Overview

In 2015, the United Nations and its member states adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) project comprises 17 goals with 169 associated targets. This initiative aimed to bring all nations - developed and developing - together in global partnership to work towards a common goal of bringing peace and prosperity for the people and the planet, for the present and the future. They recognised that not just ending poverty but strategies to improve public health and education, increase economic growth and infrastructure, and reduce inequalities were imperative to “promote prosperity while protecting the planet.”

As iGEMers, we are responsible for contributing to such global dialogues and practising our responsibility by providing innovative, novel solutions to help meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

What goals are we targeting this year, and why?
PETal, as an initiative, is deeply committed to conservation and sustainability. Throughout the year, with the efforts of our teammates and input from our stakeholders, we were able to sketch out the positive and negative impacts of our project on the goals of Quality Education (SDG4), Reduced Inequalities (SDG10), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12), Life on Land (SDG15), and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG17).

GOAL 4

Quality Education

Why goal 4?

The lack of quality education directly impacts rising inequalities (SDG 10). This phenomenon can be quite common since very few people have access to quality education in their formative years. SDG 4 aims to tackle this problem by instilling laws and regulations pertaining to education and literacy in countries across the globe. Quality education can level the playing field for everyone and promote equal development.

How does PETal contribute to SDG4?
Through our project, our team worked towards a common goal of promoting quality education amongst students, from primary school to the higher secondary level. We wanted to send the message of synthetic biology across ages and levels of understanding. Our education team carefully designed informative and interactive workshops personalised to each academic level, conducted fun games and activities, performed experiments in class and took feedback from the students to promote a cycle of mutual learning.

We did not restrain the essence of learning in classrooms and school buildings; instead, we translated it into the real world by interacting with diverse communities, including women-run initiatives and tribal communities and holding online seminars and talk sessions with notable researchers in the field of synthetic biology.

Our goal is to promote quality education and impart the beauty of synthetic biology and community learning to society.

GOAL 10

Reduced Inequalities

Why goal 10?

As humanity advances in science and bridges the gap between imagination and reality, we’re simultaneously facing challenges of increasing inequalities between societal groups. This duality highlights the need for equitable development to ensure that this progress serves everyone equally. SDG 10 aims to overcome such inequalities and promote long-term economic development, poverty reduction, and more stable and fruitful societies.

How does PETal contribute to SDG10?
With PETal, we aim to synthesise santalol, a valuable cosmetic raw material. Cosmetic products often serve as a tool for self-expression and improving self-image but are often associated with women and are marketed as a women-centric product. We aspire to challenge the norms of cosmetic products being associated with a certain caste, class or gender of people by making a gender-neutral, affordable and versatile product accessible to everyone.

Throughout the project, we were committed to making science accessible to all. Our outreach and education activities were planned to engage people from all walks of life. From talking about menstrual hygiene, science education, and women in STEM with the women of the Kudumbasree initiative to interactions with the Kani Tribes near our campus fostering reciprocal learning, our effort to perpetuate science was fruitful. We also engaged with members of the LGBTQ+ community via interviews and interactive sessions.

Our goal is to promote and celebrate the beauty of science with everyone.

GOAL 12

Responsible Consumption and Production

Why goal 12?

SDG12 talks about ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns by promoting a reduced global material footprint, reduced waste and food loss, sustainable infrastructure, and increased resource and energy efficiency.
Among the project's primary goals, the one that stands out the most is achieving a substantial reduction in waste generation through responsible prevention practices, reducing, reusing and recycling.

How does PETal contribute to SDG12?
Since our journey with PETal began, we have focused on circularising the plastic economy. In the face of rising PET plastic consumption and, as a result of pollution, developing a new way to recycle plastic seemed like the need of the hour. The cosmetic industry stands out as one of the most booming industries today, consuming approximately 120 billion units of packaging annually globally; trying to recycle every bit of plastic offers relief. Here, PETal’s technology of upcycling PET comes to the rescue.

Our goal is to propose a novel pipeline for recycling PET plastic to academicians and the general public so that it can be valorised to the masses as a product of high value, like sandalwood essential oil. This is our initiative to reduce the amount of plastic dumped into landfills and offer an alternative to the traditional methods of recycling plastic waste.

GOAL 15

Life on Land

Why goal 15?

The rise in consumerism has resulted in a heightened usage of cosmetic products and an increasing demand for natural resources in the cosmetic industry, which has led to a rapid loss of biodiversity and exploitation of forests. Therefore, taking immediate measures to combat these adversities is the need of the hour. SDG 15 is about conserving terrestrial ecosystems, promoting sustainably managed forests, and reversing land degradation to stop biodiversity loss.

How does PETal contribute to SDG15?
The intention behind formulating PETal was to devise a sustainable alternative to the traditional methods of synthesising sandalwood oil and try to bridge the recent demand gap for sandalwood oil in the cosmetics industry. We believe that as soon as PETal becomes a viable and sought-after alternative to the natural sandalwood oil in the market, not only will it help buy time for the replantation of sandalwood trees and restoring their ecosystem but also promote the development of similar, more sustainable alternatives for a variety of skincare products extracted from plants.

