Overview

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of global development goals proposed by the United Nations in 2015, aimed at comprehensively addressing the development issues across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions from 2015 to 2030, thereby steering the world towards a sustainable development path. The SDGs encompass nearly every aspect of human well-being and environmental development, setting forth 17 goals and 169 specific targets. As global citizens, we should do our utmost to contribute to these goals. Synthetic biology has the potential to bring society closer to each of the Sustainable Development Goals.

For us, the SDGs are not any specific activity or set of activities, but rather a way of thinking, a reference standard, and a methodology. Through communication with various SDGs stakeholders, we have determined that OUROBOROS's recycling and regeneration of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has a direct and long-term positive impact on SDG 7 and SDG 12. We also found that the technologies used in the project（bioleaching/biosorption/biomineralization） have a positive impact on SDG 6 and SDG 13. Additionally, we have undertaken some activities related to social dimensions of the SDGs that are less directly connected to the project, which have positive effects (such as SDG 4 and SDG 17).

Finally, during our in-depth interactions with some SDGs stakeholders, they expressed concerns that there may be certain negative impact factors in the OUROBOROS process regarding SDG 13 and SDG 6.

"Human Practices is the study of how your work affects the world, and how the world affects your work."----Peter Carr, the director of judging.

Resonating deeply with the previous sentence, we believe that sustainable development impact is also the study of how your work affects the SDGs, and how the SDGs affect your work. Through the aforementioned efforts, we can proudly say that 2024 BIT-China has successfully integrated the SDGs into OUROBOROS!

Note: We chose to focus our efforts on certain SDGs that we believe are more aligned with our work. However, we also conducted a brief confirmation of the positive impacts related to other SDGs that are associated with our primary focus SDGs. Additionally, we engaged in concentrated discussions regarding one SDG that has somewhat controversial impacts.

CORE GOALS: SDG 7 & 12

The problem we face

Our team firmly believes that clean energy is at the core of addressing energy challenges and pursuing sustainable development. For populations without clean energy access, the lack of reliable power hinders education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. Many of these developing regions still rely heavily on polluting fossil fuels for their daily life, perpetuating poverty.

What’ more, as the global population continues to grow, and it is projected that it could reach 9.8 billion by 2050, this will lead to a dramatic increase in the demand for natural resources. The natural resources required to sustain current lifestyles could be equivalent to the total resources of three Earths.

By the pull of electric vehicles global demand for lithium surge, LIBs have become the most used batteries today.And lithium production of critical metal mineral resources are relatively scarce, it can be expected that the future price of lithium batteries will gradually rise, when the problem will be exacerbated.

The solution of our project:

Our project OUROBOROS is a waste lithium-ion battery recycling system based on bioleaching-bioadsorption-biomineralization. OUROBOROS uses the coarse processing product "black powder" from discarded batteries as raw material, leaching metal ions with a combination of organic acids, and then screening and adsorbing lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt ions through yeast surface display of metal-binding peptides. Ultimately, the metal ions are induced by microorganisms to convert into metal carbonate precipitates, which can be reused as raw materials for battery electrode materials. Our approach offers an environmentally friendly biological method for lithium-ion battery recycling (details can be found in the implementation section).

This not only prevents heavy metal ion pollution caused by the leakage of waste LIBs, alleviating environmental pressure, but also provides valuable critical metal raw materials for lithium batteries. The application of LIBs in electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems makes them the absolute core of the latest global energy revolution, and LIBs recycling ensures the supply of this essential energy material—LIBs—during the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, which is of great significance. Furthermore, the regeneration of lithium battery materials can help alleviate the current scarcity of lithium resources, thereby maintaining the current affordability of LIBs.

In summary, OUROBOROS contributes to achieving Targets 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4 of SDG 7 and Targets 12.2, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6 of SDG 12.The following two sections will present our SDG stakeholders' perspectives on this and our communications with SDG stakeholders.

SDG stakeholders' perspectives and the communications

Prof. Chen Long & Department of Natural Resources, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

We had an online communication with Professor Chen Long from the School of Chemical Engineering at Shihezi University, who expressed agreement with our discussion. From Professor Chen, we learned that most renewable energy sources are difficult to directly connect to the power grid due to unstable voltage generation, requiring energy storage to ensure stable output. Storing this energy in batteries and then connecting to the grid offers a considerable energy conversion rate, and lithium batteries currently have the highest energy density among mass-produced common batteries. This indicates that, from both an environmental perspective and an efficiency standpoint, lithium batteries are of significant importance to clean energy. Additionally, we also consulted relevant issues on the website of the Natural Resources Department of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the responses were generally similar.

