The importance of the community's perspective and impact on our project was considered in every step of our process. The Baltimore-Bio Crew assessed the ethical integrity of our project through various methods such as public engagement, outreach, surveys, and presentations. Through these techniques we have collected a diverse set of perspectives on our work and its capacity to positively impact the world.
The Baltimore-Bio Crew performed presentations in front of audiences that varied from scientific professionals and community members to an environmental advocacy organization that were all interested in learning more about our work. Each presentation given was in preparation of the iGEM competition, and was presented at different stages of progress in our work. The first notable presentation was given at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, which is located near the Baltimore Inner Harbor. The audience was full of scientific specialists, that were able to give educational insight on the ways in which our project could develop. By presenting to this group, we were able to gain new outlooks on our process such as the practical uses of our product, the safeness of our methods, and the bioethical concerns of our work. Another important discussion that we had was with the community, people interested in science and our work visited the lab to hear more about our project. They were able to encourage our thoughts on the people’s opinions about synthetic biology and the practical uses of our product.
The Safety of E.coli in Our Project
The use of k-12 E.coli strains produces very little potential of harm in the environment and to other living organisms. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that this strain “does not normally colonize the human intestine”, has “safe commercial use”, and is “not known to have adverse effects on microorganisms or plants”. Despite this, the team took safety precautions to prevent contamination or spread of this organism outside of the lab. Each member used latex gloves, thoroughly washed hands, and did not consume food or drink in the lab. We do not plan on releasing this bacteria into the environment, where mutations and environmental security can be impacted. Though we have thought about creating a “killswitch” causing the organism to self destruct if found in a foreign environment, or is threatened by becoming a host to other DNA.
The By-Products of Plastic Degradation
In our process the team has also considered the risk of the byproducts that are produced in breaking down PET plastics: ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Ethylene glycol is used in the manufacturing of antifreeze, which can cause harm to certain organisms that are wrongly exposed. Terephthalic acid is a product used in creating PET plastic. These two byproducts if collected, have the potential of promoting sustainability and recycling of materials. Ethylene glycol could possibly be used as a source of energy, or promoter of thermal energy as it has heat transfer and antifreeze properties. Terephthalic acid could be used to effectively recycle and reproduce plastics that had been previously broken down in our chemical process, decreasing the need for new PET plastics to be created and lessening its overproduction in our world. In order to separate these byproducts from the direct environment we considered developing a bioreactor to break down PET plastic in office spaces, homes, and schools. We also would contain the degradation process in recycling plants, or in filters for synthetic fibers collected in washing machines.
The Approval of Synthetic Biology
The Baltimore Bio-Crew welcomed community visitors, lab members, and scientists alike to participate in our survey on the perceptions of synthetic biology in our environment. In this survey we found a variety of data that opened our eyes about the feelings of the public in relation to synthetic biology. It was very important to us to know the communities stance on synthetic biology in their environment, and if they supported and improved our work, or had concerns.
The Importance of Our Work
In the collaboration with Baltimore Beyond Plastic, a local youth led environmental advocacy group, we were able to explore the thoughts of students and Baltimore residents. These groups were able to express their individual ideas on the importance of our project and the need to address the issue of plastics in our environment.
