Kindergarten -- Observing the “Invisible”

Our iGEM team hosted over 120 kindergarten students to teach them the power of observation and the basics of science. For example, we taught them how to use microscopes to look at anti-counterfeiting measures on paper money and how to use refraction lenses to see that white light is made up of various colors. (Whole Team activity)

7th Grade Introduction to Synthetic Biology

We introduced iGEM and the basics of synthetic biology to all 200+ students in the seventh grade. They learned how to use micropipettes, as well as how to load and run dyes through an agarose gel. We also gave students different real world problems for them to solve using paper BioBrick parts. (Whole Team activity)

Spring Fair -- Spreading Public Awareness of Nanoparticles

At our school’s annual spring fair, we operated a booth where people could create their own glitter slime by mixing polyvinyl alcohol and sodium borate solutions. The slime was meant to simulate the trapping of NPs (in this demo, glitter) by biofilm. We also showed a few SEM images of bacteria, as well as everyday products that contain NPs such as toothpaste and sunscreen. Everyone who came to our booth was encouraged to take our survey so we could record opinions on bioethics and concerns about NPs. (Whole team activity)

Public Outreach -- A Tour of Taipei

Some members of the iGEM team went to several popular sites in Taipei to pass out flyers and conduct surveys. We visited National Taiwan University, Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, and Taipei 101. This helped us collect feedback from people of different age groups and backgrounds. This was a great and fun way to spread awareness of NP pollution! See our video below! (Team members: Ashley L., Emily C., Florence L., Candice L., Yvonne W., Justin Y., Avery W., Christine C., Jesse K., and Laurent H.)

Bioethics Panel

We hosted a Bioethics Panel, where we invited students and teachers to discuss the moral, social and environmental concerns of our project. To encourage participants to consider the problems from multiple perspectives, we created a role-playing game and assigned different roles to the participants. We then asked for their opinions on NP usage and disposal from the perspective of their assigned role. (Whole team activity)

For instance, one of our questions was:

“Dihua WWTP has no nanoparticle removal plan. Should this be the job of the wastewater plant? Or the nanoparticle manufacturer?”

The following roles were assigned:

• Wastewater plant manager
• Nanoparticle manufacturer
• Citizen
• Fisherman
• Fish

Research Symposium -- Poster and Oral Presentations

At TAS we conduct research symposiums twice a year to showcase the research of students who take a variety of research courses. Before we decided our project topic, we developed 4 different project ideas to present at our first research symposium (poster session). We received feedback from both students and teachers, then decided on our current project. At our second research symposium, we presented on our current project, Nanotrap! (Presenters: Candice L., William C., Chansie Y., Christine C., Yvonne, W., Justin Y., Dylan L., and Catherine Y.)

5th Annual Asia-Pacific iGEM Conference -- NCTU

In preparation for the Giant Jamboree, we attended the 5th annual Asia-Pacific iGEM conference at NCTU to share and receive valuable feedback from other college and high school teams in Asia. This event allowed us to consider different aspects of our project using feedback from other teams. (Presenters: William C., Yvonne W., and Justin Y.)

Policy Brief -- Nanoparticle Regulation Issues and Case Studies

Our team has conducted extensive research on existing regulatory laws and policies regarding NPs and nanomaterials. We have investigated chemical regulations, including the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TCSA), the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation, and the Clean Air Act (CAA). There are significant obstacles to successfully regulating NPs, such as conflicting definitions on NPs that lead to an inability to successfully regulate manufacturers. Research has also been conducted on the hazardous effects of NPs on the human body and environment. We decided to compose a policy brief highlighting the existing challenges in NP regulation and the lessons learned from previous failure to regulate new chemical substances. The brief was sent out to regulatory agencies, government agencies, and news outlets to raise awareness about the issue. We feel responsible to let others know about the damage NP waste can do to the environment. (Policy Brief created by Ashley L.)

We also sent this policy brief to the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) minister in Taiwan, and he responded! He read our policy brief and said that they will take it into consideration when they make future NP policy decisions. They understand the importance of regulation and attention needed for the developing field of nanotechnology. (Correspondence: Christine C.)

Our nanoparticle regulation policy brief was published by The News Lens International Edition. The newspaper has over 200,000 daily readers. We emphasized that the lack of legislation prevents agencies from acquiring regulatory power. We also talked about the current lack of nanoparticle filtration in WWTPs. (Interview by Ashley L.)

References

Ahamed, M., Alsalhi, M. S., & Siddiqui, M. (2010). Silver nanoparticle applications and human health. Clinica Chimica Acta,411(23-24), 1841-1848. doi:10.1016/j.cca.2010.08.016

Marr, L. C., & Holder, A. L. (2013). Nanomaterial disposal by incineration. Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, 15(9), 1652-1664. https://doi.org/10.1039/C3EM00224A