Professor Li Li

We sought advice from Professor Li Li, a professor at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology and a researcher at the Beijing Electric Vehicle Collaborative Innovation Center. She affirmed our judgment regarding the rising prices of lithium batteries due to resource scarcity and, based on her years of work experience in lithium battery recycling, predicted that recovering metals from used batteries could to some extent curb the price increase of lithium batteries. Therefore, we chose the project inspiration of lithium battery recycling and began to construct our experimental design for biological lithium battery recycling. Meanwhile, Professor Li also encouraged us to boldly apply new technologies to improve the existing recycling system.

Professor Chen Renjie & Professor Li Li

After we completed the literature search and background research, we carried out the preliminary design of the project and constructed the genetic circuit. Subsequently, we reached out again to Professor Chen Renjie and Professor Li Li from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology. During this exchange, both professors clarified that the disposal or improper handling of lithium-ion battery waste would cause environmental harm beyond our imagination, and it contradicts the requirement for cleanliness throughout the entire energy usage process as advocated by clean energy, which is not in line with the concept of sustainable development.

Nguyen Thi Giang Huong

Ms. NGUYEN THI GIANG HUONG is the Chief of Staff and Vice Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Vietnam Clean Energy Association. In her speech at the World Battery Conference titled "Topic: The Future of Green Energy in Vietnam - New Types of Batteries & Energy Storage Systems," she also mentioned the close relationship between LIBs and clean energy.

Toxics-Free Corps

Shenzhen Zero Waste Environmental Protection Public Welfare Development Center (referred to as Shenzhen Toxics-Free Corps) is an environmental organization established in 2016, with its main action brand being "Toxics-Free Corps." It promotes the strict control of harmful chemicals in consumer products through activities such as independent testing, science popularization, and corporate advocacy. We contacted them via email and learned more about the harmful background related to environmental pollution from lithium batteries. They provided several cases of heavy metal pollution for us to explore independently. Under their guidance, we gained a more comprehensive understanding of the hazards associated with untreated waste batteries.

Research and Confirmation: Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 & Professor. Gong Xiangqian

During the background research, we noted the newly implemented "EU Battery and Waste Battery Regulation" on February 18 of this year, and subsequently reviewed the relevant documents. To gain an in-depth understanding of this new regulation, we consulted Professor Gong Xiangqian from the School of Law at Beijing Institute of Technology. He is also a member of the Legal Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and an executive director of the China-Europe Law Research Association, possessing unique insights in the fields of European regulations and international law. Mr. Gong informed us that the background of this new regulation is the rapid increase in global lithium battery production. The global battery industry is increasingly emphasizing environmental protection and sustainability, and in the future, there will be a growing focus on the recycling of lithium batteries.

Other Related Activities:

Engaging the Next Generation: Electricity, Battery, Recycle, and SDG 7

In early summer, we visited an elementary school located in Liangxiang, Beijing, to deliver an engaging and educational science class on battery knowledge for the children there. During the interesting experimental segment, the children were particularly excited, exclaiming in amazement at the "mysterious power" of the fruit battery. This activity not only promoted the small knowledge of battery classification and recycling but also conveyed the concept of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to more people, allowing the children to experience the joy of science.

Battery recycling box ‘Waste to Treasure’

To raise awareness of the dangers of improperly disposing of batteries and to encourage proper battery disposal, we created battery recycling boxes using old delivery boxes and placed them in the school community for collection. We also contacted the school authorities to promote the update of recycling facilities.

Confirm Feedback 1: Literature Review & Professor Chen Long

In the initial research and discussions with Professor Chen Long, we learned that the pollution caused by the leakage of heavy metal ions is widespread, long-lasting, and highly harmful, becoming a significant issue troubling many regions. Professor Chen encouraged us to find ways to mitigate the damage caused by heavy metal ions and suggested that we address the problem at its source—battery recycling, which can significantly reduce the leakage of heavy metal ions generated in daily life.

