Aiming to eradicate poverty by 2030 and protect our Mother Earth, the United Nations outlined an ambitious blueprint with 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These 17 goals are interrelated and constitute a complex framework of action, guiding the direction of the joint efforts of governments, enterprises, social organizations and citizens.
In the face of this broad global agenda, our team recognizes that effective action needs to focus on the areas that best align with our capabilities and mission. Therefore, we have selected seven core goals (Goals 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15) as the focus of our strategy and actions. This choice is not to ignore the importance of other goals, but to translate big ideas into pragmatic actions, focus resources to find replicable, measurable solutions in areas where we excel, and ensure that actions have tangible results.
Goal 4: Quality Education
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 is "Quality Education", which aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. At its core, it aims to eliminate educational inequalities and provide access to quality education and skills development opportunities for all, especially girls and vulnerable groups, to foster global citizenship and promote sustainable development.
Education is an important tool to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty, reduce inequality, and promote peace and sustainable development. Investing in education is investing in the common future of mankind. But the number of out-of-school children is huge all over the world. In Nigeria, the number of out-of-school children has increased from 8.7 million in 2014 to 16 million in 2019 (Ndanusa, M. M.-N., Abayomi, Q. K. & Harada, Y., 2021); In Thailand, the number of out-of-school children and adolescents is approximately 1.7 million (Vayachuta, P., Ratana-Ubol, A. & Soopanyo, W., 2016). The quality of education is uneven, the learning effect is poor, and the infrastructure of some schools is backward or insufficient. (Frączek, B., 2024). The education of ethnic minority students also faces problems, such as backward school hardware facilities, lack of high-quality teachers, and inadequate bilingual education systems hinder learning for ethnic minority students. Many ethnic minority students face language barriers in their education, which directly affects their learning effectiveness and academic performance (Roscigno, V. J., Vélez, M. B. & Ainsworth-Darnell, J. W., 2001). In the future, the digital divide may also become a major factor affecting the popularity, universality and balance of education.
Solution:
Before designing educational activities, BUCT-China actively collaborates and discusses with influential figures in the education sector to obtain more advice and inspiration. We interviewed Shi Chunhong, a project expert of the Achievement Promotion Department of the Chinese Education Society, deputy director of the Jiangsu Institute of Cross-border Learning, an outstanding educator in Jiangsu Province, and an advanced individual in teaching and scientific research in Jiangsu Province, to discuss how to help students understand cutting-edge environmental protection technology through daily life language and teaching experience. The interviews cover the teaching design of scientific concepts, classroom activity practice, interdisciplinary integration and the demand for educational resources, aiming to promote the innovation and popularization of environmental science and technology education. Ms. Shi said that BUCT-China's process of "turning waste into treasure" through classroom science popularization "is very much in line with students' cognitive laws from concrete to abstract, reducing the difficulty of understanding abstract concepts", and promoting the upgrading and progress of the education system. According to the opinions of experts, BUCT-China has carried out a series of activities to promote high-quality education in economically and educationally backward areas. For instance, BUCT-China conducted a biology knowledge outreach program at Huanglaomen Middle School in Jiangxi Province, targeting students in remote mountainous areas. Similarly, in collaboration with St. Lawrence University in Uganda, the team delivered interactive synthetic biology workshops to multi-age classrooms, sparking students' interest in cutting-edge science.
In an effort to mobilize broader social forces to focus on science education in ethnic minority communities and to promote educational equity and scientific popularization, BUCT-China reached out to students at Beijing Xizang Middle School and the Nationalities Middle School in Yuanjiang County, Yunnan. Through lectures, the team popularized knowledge of synthetic biology, vividly illustrating the use of biotechnology in converting plastic and kitchen waste into luminescent supramolecular fluorescent materials, a demonstration of its cutting-edge practical applications. During the lecture, the team members paid special attention to the popularity and interactivity of the language, combined with life examples and visual displays, to lower the threshold of understanding and stimulate the interest of ethnic minority students in biology. At the same time, we have printed publicity materials in minority languages to alleviate the problems caused by language barriers. It reflects the responsibility of high BUCT-China for social responsibility and promotes the tilt of educational resources to ethnic minority areas.
Details of the event can be found in detail Education page: Education | BUCT-China - iGEM 2025
Goal 5: Gender Equality
SDG 5 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is "gender equality", which aims to eliminate all forms of gender discrimination and ensure that women and girls enjoy equal rights and opportunities in various fields such as education, healthcare, economics and politics.
