Improvement
We used Gibson assembly to replace the GES (geraniol synthase) gene on the geraniol synthesis operon (BBa_K2753016) created by GreatBay_China in 2018 with a linalool synthase gene, bLIS, and were able to produce linalool instead of geraniol. Please read more about this here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Improvement
Partnership
Throughout the course of the competition, we have worked closely with an undergraduate team BUCT, whose project aims to degrade PE plastic, another predominant kind of plastic that is harder to break down and recycle than PET. We worked together, communicated and discussed actively to achieve our common and respective objectives in terms of plastic degradation and our projects from holistic perspectives. Both teams continued to benefit mutually from each other’s respective expertise, such as knowledge on biological degradation of plastic, experience in labs, art, human practice, etc. Please read more in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Partnership
Science Communication
We organized and conducted many different activities with the aim of educating the public about synthetic biology, its potentials (especially in environmental protection), and environmental protection. An elaborated explanation can be found in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Education Safety measures we followed in these activities can be found in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Safety
Excellence in Another Area
We dedicated much of our effort in the substantial artistical and literary creation in the making of our game The Adventure of Bob Lelogy as mentioned previously in the Science Communication section. The merchandises we designed and sold were also praised of their artistic creativity. Please see them here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Education We’ve also developed a thorough business plan for our project, taking into consideration of the characteristics of our enzymes and the unique selling points of our bin. Please read more about this here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Entrepreneurship
Awards
Inclusivity Award
Overall, we promoted the inclusivity of synthetic biology throughout our school community, the local community, and even the international community through several different approaches. Our team members range from grades 9 to 11 of different genders and included all members that are willing to join us after our school scale invitation.
The synthetic biology fair we have hosted at two schools promotes the inclusivity of synthetic biology in our school community. The fair breaks down and simplifies some iGEM projects for audiences without synthetic biology. During the fair, most participants were able to understand the projects and actively ask questions regarding the projects, some even suggested improvements. The KEYSTONE team also created booklets that inform the participants about the basics of synthetic biology, allowing them to be able to contribute efforts to the discussion of synthetic biology at the fair. The fair was not limited to only students, faculties and family members that live on campus were also able to come.
The synthetic biology game created by our team and other partners promotes the voice of all in synthetic biology. This game is created with Keynote, meaning that it can be easily accessed by any computer in the form of pdf, Keynote, or PowerPoint. The Chinese version of the game can be understood by all members of the Chinese national community of all ages. The English version of the game can be understood by members of the international community, popularizing synthetic biology on a global scale. We know that our game is effective in educating topics related to synthetic biology, such as proteins and DNA, because primary school children at our school were able to play, enjoy, and comprehend the game. The current game and full script was produced with the contribution and creativity of teams from regions across China and the world—Beijing, Jinan, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Estonia…… In the future, the project will still be able to benefit from talented individuals from any part of the world.
Our interviews have also placed synthetic biology in different community contexts. We interviewed different perspectives including national associations, environmental activists, and researchers of plastic-related studies. This allowed our project to consider the voice of all these different groups and use synthetic biology responsibly.
Please find more here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Education
Best Sustainable Development
The entire goal of our project mainly targets the SDG goal 12 of "responsible consumption and production". We are contributing to target 12.4 as our trash can that degrades PET plastic right on-site prevents leakage of PET into the ocean and natural environment, preventing potential harm to the ecosystems. Through the entire product, we are contributing to targets 12.5 of this SDG: in our project, we are reducing the amount of PET plastic waste by proposing new systems of plastic recycling in areas, namely natural tourist attractions, that had little or no plastic waste management. We are also contributing to target 12.8 by displaying our product and its degradation process to the public at tourist sites, raising awareness of the crucial process of recycling waste. We are also encouraging the development of targets 12.a and 12.b as our product, a combination of synthetic biology and hardware design, is a form of using science to promote sustainable consumption and sustainable behaviors within tourist sites. Our hardware relies on solar panels as its energy source, which means the bin itself wouldn’t generate greenhouse gas pollution in its use. On top of this, our collaboration in hardware with the team LINKS-China would eventually work towards the goal of reducing the waste generated in the process of manufacturing solar panels and rely solely on biological electricity generation, which is more sustainable. Please read more about this in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Contribution Moreover, our B.B.Bin also helps to achieve SDGs goals including 11 and 14, which are respectively "sustainable cities and communities" and "life below water". Target 11.4 is supported by our efforts to prevent PET plastic of tourists from entering the natural heritage of the Earth, such as the Bali Islands. Moreover, the degradation of PET plastic at beaches prevents it from entering the ocean, thus supporting target 14.1 of the SDG by avoiding further growth of marine garbage patches.
Best Integrated Human Practices
To create a more comprehensive project considering science’s impacts on different stakeholders, we consulted experts, workers, specialists and the common public involved in different fields and parties related to our projects, such as waste management institutions, environmental NGOs, plastic degradation, etc., who gave us valuable advices and information that were incorporated thoughfully into the development of our project. Our integrated HP followed a DAVI framework (Discover, Aim, Verify, and Improve): we discover possible issues that we may tackle in a field, we aim our project based on this need, we verify if our project is accepted by public, and we improve the technology to make our product more efficient. Please read more about this here: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Human_Practices
Best Education
We organized and conducted many different activities with the aim of educating a variety of audience groups of the public about synthetic biology, its potentials (especially in environmental protection), and environmental protection in understandable, interactive and engaging manners. Our programs reached a wide range of audiences and receive successful feedback. Some main ones include an educational game about the basics of synbio that we created in collaboration of a number of teams, and a series of fairs where we invited teams to showcase and explain their projects to a wider audience, etc. Other educational activities and an elaborated explanation can be found in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Education Safety measures we followed in these activities can be found in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Safety
Best Hardware
The aim of our hardware is to put the concept and approach of our iGEM project into practices. Therefore, our hardware is dedicated in the degradation of PET plastic in remote areas. By consistent efforts in designing, consultation and adjustments by our members, as well as support from modelers and factories, our hardware is promising and practical. Our hardware is a mechanical trash can that aims for the automatic processing of PET plastic. This trash can is comprised of three parts which are threader, decomposer and power source. Plastics will be broken down by the threader and enters the decomposing bin to degrade. Please find more in: https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Hardware
Best New Basic Part
https://2020.igem.org/Team:KEYSTONE/Basic