Confirm Feedback 2: Sales Director of Manflesh New Energy Division Ma Zhile & Dr. Alawi Shaaban Swabury

At the World Battery Industry Conference in August, both Ma Zhile, Sales Director of Manflesh New Energy Division, and Dr. Alawi Shaaban Swabury, CEO of the AFRICA BATTERY INITIATIVE, mentioned in their presentations the positive impact of lithium battery recycling on the efficient utilization of key metal resources such as lithium, manganese, nickel, and cobalt, as well as the significant benefits for environmental protection. After the conference, relevant individuals from East Africa elaborated on the scarcity of key metals in lithium batteries and encouraged us to explore the recycling of lithium batteries to reduce the loss and waste of metal resources.

The people in the China Zero Waste Alliance have been dedicated to improving resource utilization efficiency and advocating for turning waste into treasure. During our communication with them, we introduced our project ideas and received encouragement and affirmation. Their remarkable creativity and passionate enthusiasm inspired our admiration. After engaging with them, we became more resolute in our choice of the lithium battery recycling project, hoping to contribute to achieving SDG 12 and promoting more sustainable development through this initiative.

Other Activities:

In August of this year, we participated in the World Battery and Energy Storage Industry Expo held in Guangzhou, which brought together many well-known companies in the battery field, including BYD and Weilan New Energy. During the expo, we had friendly exchanges with industry giant Greeenme, discovering that these companies have already incorporated sustainability into their corporate reports, which surprised us.

Subsequently, during our discussions with Guangdong Shengxiang New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiexing Lithium Industry Co., Ltd., both engaged in battery recycling, we suggested that they include relevant content on sustainable development in their regular reports, which was recognized and endorsed by them.

During our conversations with various groups, including businesses, communities, and students, we found that many people are well aware of the dangers of improperly discarding used batteries. However, due to a lack of knowledge about where to specifically recycle used batteries, they often mix them with other waste or casually throw them away. This prompted us to consider providing them with a map to locate battery recycling points. We developed a web map with Chaoyang District, Beijing as a pilot area.

On this map, users can see the locations of dedicated battery recycling stations and click to view detailed information. In the future, we plan to expand the scope and functionality of this website, covering a wider area and allowing users to upload information about recycling station locations, thereby supplementing our knowledge of recycling points that we are unaware of.

In May of this year, our team members participated in waste sorting activities, serving as volunteers to encourage and guide their classmates in proper waste sorting practices. Afterwards, we received feedback from students expressing a desire for more such activities to be held and suggesting that knowledge training on waste sorting could also be incorporated into daily life to cultivate awareness of waste classification.

Subsequently, we engaged with the community to gain a deeper understanding of the realities faced by waste sorting workers. After visiting their working environment, we recognized the challenges and hardships associated with this job. Taking this opportunity, we also interviewed battery recycling workers, inquiring about their views on environmental initiatives and their practical needs in the workplace. They expressed a willingness to contribute to environmental protection efforts but also hoped to receive new tools to assist them in their work. In response, we aim to consider their needs in our future hardware design, ensuring that the design is as simple and user-friendly as possible.

SDG 13

During our discussions with SUS-Tech at CCiC, we discovered that they also utilize biominization technology and emphasized its significance in addressing climate change—particularly concerning the increasing global CO2 emissions. This inspired us to consider the impact of our project on CO2 emissions as well.

Long-term positive impact:

Professor Min-Hua Cao

After conducting literature research to understand the basic structure and production methods of lithium batteries, we decided to consult with domain experts to delve into the carbon emission issues during the production process of lithium batteries. Fortunately, we successfully contacted Professor Min-Hua Cao, who possesses an extremely high level of expertise in the fields of lithium battery anode materials and electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. In our discussion with Professor Cao, she emphasized that the initial production of battery electrode materials is the stage with the highest carbon emissions in the battery life cycle, involving processes such as mineral mining, raw ore smelting, raw material transportation, and electrode firing, all of which consume significant energy and can easily generate a large amount of carbon emissions. We introduced how our project might recover important metals from batteries through biological methods, thereby avoiding carbon emissions and ecological impacts caused by mining and smelting in the process of obtaining raw materials for battery materials. Therefore, Professor Cao believes that our project has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and improve resource utilization rates. She also suggested that we conduct more detailed literature research and calculations to compare the ability of our recycling project to reduce carbon emissions with existing recycling projects.

Guangdong Shengxiang New Material Technology Co., Ltd. and Jie Xing Lithium Co., Ltd.

