As a new team with no prior iGEM experience, at first we struggled to understand the concept of Integrated Human Practices. However, after doing our research and looking through the work of previous teams, we realised that integrating Human Practises into our project was detrimental for accomplishing our main goal, creating a product with an meaningful impact on society. Once we came up with our idea, we first reached out to the community of our school, in an attempt to comprehend how people viewed the problem of plastic pollution and as an extension to that how we could approach them. On top of that, we tried to get feedback by people who are more familiar with the iGEM competition and the field of synthetic biology, by participating in conferences and getting in touch with other iGEM teams. After finalising our idea, it was time to come up with the experimental approach. Throughout the process of designing of our experiment on top of going over multiple scientific papers, we also consulted professionals at the field such as members of the Science Council and Dr. Virzigiannakis. Together we discussed the details of our experiment and they gave us feedback in the form of suggestions. Lastly, we got in touch with representatives the Ministry of Environment and Energy, in order to discuss future applications of our product.
Impact On Design
New York Academy Questionnaire
As part of our mission to raise awareness on the issue of plastic pollution, we designed and conducted an analytical survey on plastic recycling. The survey was published on the online platform of the New York Academy of Sciences, a global network in which two of our teammates are members, allowing us to reach a global audience. Extending our audience beyond Greece helped us gather insights into recycling habits, knowledge of plastic pollution, and future aspirations of young people in Europe, Asia as well as North America. This supported us in creating a more holistic image of the matter we aim to tackle. After receiving a large number of responses, we deduced the following conclusions: 50% of our respondents, aged 15 to 19, recycle frequently, while 25% recycle occasionally and 25% always recycle, indicating a positive trend. Additionally, PET is the most recycled plastic, with 91.7% of respondents recycling it, 75% of whom are motivated by environmental concerns. As expected, more than 50% of the participants feel that they’re somewhat informed on recycling standards and procedures, yet many feel that the information they possess on recycling is inadequate. This calls for better educational and informational practices by schools, the media and young people’s families along with a personal commitment to environmental stewardship, as emphasized by the respondents themselves. Finally, three-quarters of our participants indicated they are somewhat familiar with biotechnological methods for enhancing plastic biodegradation, and all agreed that utilizing synthetic biology for this purpose is a promising solution to tackling plastic waste management. Therefore, these findings motivate us to keep educating the public on plastic pollution and recycling and also align with our goal of using synthetic biology to enhance PET biodegradation, hence reinforcing the potential of our approach to address this global challenge.
Synthetic Biology Seminar at Auth
Our team attended a conference organized by the team @igem.thessaloniki of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The main theme of the conference was "the world of synthetic biology" and took place in the KEDEA auditorium. There, we had the opportunity to meet with @igem.thessaloniki ‘s team members, learn details from their iGEM experience and discuss our team's ideas and plan.
Meeting with other iGEM teams
Our team participated at the Aegean Meeting, organised by iGEM Thessaloniki, where different iGEM teams from Greece came together to discuss their ideas, giving and receiving feedback. We had the pleasure of watching iGEM IOANNINA and iGEM Wageningen present their fascinating ideas. On top of that Ms. Elli Magkouta, European ambassador of iGEM presented to us different iGEM programs.
Implementation
Consulting Dr. Virzigiannaki proffesor at Auth and representatives from Integrated DNA Technology (IDT)
Dr. Virzigiannakis, associate professor at the Pharmacology Department at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, was kind enough to allow us to conduct our experiment in one of the university’s labs. Prior to our experiment, we met with him at our school’s STEM center along with our Primary Investigators, Dr. Koliakou and Mr. Swtiriou. There we discussed our experimental process in depth and the equipment that was required. He seemed interested in our idea and gave us constructive feedback on details such as the sequences we were going to use. Furthermore, we reached out to representatives from Integrated DNA Technology (IDT), they provided us with details about the cloning process and made various suggestions which we took into consideration when designing our final project.
ICL: Science Council
Athena, a member of our team was at Imperial College where she met with a member of the Science Council. The Science Council is a membership organisation made up of professional bodies and learned societies from across the full range of science-based disciplines. The representative our member came in contact with, was excited by our idea and gave us ideas for its implementation and future applications.
Demonstration
Discussion with representatives from the Ministry of Environment
Our team visited the 88th Thessaloniki International Fair, organised by Hellexpo. There we talked with representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Energy. They seemed intrigued by our idea, highlighting how revolutionary it could be for keeping cities clean and reducing the amount of mismanaged plastic waste. Moreover, we discussed possible ways of taking our idea one step further, creating a hands-on product that can be implemented by authorities.
Bioethics & Biosafety
Even though our product doesn’t directly affect people, as a team we consider bioethics to be very important so we attempted to incorporate them into our project. We quickly realized that there weren’t many learning opportunities available in our area, but that didn’t discourage us. Instead we turned to our Primary Investigators and other school teachers with experience in the field, for guidance. Furthermore, we did some research ourselves by signing up for online courses and webinars. Through this process we stumbled upon some concerns regarding the potential future application of our project, such as any unintended consequences it may have, with regard to the environment and the disruption of the ecosystem as well as our society itself.
