Overview
Our contributions to the iGEM community were twofold. First, our work on the TPAK transporter opened up E. Coli as a chassis to be used in PET upcycling. Second, our educational curriculum introduced key synthetic biology topics with an interactive hands on activity, emphasizing applicability and flexible implementation to help the iGEM community raise awareness. Learn more about our work below.
Contribution to PET degradation and TPA use in E.coli
Our team contributed this TPA transporter in E.coli that allows terephthalic acid (TPA) to enter the cell and collected evidence of its functionality in E.coli. E.coli is not able to naturally metabolize or uptake TPA, meaning it also can’t allow TPA to enter the E.coli cell. This hinders the use of E.coli, the most commonly used bacteria in synthetic biology, in projects related to PET degradation. the tpaK gene (https://registry.igem.org/parts/bba-k4701220 ) originating from the species Rhodococcus jostii encodes for the terephthalate transporter used during uptake. This allows for the transportation of TPA into the cell, opening up E.coli to be used in other projects including similar projects in degradation in upcycling. Using HPLC, our team confirmed that E.coli cells with the transporter have decreased extracellular concentration of TPA over time compared to WT E.coli cells, meaning that they have taken TPA in.
| Year | Number of iGEM Teams with Projects Relating to Plastics Degradation Via Plastic-degrading Enzymes |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 7 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2024 | 19 |
Our work paves the way for future teams wanting to use TPA to further PET upcycling. Since the discovery of PET degrading stains, there is an increase in iGEM teams working on PET degradation projects (see table below). Our work contributes to this growing field by allowing future teams to think about using E.coli as a chassis for synbio projects breaking down PET. The upcycling of TPA also holds many opportunities: for example, a combination of the TPA transporter with TPA metabolizing enzymes allows upcycling of TPA into products such as Vanillin (Sadler and Wallace, 2021)
Contribution to Synbio Education and Awareness
We developed a modular synthetic biology curriculum centered around an agar art laboratory activity to introduce key biological concepts, such as gene regulation and protein synthesis, with an integrated focus on synthetic biology skills and knowledge. Emphasizing engaging, hands-on learning, and accessibility for students of varying backgrounds, the curriculum was designed to align with international education standards and supported by open-access resources. In creating this curriculum, our team aims to bridge gaps in existing synthetic biology educational material by combining experience, scientific inquiry, and accessibility. Furthermore, we hope to give back to the iGEM community through the curriculum’s applicability in raising awareness.
We selected an agar art laboratory activity as the introductory hands-on practical, and created the curriculum to introduce basic synthetic biology principles. In four modules, the curriculum presented basic concepts such as protein synthesis, gene regulation, transformation, and agar art, each with an example of its application in synthetic biology. To facilitate easier integration for teachers, our modules aligned with international standard biology curricula standards, such as International Baccalaureate Diploma Program and Advanced Placement.
| Module Number | Topic | International Baccalaureate Diploma Program High Level Biology (2025) | Collegeboard Advanced Placement® Biology (Fall 2025) | Cambridge IGCSE™ Biology 0610 (2025-2027) | Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology 9700 (2025-2027) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Protein Synthesis (Transcription and Translation) | Continuity & Change: • Protein synthesis • Gene expression |
6.3, 6.4 | 17.1.8 (Transcription and translation not required) | 6.2 |
| 2 | Bacterial Gene Regulation | Continuity & Change: • Gene expression |
6.5, 6.6 | N/A | 16.3 |
| 3 | Transformation and Plasmids - DNA Cloning | Continuity & Change: • Mutations and gene editing |
6.7, 6.8 | 21.1, 21.3 | 19 |
We piloted the final module, which covered aseptic technique and agar art, with high school students at our school, and utilizing pre- and post-lab surveys, found the activity both engaging and effective in reinforcing key learning outcomes. The agar art activity relied on chromoproteins, protein-coding biological parts that express visible colors. These proteins acted as reporter proteins that helped students visualize genetic expression and understand how DNA sequences translate into functional, observable traits. Building upon the work of former iGEM teams such as Uppsala 2012, we utilized a collection of chromoproteins including: Eforred, AmilGFP, Aeblue, TsPurple , AmilCP , and Cjblue.
By working directly with these chromoproteins, students can experience firsthand the technology of synthetic biology and the hands-on applications of fundamental concepts such as promoters, coding sequences, and gene regulation in a safe, interesting, and artistic way, reinforcing theoretical learning while fostering curiosity and engagement. Teaching basic lab skills and protocol facilitates future lab experience, while an emphasis on the DBTL cycle implemented within the curriculum builds a framework for future scientific inquiry. Beyond classroom learning, this curriculum also addresses a broader educational gap: the limited awareness within education of the wider synthetic biology community and the opportunities it offers. By aligning our curriculum to universal biology curricula standards (Figure 1), we ensured that it remained accessible to students taking standard biology courses, integrating synbio concepts into standard biology content without it having to be an elective course. In this way, we hope to establish a more accessible and widespread awareness of synthetic biology not as an offshoot but rather a key frontier of the field of biology.
Designed for adoption by any high school or university as an introductory module to synthetic biology, this curriculum provides an accessible entry point to the field while highlighting its vast potential and interdisciplinary nature. The activities in the handbook do not require advanced lab facilities, and the materials are easily adaptable to fit existing biology or research programs, opening its content to students no matter their background in biology. All the resources, including a comprehensive digital handbook and presentation slides corresponding to each module, are freely available online in English. So are the pre- and post-lab surveys we used to measure the success of our own workshops, allowing this curriculum to continue to improve and develop over the course of its use in different environments.
More specifically, this module may also be of significant use to other iGEM teams. Its approachable content serves as an introduction that can be used to educate a wider community about synthetic biology and iGEM, while the skills developed in the transformation and agar art activities serve as an entryway to future wet lab experience. Furthermore, the curriculum not only introduces the iGEM community but includes multiple iGEM teams as real-life examples of synthetic biology’s applications and emphasizes other teams’ roles in developing the chromaproteins used in the workshops. In doing so, we hope to not only equip students with the necessary awareness and skills but inspire a future generation of iGemmers.
Overall, in creating the Agar Art Curriculum, we seek to expand the number of students, regardless of age, status, or knowledge background, able to participate meaningfully in the global synthetic biology and iGEM movement.