After thoroughly reading a large amount of literature on traditional lithium battery recycling methods, we gained a basic understanding of the two mainstream recycling technologies—dry method melting electrolysis and wet method inorganic acid leaching. To more scientifically compare the differences between our project and these two methods in terms of carbon emissions and environmental impact, we decided to communicate with related battery recycling

Future Plans

Additionally, in our communication with SUS-Tech, we realized that during the mineralization process of metal ions, if we could utilize SazCA for biological mineralization, it would further reduce CO₂ emissions. This is because the current project uses urease to produce carbonates, where the carbon comes from the decomposition of urea. In contrast, the principle of SazCA is to use CO2 from the air to convert into carbonates. Therefore, compared to existing recycling processes, SazCA can achieve an additional carbon fixation effect. Based on this important discovery, we have decided to prioritize the experimental development of carbonic anhydrase to promote the application of this innovative method.

Possible Negative Effects

During our discussions with Professor Li Chun, he raised a concern regarding the potential production of CO2 during the cultivation of microbial strains in the project. He questioned whether this could undermine the project's positive impact on CO2 reduction.

After thoughtful consideration and research, we acknowledge that the leaching and adsorption modules in the professor's project may indeed generate CO2 as a byproduct of cellular respiration. Interestingly, we discovered that mineralization using carbonic anhydrase requires CO2 absorption, and high concentrations of CO2 can facilitate this mineralization process. Therefore, if we can channel the CO2 produced from the leaching and adsorption modules into the mineralization module utilizing carbonic anhydrase, we could simultaneously mitigate the excess CO2 emissions and enhance the yield of our mineralization efforts. Our inspiration for this approach came from the 2021 Groningen team's project, which proposed utilizing Metal-Organic Framework (MOF) materials to capture ammonia, and we aim to explore the potential of MOF materials for CO2 capture.

Confirming Feedback: MOF Materials

To validate this idea, we consulted Professor Feng Xiao, who affirmed the viability of employing MOF materials for CO2 adsorption. He noted, "In fact, this is a significant direction in MOF research." Professor Feng expressed that our concept of integrating MOF materials with bioprocessing is both surprising and inspiring. However, he also highlighted the challenges associated with the large-scale production of MOF materials, such as high costs and stability issues, which have hindered their practical application. He recommended that we search for a cost-effective MOF material capable of capturing CO2. Following our investigation, we selected HKUST-1 as a potential candidate. We then reached out to Professors Feng Xiao and Wang Bo, both of whom indicated that this material could adequately meet our needs. "If you are preparing for industrial applications, you should certainly consider this material," they suggested.

Confirming Feedback: Zero-Carbon Technology

Equipped with a comprehensive project outline and future plans, we engaged in discussions with Professors Wei Yiming and Yuan Xiaocheng from the School of Management. They commended our innovative efforts towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13) and encouraged us to further develop the project. They emphasized that enhancing mineralization processes to reduce CO2 emissions could position us favorably for numerous policy supports from the Chinese government.

Activity: International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer We created posters for the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer and conducted postings to promote scientific awareness regarding the relationship between the ozone layer and carbon emissions.

SDG 6

During our collaboration and communication with the Hangzhou-SDG iGEM team, we discovered that they also utilized biominization technology and treated wastewater by leveraging the characteristic of heavy metal ions forming precipitates with carbonates. Additionally, their project includes a similar module for metal adsorption. This inspired us, and we also considered how our project technology, after expansion, could have a positive impact on wastewater treatment.

Long-term positive impact:

Adsorption Technology for Wastewater Treatment:

Heavy metal pollution is one of the serious hazards to the environment caused by the improper disposal of spent lithium batteries. To gain a deeper understanding of the potential of the metal-binding peptides we designed and screened for wastewater treatment, we contacted Professor Xu Xiyan. Professor Xu is an authoritative expert in the field of wastewater treatment. He is currently a special researcher at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Beijing Institute of Technology .

During our communication, Professor Xu shared his experience in nuclear wastewater treatment and acknowledged the potential of our metal-binding peptides in wastewater treatment.Since our metal-binding peptides are displayed on the surface of yeast, Professor Xu suggested that we could explore combining yeast with different three-dimensional growth structures in the future, thereby enhancing the reaction system from two-dimensional to three-dimensional to improve metal adsorption rates. Moreover, the successful cases from previous iGEM competitions, where various teams utilized different specific binding peptides to adsorb multiple metal ions, provided us with valuable insights, further supporting our direction of applying metal-binding peptides for wastewater treatment. Through these studies and suggestions, we hope to effectively utilize metal-binding peptides to develop novel wastewater treatment technologies and contribute to solving the problem of heavy metal pollution.