Our goal is to drive innovation in science towards more environmentally friendly alternatives to natural products and help promote a healthy terrestrial ecosystem.

GOAL 17

Partnership for the Goals

Why goal 17?

Great things happen when like-minded people come together. SDG 17 promotes collaborative development and the establishment of partnerships amongst the people and across governments, legislatures, and civil societies.

How does PETal contribute to SDG4?
During iGEM, we initiated and participated in several collaborative events. These collaborations were within iGEM teams, as well as with iGEM alumni, NGOs, researchers and our on-campus student-run clubs. With the help of these partnerships, we brought people closer together and promoted a sense of community and collaborative interest amongst the participants.

Our goal is to promote collaborative development and exchange of ideas across perspectives.

Implementing the SDGs

Fig. Events table

1. Visiting the Kani Tribes
   SDG 4: With the motive to educate communities deprived of education due to a lack of accessibility, we reached out to the Kani tribes, interacted with them, and gained valuable insights. We were able to educate them on how to give to the environment they live in by making them aware of proper plastic waste disposal methods and preserving forests from pollution. This was a crucial step since the Kani tribes are one of the oldest nomadic communities in the world and have much influence over the ideas followed by other tribes.
   SDG 10: Interaction with a marginalised community promoted mutual learning. Our world views and values greatly differed, which opened up new perspectives for both parties.
2. Eureka Science Center
   SDG 4: A Q&A session by Dr. Satish Khurana targeted students who visited campus as part of the Eureka Science Club, which showcased students' interest in learning about our project. Additionally, they were enthusiastic about learning the benefits of researching and how it can open doors to innovating ways to sustain our environment the way PETal aims to.
3. Kudumbasree Visit
   SDG 4: Awareness about the disadvantages of using menstrual pads, how they add to plastic waste, and introducing menstrual cups as a less wasteful method, including our PETal goal. Many were concerned that our product would contain remnants of plastic, so we talked from the grassroots about our project and basic sciences to inform them that it was safe to use.
   SDG 10: Women's empowerment, women in STEM, and menstrual hygiene were the key focus topics during this visit and our talk about our project. On reflection, we gathered that the women were very enthused to learn of menstrual cups and how easy it is to give back to the environment to make it more sustainable.
4. KS&DL Visit
   SDG 12: Our journey with PETal focused on circularising the plastic economy using monomeric units of Terephthalic acid (TPA) and Ethylene Glycol (EG) obtained from PET plastic waste. It aims to recycle plastic and conserve the endangered sandalwood trees at a time when irresponsible exploitation of natural resources is at an all-time high.
5. Environment Day Celebrations
   SDG 4: We ensured that our agenda of spreading awareness to the young audiences was fruitful, incorporating fun anecdotes and relevant stories and instances that could grasp their fleeting attention spans.
   SDG 10: Young minds are susceptible to absorbing and holding information longer since their memories are still developing. Utilising this opportunity, we tried our best to incorporate audio-visual aids to explain our propaganda to recycle plastics, reduce their consumption and demonstrate the microorganisms used for this project. SDG 15: We asked the students to draw out a scenario of their idea of a plastic pollution-free future. It lets their imaginations run free, which reflects what the young generation sees as their future.
6. Session on DNA Double Helix
   SDG 4: We taught them the basics of DNA, such as nitrogen bases, complementarity, hydrogen bonds, and DNA sequences, and explained how it differs from RNA, including demonstrating a fundamental method of extracting DNA from dishwashing soap and bananas.
7. Plastic Management Awareness Initiative
   SDG 4: The session aimed to raise awareness about the pervasive issue of plastic pollution and explore innovative solutions developed by previous iGEM teams. The students' enthusiastic participation and positive feedback indicated high engagement and interest.
   SDG 12: Along with an introduction to various types of plastics and their harmful effects, there were discussions on practical tips and strategies for reduction in plastic consumption and, instead, going for reusable alternatives. They showed great enthusiasm in wanting to preserve the resources we have now, however depleted.
8. Synbio Loteria
   SDG 4: Inspired by the Mexican board game ‘Loteria’, which is known to support language use and vocabulary development in the Spanish language, this game aided in memory retention and engaging multiple senses, like hearing and writing. The main focus of this card game was to let kids know about synthetic biological terms.
9. SynBio Conclave 4.0
   SDG 4: Our symposium served as a platform tailored for STEM-focused students and researchers to attend thought-provoking talks and interact with prominent speakers. This would, along with teaching about the most recent discoveries made by researchers and their further plans, also likely get students interested in knowing what paths to pursue after their studies, which fields have the most current research works, etc.
   SDG 17: The goal of our symposium was to serve as a platform tailored for STEM-focused students and researchers to attend thought-provoking talks and interact with prominent speakers. We partnered with experts worldwide who discussed using synthetic biological techniques to aid our planet.
