Team:Calgary/Judging
Bronze Medal Criteria
Competition Deliverables
The competition deliverables of the wiki, presentation video, judging form, and promotional video were all completed. To see our promotional video, click here.
Attributions
We have outlined all the individuals who graciously gave their time, support, expertise in helping Neocycle come to fruition on this attribution page.
Project Description
On our project description page, we have offered an overview of Neocycle, including what inspires us, our goals and plans, and an explanation of how our project can be utilised in industry.
Contributions
Every year, we aim to contribute more and more to future iGEM students. This year, we developed a parts collection for lanmodulin (LanM), several educational tools, software, and more. Check out our contributions here.
Silver Medal Criteria
Engineering Success
Neocycle consists of several sub-projects that required careful consideration throughout the engineering design cycle. Engineering success outlines the process of ideating, designing, testing, and learning from our bioleaching, metal recovery, measurement, bioreactor, and adsorber column processes.
Collaborations
It’s not an iGEM season without getting to know other teams. This year, our collaborations manifested in several forms. From our international JulyGEM conference and iGEM Storybook collaboration, to smaller collaborations such as writing a manuscript for iGEM Maastricht’s journal initiative and participating in iGEM Warwick’s iGEM Collective Issue, we aimed to extend our reach as much as possible.
Human Practices
Here at iGEM Calgary, we pride ourselves on understanding the context behind the problem we’re working on. Our human practices are centered on meeting stakeholders, understanding the problem, and receiving feedback on our project design.
Proposed Implementation
One of Neocycle’s strengths comes from its goal to ensure our system is as easily implementable into industry as possible. Proposed implementation outlines the methodology behind implementing Neocycle in the current e-waste recycling pipeline.
GOLD MEDAL CRITERIA
Integrated Human Practices
While conducting human practices, we wanted to ensure that we really took to heart what our HP contacts were telling us. This resulted in our integrated human practices, where continuous discussion throughout several iterations of our project design and test cycle allowed us to implement words of cautions and wisdom into our project.
Project modelling
As time goes on, computational work is becoming more integrated into every aspect of science. So what better way to help inform our project design and future directions than through modelling? From our bioreactor and adsorber column to our genetic constructs, modelling helped us determine trends in the data, optimize our designs, and also decide what to do next. Learn more about our modelling here.
Partnership
From all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, iGEM Calgary has developed a partnership with another LanM-centric team, iGEM Bonn. We have had a fantastic time working with them throughout the season on key wetlab, drylab, and outreach initiatives that were instrumental to the success of our project. Feel free to read more on our partnership page here.
Education & Communication
Our education and communication initiatives this year focused on several different demographics so we could bring more awareness to REEs, e-waste, and synthetic biology as a whole.
Excellence in Another Area (Branding)
In our vision, Neocycle had a very distinct look that we wanted to share with the public. Here, we present our project branding and marketing as the candidate for excellence in another area.
Special Awards
Integrated Human Practices
From getting our hands dirty by touring e-waste recycling facilities to playing it professional during our Faculty Talk and project pitching sessions, we’ve spent a lot of time this season ensuring we talk to stakeholders, professionals, and industry contacts about Neocycle. They’ve helped inspire, ideate, and evaluate our project throughout all iterations of the engineering design cycle. Read more about how HP played an integral role in Neocycle here.
Education
Although rare earth elements are ubiquitous in everyday life, general knowledge surrounding this subject is sparse. As such, we aimed to bring attention to this topic. We produced a children’s storybook in collaboration with other iGEM teams, as well as developed a virtual escape room, with the aim of educating a younger audience about the importance of e-waste. As a secondary objective, we also introduced synthetic biology to a broader audience by hosting synthetic biology talks in collaboration with the Calgary Public Library and local high schools. Read more about our education initiatives here.
Hardware
This year, we focused on two major hardware components: a bioreactor designed for the large-scale cultivation of E. coli and an accessible luminometer for the simple usage of our compatible measurement systems. Read more about our hardware here.
Measurement
Since there are currently no measurement methods utilizing the lanthanide-binding protein, LanM, we decided to develop some of our own. Our three measurement systems, along with our supporting hardware, demonstrate a comprehensive method to measure REEs in solution. Read more about measurement here.
Modelling
Modelling played a large part in informing several aspects of our project design, such as our bioreactor, adsorber column, and fusion proteins. Read more about the thorough processes behind our modelling here.
Software
Although technology has advanced immeasurably, there are always ways to improve tools for the next generation of scientists. This year, we’ve developed two primary software tools: Birnam Wood and EF Hand Finder. Read more about them here
Supporting Entrepreneurship
We’ve talked about proposed implementation, but how about making the Neocycle project a reality? With support from contacts well-versed in entrepreneurial technology, our supporting entrepreneurship details our market analysis, value proposition, alongside many more aspects on how to effectively implement Neocycle in industry.
Sustainable Development Impact
The primary objective of our sustainability initiatives were to promote awareness about the necessity of REEs and e-waste recycling. We therefore collaborated with the University of Calgary’s Sustainability Office to launch a digital campaign on REE scarcity and e-waste recycling, as well as to orchestrate an e-waste recycling drive at our university. To hear more about how Neocycle meets several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, click here.
Special Award - Branding
When you first look at a project, the first thing you notice is its design. Whether this be an easy-to-navigate user interface, readable text, or overall aesthetics, design and branding play a large role in how we present ourselves. As such, we spent a substantial amount of effort on ensuring our branding was true to our project. This involved following a branding style guide, discussing our key values, and ideating ways to make this apparent through design. Read more about the thought process behind Neocycle’s branding here.