The Impact of Dual-Microbe Combined Organic Acid Leaching on Mining:

Existing battery recycling technologies largely stem from the evolution of mining techniques, which has prompted us to consider the application of lithium battery recycling technologies in the mining sector, aiming to reduce energy consumption and environmental pollution during the mining process. Through discussions with CUD-China and Fudan, we believe that our technology demonstrates good application potential in mining.

Confirm Feedback 3 (Mineralization Technology for Wastewater Treatment):

In our research on wastewater treatment technologies, we became particularly interested in the biological flocculation and sedimentation method. This innovative wastewater treatment technique utilizes microorganisms or their metabolic products for flocculation and sedimentation. The advantages of biological flocculation include its safety and non-toxicity, high flocculation efficiency, and the ease of separating the resulting flocs. We believe that the application of biominification technology can achieve efficient flocculation and sedimentation, particularly for treating heavy metal-contaminated wastewater.

During our internship at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, we had the opportunity to visit the wastewater treatment facility of Xinhua Pharmaceutical and engage in in-depth discussions with the technical personnel of the company. They expressed strong interest in our concept of biological wastewater treatment. They noted that biological treatment technologies have a long history of application in China, primarily focusing on the treatment of nitrogen and phosphorus-containing wastewater. However, they suggested that the application of biominification technology to heavy metal wastewater treatment could lead to a modular integration of the treatment processes for wastewater containing these pollutants. This approach has the potential to significantly reduce the costs associated with land and equipment for wastewater treatment while improving processing efficiency. Subsequently, during our visit to Yanshan Petrochemical, we had similar discussions, and the representatives there also believed that the application prospects of our biominification approach in wastewater treatment are very promising.

Possible negative effect:

During our discussion with Professor Sun Kening, he pointed out that the organic acids we use for leaching are not entirely pollution-free as we had assumed, and improperly treated organic wastewater can lead to environmental pollution.

After careful consideration, we realized that the citric acid and gluconic acid produced in the leaching module of the project can be absorbed and utilized by the microorganisms through the respiratory chain (the organic acids can also be purified into valuable byproducts). Furthermore, in the current mineralization process using urease-induced mineralization technology, the addition of urea generates carbonate ions for the mineralization reaction while also producing ammonium ions, which serve as an easily absorbable nitrogen source. Therefore, we envision that in actual production, we can mix the reaction liquid from the mineralization section with the leachate from the leaching section before entering the adsorption module.

This approach offers three advantages:

(1) The leachate has a certain level of acidity, which, when mixed with the alkaline mineralization waste liquid, neutralizes the pH, facilitating a neutral adsorption process.

(2) The organic acids in the leachate and the ammonium ions in the mineralization liquid can provide carbon and nitrogen sources for the yeast in the adsorption module, aiding in the adsorption function that requires substantial peptide synthesis.

(3) The main byproducts of the overall project continuously circulate and are ultimately utilized within the system in various ways.

This hardware process design not only alleviates the wastewater generated by the project but may also enhance the overall efficiency of the project, perfectly embodying the concept and goals of the project "Ouroboros."

Confirm Feedback:

We contacted Prof Ying Wang and Prof Chun Li. Prof Wang believes that the yeast we used for adsorption is capable of using organic acids as a carbon source, but we need to pay attention to the glucose effect that is prevalent in microorganisms - when glucose is co-existing with other carbon sources, the microorganisms will preferentially utilise glucose before other carbon sources. Professor Li Chun said there are two main ideas to solve this problem, one is to modify the microbial endogenous sugar metabolism network, but it is very time-consuming; the other idea is to adjust the cultivation process, first use a small amount of glucose to cultivate the yeast, and then pass into the leaching solution after consumption, so that organic acid can be used as a carbon source. We believe that the hardware fulfils the latter idea and plan to consider this in subsequent iterations of the improvement.