At present, gender equality faces many serious problems in scientific research and other fields, such as low recognition of women's scientific research, hindered career promotion, and double constraints brought about by fertility and social concepts. In the current process of pursuing gender equality in society, there are still many problems in the field of scientific research that hinder the realization of gender equality, and female researchers are in multiple difficulties. The long-standing traditional gender concept of society is deeply rooted, believing that men are better at rational thinking and scientific research, and this stereotype has led to prejudice in the development of women in the field of scientific research from the beginning. There is also implicit inequality in resource allocation, with men often having easier access to high-quality research resources, mentorship, and important research project opportunities. For female researchers, their dilemma is more specific and severe. In the application of project funding and job promotion, women face greater competitive pressure and more obstacles, and the proportion of women in high-level scientific research positions is much lower than that of men. Childbirth and family responsibilities have become insurmountable hurdles for female researchers. Society's expectations of women's family roles often require them to take on more childcare and housework responsibilities after giving birth, which seriously distracts their scientific research energy and leads to a lag in scientific research progress. In addition, female researchers often suffer from gender bias and discrimination, and their views and contributions may be underestimated or ignored in academic exchanges, teamwork and other scenarios.
Solution:
To address gender disparities in scientific research, BUCT-China produced a video titled The Elusive Pinnacle: Where Are All the Women Scientists? Using data from Nature, it highlights how female scientists, despite their significant contributions, receive less recognition than their male counterparts in areas like article authorship and patent acquisition. The video examines barriers such as childbirth, societal expectations, and biased resource allocation, using thought-provoking questions to challenge stereotypes. It concludes by showcasing inspiring contributions from women in science to reshape perceptions and inspire change. By shedding light on the gap between policy and practice, the video aims to raise societal awareness and promote gender equality in scientific research.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 11 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is "sustainable cities and communities", which aims to build inclusive, safe and resilient cities, ensure adequate housing and basic services for all, and improve the living conditions of slum dwellers. Plastic and food waste harm the sustainable development of cities and communities. Due to their indegradable nature, plastic waste can exist in the environment for hundreds of years, causing lasting damage to soil, water sources and ecosystems. If kitchen waste is not properly disposed of, it will not only produce foul-smelling gases and breed a large number of germs, but also pollute soil and water sources, seriously threatening the health and living environment of residents. According to the World Cities Report 2024 released by UN-Habitat, the global urban population continues to grow, with 68% of the world's population expected to live in cities by 2050 (UN-Habitat, 2024). The expansion of urban scale and population growth have directly led to a sharp increase in the amount of municipal waste generated. Among them, the disposal of plastic waste and kitchen waste is particularly difficult, posing a huge threat to the sustainable development of cities and communities.
Solution:
Guided by UN SDG 11's commitment to inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and communities, we are taking a multi-pronged approach:
1. Project Contributions
Under the theme of the times of building sustainable cities and communities, the BUCT-China team's Bright Waste project is of great significance. The project uses synthetic biology to cleverly realize the "turning waste into treasure". On the one hand, PETase enzyme is used to degrade a large amount of plastic (PET) produced in the city into terephthalic acid (TPA), which effectively alleviates the pressure of plastic waste accumulation on the urban environment. On the other hand, the starch in community food residues was converted into β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) by cGTase enzyme, which avoided resource waste and environmental pollution caused by improper disposal of food residues. The supramolecular compound PPA-CD formed by self-assembly of the two has long afterglow and spiritual responsiveness, and has application potential in the fields of anti-counterfeiting labels and fluorescent labels, which can further promote the upgrading of urban industries in the direction of green environmental protection. The project combines enzyme catalysis, waste conversion and functional material design to provide sustainable cities and communities with both environmental and practical value, demonstrating the innovative power of synthetic biology in promoting the sustainable development of urban communities.
