We would like to believe that through our project, we’ve made a meaningful contribution for future iGEM teams.
As part of our efforts in addressing plastic pollution, our team developed a novel enzyme fusion, combining PETase from Ideonella sakaiensis and cutinase from Humicola Insolens, both of which enhance the biodegradation rate of PET plastic. We designed and optimized a plasmid containing the sequence for this fusion, allowing for efficient expression in E. coli. Furthermore, we documented and shared our design protocols, experimental results, and data on the fusion enzyme's activity. These resources are available to the iGEM community and can be used as a foundation for further research and development in plastic biodegradation projects. We hope that by making these contributions accessible, we can inspire other teams to explore similar approaches to tackle environmental issues. Lastly we have added a new Composite Part to the Parts Registry, our IsPETase-HiCutinase Fusion Enzyme with the name BBa_K5171000, which you can find here: BBa_K5171000
In addition to our technical contributions, our team also strived to raise awareness about synthetic biology and the opportunities offered by the iGEM competition. Being the only high school team in our country, we felt responsible for inspiring future generations to take interest and participate in the competition. Therefore, our team actively engaged with our local community through participation in multiple events , while we also hosted presentations and workshops, to introduce students and the public to the potential of synthetic biology and the significance of our project in tackling environmental issues. As we are getting closer to the end of our journey with iGEM, we are proud to see that our actions have inspired others from our school into forming a new iGEM team.