Confirm Feedback:

In addition to the question of yeast utilisation of organic acids, the question of what kind of design of hardware is required to achieve reflux is also a major challenge. With a complete project and future plans in mind, we spoke with Mr. Hsi Yan Xu again, who said that our idea was very interesting and that it could be possible to reuse our wastewater through reflux by simply debugging the parameters during the hardware iterations. He also offered to continue to support us as a hardware technical advisor, which made us very happy.

Activity: Water Resources Research and Water Conservation Awareness Survey Report

We recruited interested students from the school to conduct a water resource survey and a water resource protection awareness investigation, resulting in a PDF document for future reference by the iGEM teams/communities in five locations. This initiative aimed to stimulate the awareness and understanding of water resource protection among the respondents (Beijing Institute of Technology community groups and local university student groups).

SDG 4

During the activities we organized this year, we noticed that many people lacked awareness of waste sorting in their daily lives and were unaware of the dangers of casually discarding used lithium batteries. The public's lack of environmental awareness made us reflect on this issue, and we hope that more people will join the cause of sustainable development. Therefore, BIT-China's educational work this year has been committed to combining synthetic biology education with the promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We organized science outreach activities targeting elementary school students, high school students, university students, and people from complex backgrounds. Additionally, we observed that many university students were confused and uncertain about their career paths, so we planned a school-organized employment skills and entrepreneurship training session for soon-to-be graduates, using iGEM as an example to explain how to transition from scientific competitions to entrepreneurship. In all other activities we conducted under different goals, we also promoted the concept of the SDGs, hoping to encourage more people to join the cause of sustainable development.

Activities Combining Synthetic Biology and the SDGs:

For Elementary Schools:

Han Xiao went to Fangshan County to participate in a social practice teaching activity, where he introduced elementary school students to the fascinating world of synthetic biology. Through lively and engaging explanations, he transformed complex synthetic biology concepts into stories and experiments that the children could easily understand. Han Xiao also connected these concepts to everyday life in rural areas, such as food production and crop growth, introducing students to the engineering applications of synthetic biology. This not only sparked the children's interest in science but also helped them understand the potential impact of life sciences on the future of society. The whole process was full of interaction, and the students gained scientific knowledge while fostering their curiosity about life sciences.

For High Schools:

Zhao Xuanye and Zhi Kejia each conducted outreach activities at their respective high schools. During his return speech at his alma mater, Zhao Xuanye introduced his iGEM competition experience and learning journey, sharing the basics of synthetic biology with his juniors. Meanwhile, Zhi Kejia participated in his high school’s Science and Technology Culture Festival, where he hosted a booth and gave presentations, further expanding his classmates’ understanding of synthetic biology. From both scientific and social application perspectives, they discussed how synthetic biology can solve real-world problems, inspiring high school students to engage in scientific research and encouraging more students to participate in scientific innovation projects, laying the groundwork for future academic and technological studies.

For Universities:

The team organized a screening of the science fiction film Jurassic Park for university students, followed by a post-screening discussion. By exploring the portrayal of life concepts in the movie, students developed a strong interest in the real-world applications of synthetic biology. The discussion focused particularly on the future directions of synthetic biology, cloning technology, and gene editing. Participants actively shared their insights and questions. This event not only enhanced students' understanding of life sciences and synthetic biology but also sparked deeper thinking on ethical issues in science.

Synthetic Biology Fair:

To broaden the influence of synthetic biology, the team organized a science fair on campus aimed at students from various academic backgrounds. The fair featured multiple booths, each showcasing different stages of synthetic biology, including chassis cell selection, the setting of logic gates, and models of relevant organelles. The fair attracted a diverse range of participants, especially students from non-life science fields, through creative activities such as modeling microbes with clay, biology-themed board games, four-panel comics, microbial artwork displays, and puzzle games. These activities allowed many people to explore the fascinating aspects of synthetic biology.

Employment and Entrepreneurship Training:

As part of the school's employment and entrepreneurship training program, Zhao Xuanye served as a teaching assistant, helping to teach soon-to-be graduates employment skills. The course covered topics such as interview techniques, the creation of startup pitch presentations, and the writing of business plans. He also shared his experience transitioning from iGEM competitions to entrepreneurship, illustrating how to turn research results from the lab into commercial projects. This not only inspired the students but also provided them with practical advice, helping them develop entrepreneurial thinking and prepare for their future careers.