2. Enzymatic Cycle: A Synthetic Biology Roadmap and Action Initiative for a Closed-Loop Economy for Plastics:
In collaboration with ZJUT-China and XJTLU-AI-China, we have published a white paper on plastic degradation technology entitled "Enzymatic Cycle: A Synthetic Biology Roadmap and Action Initiative for a Closed-Loop Economy for Plastics". The book is divided into seven chapters, from discovering the cutting-edge methods and future potential of synthetic biology in discovering and optimizing new plastic degrading enzymes, to biological sensing and monitoring of accurate sensing of plastic pollution, to the efficient decomposition of enzymes and the value reconstruction of degradation products, and then the integration of advantages and risk analysis and warnings, and finally the action initiative. This is not only a proposal, but also a roadmap for action. Draw a clear, phased, and achievable blueprint for plastic governance action. Provide direction and point the way to solving the urban plastic problem through synthetic biology.
Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 12 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is "responsible production and consumption", which aims to achieve efficient use of resources, reduce waste and pollution in production and consumption, and promote circular economy and sustainable lifestyles.
The proliferation of plastic and food waste seriously hinders the construction of responsible production and consumption patterns, leading to inefficient use of resources, environmental overload, and weakening the awareness of sustainable responsibility among consumers and producers.
From the production side, plastic products are overproduced due to low cost and high convenience, but their difficult to degrade characteristics lead to a large number of resources being solidified in waste. At the same time, if kitchen waste is directly mixed into other waste treatment systems without classification, it will not only waste the convertible resources such as starch and cellulose contained in it, but also increase the treatment cost due to its high moisture content and perishable characteristics, forcing enterprises to choose low-cost but high-pollution landfill or incineration methods, further weakening the producer's internalization of environmental costs.
From the consumer side, the proliferation of plastic waste reflects consumers' over-reliance on disposable products and the deep-rooted consumption pattern of "use and throw away". This model not only exacerbates resource consumption, but also indirectly threatens food safety and public health through microplastic pollution, soil degradation and other means. Improper disposal of kitchen waste exposes consumers' insufficient participation in source classification and waste reduction, such as the surge in food waste caused by catering waste, which not only increases the pressure on disposal, but also hides the inaccuracy of demand forecasting on the production side.
Solution:
The BrightWaste project uses synthetic biology as a breakthrough to provide a systematic solution with both environmental and economic value for global plastic and food waste management, and shows unique innovation in promoting the transformation of responsible production and consumption patterns. In response to the grim reality that more than 80% of the world's 242 million tons of plastic waste is made of PET and 49.6% of food waste starch is wasted due to improper disposal (Ma et al., 2025), the project team converted waste PET plastic into high-purity terephthalic acid (TPA) through PETase enzyme directional degradation technology, with a recovery rate of more than 85%. More groundbreakingly, the project uses supramolecular self-assembly technology to synthesize PPA-CD materials with phosphorescent properties from TPA and β-CD, which have commercial potential in fields such as anti-counterfeiting labeling, smart packaging, and carbon footprint tracking. The core value of the BrightWaste project is to prove that responsible production and consumption are not a cost burden, but can be transformed into a new growth point with both environmental benefits and economic value through synthetic biology technology innovation and system design. In addition, biological enzyme degradation technology, as the core technology of the BrightWaste project, has the unique advantage of being green and pollution-free. This technology uses the natural catalytic characteristics of biological enzymes to accurately degrade waste under mild conditions, avoiding environmental pollution problems caused by high temperature, high pressure, strong acid and alkali in traditional treatment methods, and providing strong technical support for sustainable development.
Goal 13: Climate Action
SDG 13 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is "climate action", which aims to urgently respond to climate change and its impacts, strengthen countries' resilience to climate disasters, and integrate countermeasures into national policies to build a sustainable future through emission reduction, resilience, and international cooperation.
Both plastic waste and food waste have an impact on the climate. Plastic waste releases greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane at several stages throughout its production, transportation, use, and treatment lifecycle, exacerbating climate change (Barnes, S. J., 2019). In particular, when incinerating plastic waste, a large amount of carbon dioxide is generated (Zhao, X., Yong, Y., Du, C.-S., Guo, W.-G. & Luo, D.-P., 2022). When food waste is decomposed anaerobically in landfills, it produces the greenhouse gas methane (Batool, F. et al, 2024). Today, greenhouse gas emissions are accelerating global warming, and the Arctic is facing a severe polar amplification effect, with warming rates as high as 0.75°C per 10 years (Graversen, R. & Wang, M., 2009), which is much higher than the global average. Although clean energy is gradually put into use, the energy transition is uneven, and although investment is growing, the global distribution is uneven. Taking the current situation in France as an example, in a conversation with a French university student, the BUCT-China team learned that the total annual garbage in France is about 345 million tons, mainly industrial mineral waste. About 3 million tons of household plastic waste (mainly from single-use plastic bags). The main treatment methods of these plastics are landfill, incineration for power generation, composting (methanation), and recycling. Whether incineration or composting, there is a potential for greenhouse gases to be generated, exacerbating climate degradation.