10. Synbio Book for Middle Schoolers
    SDG 4: A comprehensive and effective way for science communication for school students was introduced via the Synbio book. It promoted story-based science learning, which had a significant impact on helping them imagine science applications in various contexts and encouraged discussions among themselves.
11. All India iGEM Meet
    SDG 17: The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, hosted the All India iGEM Meet (AIIM) in July this year, where 11 teams from all over the country visited the institute to compete in jamboree-style presentations and judging sessions. This partnership was an excellent platform for these teams to interact, form potential collaborations and hone their presentation skills.
12. BioBricks Innovation
    SDG 4: The very goal of this competition was to foster problem-solving skills in higher secondary school students by encouraging them to find synthetic biology solutions for the world's pressing problems. It stimulated a passion for synthetic biology among 16 to 18-year-olds, who are in the crucial stage of life where they decide on their career path.
    SDG 17: Our iGEM team collaborated with the newly introduced science activity centre, Crucible, of IISER TVM, where competing teams presented their ideas related to synthetic biology. We also paired up the Synbio Loteria, which taught the competing aspiring students critical concepts in synthetic biology.
13. Beauty Beyond Borders - IISER TVM’s on-campus Pride Club
    SDG 4: Our proud partnership with Mazhavil, the Pride Club of IISER TVM, promoted inclusivity in fashion and cosmetics across diverse gender spectrums. This, along with spreading the message of inclusivity and acceptance, created an understanding environment within our community.
    SDG 10: Apart from educating the attendees on inclusivity, acceptance and humanity, we focused on achieving one common goal of reducing intolerance among people in the gender-diverse community. We were ecstatic to receive the amount of support we did, even from the newly arrived batch of IISER TVM.
    SDG 17: To achieve our greater goal of spreading awareness, we collaborated with an emerging club of IISER TVM. This helped us reach a diverse community.
14. Informative Talk with Durga Gawde (Shakti)
    SDG 4: As an accomplished drag artist and an iGEM alum from the 2011 cohort, Durga taught us about their project and how it was quite literally made from the ground up, starting with scratches with a mobile iGEM lab. Their journey inspired our team to persevere regardless of obstructions and believe in ourselves and our identity as an individual by showing remarkable creativity and resourcefulness.
    SDG 10: One of the main goals of our project had been collaborating with remarkable researchers whose work experience could give us comparative insight into the progress of our project and include as many communities as possible to be open to our project and accept it as a sustainable resource. The talk with Durga Gawde significantly paved the way to that goal, including a gender-diverse collaborator and not only prominent scientists.
    SDG 17: Collaboration with an iGEMer and a crucial social figure and influencer was achieved by the talk with Durga Gawde. It broadened our outreach tenfold by collaborating with them as an iGEM alum and an individualistic force to be reckoned with.
15. Rhetor 5.0
    SDG 4: Our goal was to create a platform that fostered collaborations between researchers, academics, students, and the scientific community and sparked discussions on groundbreaking research and innovative ideas.
    SDG 17: Our team partnered with Proteus, the biology club of IISER TVM, to host this year’s symposium themed “Twists of Life: Unravelling the Biological Helix”, which focused on exploring the latest advancements and discoveries in the field of biology.
16. SynBio Quiz
    SDG 17: We collaborated with the Quizzing Society of IISER-TVM (QSI), intending to engage the student community and include the new batch of students coming on campus by using an effective teaching tool to make learning synthetic biology more interactive.
17. BioGenesis 1.0
    SDG 4: The idea for BioGenesis 1.0 stemmed from our team realising that students in science weren’t educated about the entrepreneurial aspects of translational research. To bridge this gap, we decided to conduct BioGenesis 1.0 as an online educational event to unite current and future iGEMers along with students in academia to participate in an interactive session with people who had established their foothold in biotechnological research by starting their own companies.
    SDG 17: BioGenesis was always supposed to be a collaborative event because we wanted to bring as many people together as possible and share this experience. Along with IISER Kolkata and IIT Bombay, we were able to cover the very many types of biotechnological startups and educate a large number of students.
18. Beach Clean-Up Drive
    SDG 10: This outreach event could not have been as successful as it was without the help of locals and volunteers from IISER TVM and NGOs working together. This promoted reduced inequality by encouraging people to work hand-in-hand to achieve a common goal.
    SDG 15: The beach cleanup was one of the most crucial steps taken by the iGEM IISER-TVM team to spread awareness about the harmful effects of indiscriminate usage of plastics and take effective and meaningful actions to implement our will in reality.
    SDG 17: We joined hands with We Grow Forest Foundation, a women-founded NGO with a vision of actively contributing to a greener planet, to conduct a beach cleanup of a popular beach in Kerala. Volunteers from the NGO and a group of enthusiastic students from our institute came together for this impactful beach cleanup.
    
    More details about these events can be found on the Education Page.