SDG 17

As the core of the energy revolution, the recycling and utilization of lithium batteries is a comprehensive issue that the world must face. However, the problems and challenges faced by different countries are not the same. For developing countries, the consumption of resources by lithium batteries leads to the over-exploitation of mineral resources, causing environmental damage; for developed countries, the pressure of waste lithium batteries on the environment also needs to be deeply considered and addressed. Therefore, in terms of SDG17, we focus on global knowledge and technology exchange, hoping to communicate with more people around the world to fully understand the current status of the lithium-ion battery recycling industry and obtain suitable solutions. Here is a summary of our knowledge exchange activities worldwide.

Activity 1: Knowledge Sharing with Yaxin from Heidelberg

In our initial understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we interviewed Yaxin, the captain of the Heidelberg 2023 team. As the person in charge of SDG work in the team, she not only led the team to win the Best Sustainable Development Goal Award but also deeply explored the integration of synthetic biology and SDGs. Yaxin elaborated on how to conduct in-depth consideration and selection in SDG work. After listening to our work plan, she suggested that we interview people in areas affected by battery pollution, which would help us better understand the actual situation. This was our first contact with SDGs in iGEM, and through our exchange with Yaxin, we gained a lot and further improved our work plan. After this discussion, we decided to carry out distinctive SDG work, hoping to promote the sustainable development practice of iGEM through the sharing of technology and knowledge with international partners, achieving a complementary relationship between human practice and SDGs.

Activity 2: Knowledge Sharing at the World Battery Conference

In the process of exploring lithium battery recycling technology, our team participated in the World Battery and Energy Storage Industry Expo held in Guangzhou. This event brought together top companies and experts from around the world, providing us with a valuable platform to share technology and knowledge. At the conference, we had in-depth exchanges with experts from different countries and introduced our project—using synthetic biology technology to recycle important metals from waste lithium-ion batteries. We emphasized the environmental concept of the project, aiming to efficiently recycle metal resources and reduce carbon emissions and environmental damage caused by traditional mining and smelting. During this process, we received a lot of positive feedback. Many well-known companies in the industry, such as BYD and Weilan New Energy, showed great interest in our project, believing that bio-recycling technology might become the future development direction in the battery recycling field. In addition, we participated in several seminars and technical forums at the conference, listening to wonderful speeches by industry leaders. These exchanges not only provided important references for our project but also made us realize the importance of technology and knowledge sharing. Participating in the expo deepened our understanding of the iGEM sharing spirit and laid the foundation for future cooperation and innovation. We look forward to working with global peers to promote the development of battery recycling technology and contribute to achieving sustainable development goals.

Activity 3: A Model of South-South Cooperation in Technology at the China-Eurasia Expo

In the context of deepening globalization, international cooperation and exchange have become important forces in promoting technological innovation and sustainable development. We participated in the China-Eurasia Expo held in Xinjiang, China. This event brought together elites from many countries in Asia and Europe, providing us with a valuable platform to share technology and knowledge with international partners and seek green development together. At the South-South Cooperation Pavilion of the expo, we deeply understood the importance of South-South cooperation in promoting sustainable development. This cooperation mechanism aims to help developing countries jointly address global challenges such as climate change and environmental pollution through technology transfer and resource sharing. We exchanged the latest achievements in new energy technology, environmental materials, and resource recycling with exhibitors and technical experts. In addition, we discussed the implementation experience of South-South cooperation with representatives from developing countries, recognizing the importance of international cooperation in addressing global challenges. Participating in the China-Eurasia Expo made us deeply realize the importance of South-South cooperation. In the future, we will continue to uphold the sharing spirit of iGEM and work with international partners to promote green transformation and sustainable development.

Activity 4: Exchange with Queen’s University (Specific Technical Exchange)

The QUB-BIT academic and cultural exchange activity was a successful academic and cultural exchange event jointly organized by Queen’s University Belfast and Beijing Institute of Technology. During the event, we shared our research results and discussed the feasibility and technical paths of the metal recycling project. The students from Queen’s University highly recognized the importance of our project for sustainable development, believing that our project will achieve efficient recycling of key metals through biotechnology, reducing the waste of precious resources and environmental pollution caused by high-energy recycling. Although it is difficult to quantify the specific contributions of this event, the feedback from participants showed significant achievements in enhancing academic ability and cultural understanding.