Solution:
BUCT-China starts from the source and opens up a new degradation method of PET plastic, using PETase enzyme to degrade PET into TPA, and then assemble it with cyclodextrin into phosphorescent materials, reducing plastic incineration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing plastic recycling, and contributing to climate protection.
Goal 14: Life Below Water
The core of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG14 - life below water is to maintain the health and biodiversity of marine ecosystems, while balancing the use and protection of marine resources to address threats such as pollution, overfishing and acidification, and ensure the health of marine ecology.
The ocean covers 70% of the Earth's surface and supports the livelihoods of about 3 billion people worldwide, especially coastal communities and small-scale fisheries. Currently, 1.15 million ~ 2.41 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean globally every year (Peña-Rodriguez, C. et al, 2021), and only 9% of plastic waste is effectively recycled (Osae, R. & Tashima, D., 2024). A large amount of PET plastic flows into the ocean, decomposes into microplastics in the natural environment, pollutes soil and water sources, leads to the death of a large number of seabirds and marine mammals every year, and weakens the ecological stability of the ocean. Although the current physical recycling method is low-cost, the material properties deteriorate after multiple cycles, and it can only produce low-end products (such as recycled fibers) and may release harmful substances such as acetaldehyde (Phanthong, P. & Yao, S., 2022).
Solution:
Bright Waste's solution significantly reduces the potential for contamination caused by PET plastic and kitchen waste being discharged into the water body. The conversion of starch in PET and food residues into PPA-CD, a high value-added material with optical functions, directly reduces the accumulation of plastic waste on land, thereby reducing the possibility of plastics entering the ocean through rivers, wind and other channels, alleviating the problem of marine plastic pollution, and protecting marine ecosystems. At the same time, through the resource utilization of organic waste, the pollution of soil and groundwater caused by landfill or improper disposal is reduced, and the water quality flowing into the ocean is indirectly improved. The project promotes a circular economy model, reducing the pressure of waste on the aquatic environment from the source, and reflecting the overall environmental protection idea of "from land to sea".
Goal 15: Life on Land
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG 15 – "Life on the Land", aims to "protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss".
The health of the earth is related to the Earth's support systems and the future of humanity. Plastic waste is difficult to degrade in the environment, releases toxic chemicals, contaminates soil, and can affect plants, animals, and microorganisms through the food chain (Pilapitiya, P. G. C. N. T. & Ratnayake, A. S., 2024). The physical properties of plastic waste can also hinder the growth of plant roots, affect soil water retention capacity and aeration, and threaten ecosystem biodiversity (Souza Machado, A. A. et al, 2018). Improper disposal of kitchen waste can release greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, exacerbating climate change, while the leachate produced can lead to localized soil and groundwater pollution (O'Connor, J. et al, 2022). Both will pollute the land. Today, about a quarter of the world's land is facing degradation, losing about 120,000 square kilometers of healthy land annually (Stavi, I. & Lal, R., 2015), resulting in huge economic losses. The continuous expansion of urbanization has made it one of the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, and "urban climbing" erodes ecologically fragile areas and threatens the survival of species. Land drought has led to food insecurity and population displacement, exacerbating water scarcity. Unsustainable agricultural practices (such as deforestation, excessive water use, etc.) exacerbate land degradation and occupy large amounts of land resources.
Solution:
BUCT-China's Bright Waste project uses PETase enzyme to degrade PET into TPA, and converts starch from food residues into β-CD through CGTase enzyme, which is expected to alleviate the pollution of land by two types of waste. At the same time, in order to consider SDG15 when promoting the Bright Waste project, the team interviewed Professor Chen Zhi to discuss the degradability and water solubility of PPA-CD in the natural environment. To protect land and terrestrial life is to protect the future of ourselves and future generations. Everyone has a responsibility and obligation to participate, from reducing food waste to supporting sustainable products, collectively contributing to the restoration of land, the protection of biodiversity, and the securing of a sustainable future.