As we said our main goal was to create an impactful product. But we wanted to make our whole project impactful not just our final project. As a result, after realised how little people knew about synthetic biology and the iGEM competition, we decided to reach out and share our knowledge. We took advantage of all the opportunities our school provided and took it one step further by organising and taking part in events outside of our school as well. Our aim was to inform people and show them how fun and entertaining synthetic biology can be.
Researcher’s Night: Become an iGEMER for a day! (2023-24)
Our team had the pleasure of attending the last two annual Researcher’s nights at the Concert Hall of Thessaloniki. There we gave younger kids the chance to become an iGEMER for a day by immersing them into the world of synthetic biology. In an effort to show them how entertaining it can be, we helped them create the infamous DNA double helix from Jelly sweets and biology themed cookies using sugarcoat. Most kids were amazed to discover the structure and function of our DNA, and all of them had got chance to enjoy their creations afterwards. Last year, we discussed our initial idea with professionals and received feedback from them. This year, we were given the opportunity to share our final product and experimental results with them, as well as consider potential future applications or considerations they had to suggest.
Let's learn for a good cause (2022-23)
We've participated in our school's Christmass Bazaar for the last two years, because we believed it was an excellent opportunity to spread awareness about plastic polution, share our idea and introduce others to synthetic biology, all while gathering money for a good cause. There we talked with people intrigued by our idea and received feedback from them. On top of that we designed T-shirts, and all the profit we had from the sales was given to nonprofit organizations that help people in need. Lastly we had fun experiments prepared for younger kids, such as extracting DNA from bananas, or creating "elephant toothpaste", by mixing baking soda, vinegar, soap and food coloring to create an exciting reaction
Anatolia Christmass Wispers
Motivated by the Christmass spirit, we decided to take part in the elementary school of Anatolia. There, we helped kids create biology related christmass ornaments using plasteline. In the meanwhile, we shared our idea with people who attended the event and gathered money for a good cause.
Learn what iGEM is at ACSTAC (2023-24)
Our team held an informational and engaging workshop at our school’s Annual Science and Technology Conference. There we introduced the iGEM competition to our classmates, touching upon the deliverables and goal of the competition. In an effort to make the workshop more entertaining, we encouraged the participants to split into teams and attempt to form their own project idea. Furthermore we discussed the importance of Synthetic Biology, our main idea and future goals.
What is synthetic biology; A CTY presentation
Members of our team, participated as guests in the weekend web seminar "Bioengineering the Future" organised by CTY Greece (Center for Talented Youth). There we explained the concept of synthetic biology to kids ages 12 to 16, through an engaging interactive presentation. Moreover we introduced them to the world of the iGEM competition, mentioning the different departments of the team and the purpose they serve.
Inclusivity
Let's Judo and learn biology
Members of our team visited a center in Thessaloniki where judo is taught to individuals with autism. We engaged with the community by discussing biology in a way that was accessible and meaningful. The interaction emphasized the connection between science and everyday life, and we aimed to inspire curiosity and understanding about biology, while also learning about their unique perspectives. This visit helped bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and social impact, reinforcing the importance of inclusive education in our project’s mission.
Global Postcard Exchange Project
Our team participated in a global initiative where iGEM teams from around the world came together to exchange knowledge through a creative postcard project. Each team designed postcards that illustrated their respective projects and highlighted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) they addressed. We then translated one another's project summaries into our native languages, with our team translating into Greek, fostering inclusivity and ensuring that diverse audiences could engage with the content. This not only allowed us to showcase our work but also helped us connect with teams from various cultural and scientific backgrounds.
Our team believed that sensitising people regarding plastic pollution and informing them about ways it can be avoided and how to correctly recycle their plastic products wasn’t enough. We had to take matters into our own hands. Therefore, our team participated in hands-on activities that promoted sustainability and documented the process on our social media account to show our community what big of an impact we can make and how many opportunities are out there.
Cleaner beaches, Clearer minds
Our team had an active role in the organization of a voluntary beach-cleaning event in Aretsou, Kalamaria. There, along with other volunteers, we gathered plastic and waste from the beach in an attempt not only to keep our city clean but also to sensitise peole by showing them that when working together we can make a great impact. The goal was to remove any plastic and other waste. Meanwhile, we had the pleasure of meeting members of the cleaningans, an environmental organisation, and sharing our vision with them
Recycling with "Texan"
Members of our team attended the “TEXAN” recycling celebration. The company along with the Municipality of Thessaloniki organized a recycling event at the Statue of Alexander the Great. There people could bring all the plastic, metal & glass materials they had at home and recycle them at the 4 brand new "Recycling Centers" located there. Members of our team had discussions on proper recycling, received feedback for our project from representatives of the company and recycled their own plastic and metal items, in an effort to assist against the phenomenon of environmental pollution.
Celebrating World Environment Day!
Celebrating World Environment Day, a day dedicated to making a positive impact on our environment! In order to celebrate this special day, our team joined hands with the Kodra Park community and incredible organizations like Greenpeace, The Cleaningans, The Beekeeping Association Of Thessaloniki, and the Environmental Team of Macedonia University, to clean up around the park and learn about sustainable practices. Together, we took steps towards a greener future—because every small action counts.