Activity 5: Exchange with Students from the International Innovation Organization Academy, Encouraging Us to Adapt Technology Development to Various Needs

The International Innovation Organization Academy of Beijing Institute of Technology aims to cultivate globally competent interdisciplinary talents with a global perspective and solid professional background to participate in global governance in the future. During our exchange with the International Innovation Organization Academy, we shared our project, which aims to reduce carbon emissions, reduce ecological damage caused by mining and waste battery leakage, and improve the utilization rate of metal mineral resources such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. The students from the International Innovation Organization Academy highly appreciated our project, believing that such new recycling technology meets the global sustainable development needs and demonstrates the potential of technological innovation and cross-field cooperation. They encouraged us to further study the applicability of our battery recycling technology in different countries, optimize the reduction of carbon emissions and economic benefits of recycling technology, and actively participate in international environmental organizations’ services and publicity, exploring ways to solve global climate warming and mineral resource shortages with global peers.

Activity 6: iG20 SDG Meet Up

The iG20 SDG meet up was an SDG exchange among iGEMers in China. At the meeting, we shared our SDG work and listened to the explanations of the SDG concept by the guests Isaac Nana Kofi and Bao Yuhan. At this meeting, we learned what constitutes good SDG work in iGEM and gained a lot.

Planned Actions:

International Students’ SDG Activity: We plan to invite international students to share their countries’ successful experiences in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to inspire others. Our school has many international students from various countries, including Russia, South Korea, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia. We intend to invite these students to a roundtable discussion to share the current state of the lithium battery market in their countries and their perspectives. We also want to invite interested teachers and students as audience members to listen and voluntarily share their views. Our goal is to create a platform for free, equal, and friendly exchange, giving more people the opportunity to communicate with each other.

Battery Recycling Theme Painting: In our next outreach activity, we plan to collect paintings on the theme of battery recycling and display them in the iGEM Arts Gallery. Last time, we conducted an educational activity on the theme of batteries for elementary school students. We are very concerned about the education and growth of young people and hope they are willing to share their imaginative ideas with us. Therefore, we used the method that children like the most, allowing them to create their visions of future battery recycling with their paintbrushes. We later communicated with Project Head Carlos and received his praise. Unfortunately, after our last educational activity, the elementary school went on summer vacation, and we have not been able to contact the school to receive these paintings. We plan to try to contact the school again or visit the school to collect the children’s paintings and upload them (with the authors’ permission) so that more people can see these creative ideas.

Overall SDG Promotion Activities:

Suno AI: We plan to create a song about sustainable development and battery recycling to raise public awareness of sustainability and environmental protection through music. Unfortunately, our team does not have any music majors, and our school does not have a music department, so we tried to use computer technology to assist us in creating. In recent years, artificial intelligence has developed rapidly, and various large models have emerged. We used the Suno AI model to help us design the song, and we have completed the work.

SDG Journal and Handbook: While browsing the United Nations website, we saw that the UN designed a “Lazy Person’s Guide” to guide the public in joining the sustainable development cause. We found this guide very interesting and useful, so we called on all team members to follow the guidelines for two months and conduct weekly evaluations. After this activity, we compiled a table reflecting on and summarizing the team’s behavior. The data showed that most members’ levels improved or remained unchanged during this period, but a few members’ levels declined, which caught our attention. We interviewed the members whose levels declined. They said it was difficult to remember to maintain the habits of the lazy person’s plan in daily life, often forgetting and following their usual habits, such as eating a lot of meat and setting the air conditioner temperature very low, which could lead to unsustainable outcomes. All team members also pointed out that the lazy person’s plan had few behaviors to choose from, and many of the suggested actions were beyond their capabilities, such as loudly supporting equal pay for equal work and protesting discrimination in the workplace, which were not suitable for our age and region.

We wondered if others might have the same situation, so we asked other iGEM teams and people around us and found that this was indeed a common problem. Many people in China, even those in closely related industries, lack awareness of the SDGs or do not know where to start, which affects many people’s efforts to promote sustainable development. This is not what we want to see. Therefore, we decided to create a handbook tailored to the actual situation, combining the 17 SDGs of the United Nations, to guide ordinary Chinese residents. The power of one team is limited. So we united with NWU-CHINA-A, iZJU-China, Fudan, BUCT-China, and SZPU-China, combining SDGs 3/5/6/7/10/11/12, to create a handbook specifically for Chinese people to understand the SDGs. We will use social media for promotion, hoping more people will see our work and voluntarily practice it in their daily lives.