Guelph iGEM

Human Practices

Problem Summary

Lead (Pb) contamination in drinking water remains a serious and persistent environmental and public health concern. As a potent neurotoxin with no safe threshold for exposure, lead continues to enter freshwater systems through industrial effluents, mining runoff, and outdated infrastructure, such as aging lead service lines found throughout many Canadian municipalities1,2. Seasonal variations, corrosion, and treatment practices can further accelerate lead leaching into water supplies, heightening risks for affected communities. 
How does lead poison water?

How does lead poison water?

One of the most prevalent pathways for lead contamination in drinking water is through aging infrastructure, particularly lead service lines, household plumbing, faucets, and fixtures manufactured with lead-containing alloys3. When water encounters these materials, lead can leach into the supply through a process known as corrosion. Corrosion is a chemical reaction in which the protective layers of metal gradually dissolve or wear away, releasing lead particles or ions into the water.

The severity of this process is strongly influenced by the chemistry of the water itself. High acidity (low pH), low alkalinity, or limited mineral content all increase the solubility of lead, thereby accelerating corrosion4. Conversely, higher levels of certain dissolved minerals can contribute to the formation of protective scales or coating along pipe interiors, reducing the rate of lead leaching5.

The concentration of lead detected in tap water is dependent on several interrelated factors: the acidity and alkalinity of the water, the specific mineral composition, the length of time water remains in contact with lead-bearing surfaces, the temperature and flow conditions of the system, the extent of physical wear or degradation of the pipes, and whether protective coatings, scales, or corrosion inhibitors are present6. These dynamics mean that lead levels can vary substantially between not only water systems, but also from household to household within the same community.

How much does this problem cost?

Lead contamination imposes massive economic and social costs. On the health side, long-term exposure increases rates of cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction and neurodevelopmental impairments, leading to higher healthcare expenditures at both community and national levels. Economically, families bear the costs of non-covered medical treatments and special education programs7. Municipalities face multibillion-dollar bills for infrastructure upgrades and compliance monitoring. In 2019 the global cost of lead exposure was US $6.0 trillion, which was equivalent to 7% of the global gross domestic product7. 77% of which was the welfare cost of cardiovascular disease mortality7.

Who’s affected and how?

Children: Children are the most vulnerable due to their brain development and higher lead absorption capacity.

Indigenous and rural communities: These communities face disproportionate burdens due to systemic underfunding and poor infrastructure.

Urban populations: Aging service lines in major cities like Toronto and Hamilton continue to leach lead, exposing families across various income levels to the heavy metal.

Low-middle income nations: As these are often areas where labour and natural resources are exploited, informal battery recycling and unregulated industries leave these large regions at risk.

The impact of lead is seen all around, highly prevalent in areas with poor infrastructure and less affluency, but also in trace amounts in high socio-economic regions. Since there are no safe levels of lead, equitable access to the eradication of lead contamination is a global public health emergency. UNICEF estimates nearly 1 in 3 children worldwide have blood lead levels high enough to impair brain development. Exposure links directly to reduced IQ, shortened lifespans, and elevated risks of mental health disorders. Countries with fewer resources for monitoring and mitigation face compounding cycles of poverty, reinforcing the need for scalable and affordable interventions like seQUESTer.

Lead exposure in early life undermines the social mobility of marginalized groups. Even at levels currently considered safe by the CDC, it diminishes academic achievement, lowering scores in reading, mathematics, cognitive, and psychomotor outcomes8. These impairments span all grade levels and persist into adulthood, restricting opportunities for higher education and skilled employment8. Beyond academics, the neurotoxic effects of lead exposure disrupt executive functioning and self-control, limiting social and economic participation9. Studies consistently show a link between childhood or prenatal lead exposure and delinquent, criminal and antisocial behaviour later in life9. This impairment to cognitive and behavioural development further narrows pathways out of poverty.

The economic consequences of lead exposure are staggering, with global cost estimated at $6 trillion USD in 2019 alone, largely from lost lifetime productivity10. This burden is not distributed equally. For children in low- and middle-income countries, IQ reduction from early lead exposure leads to nearly a 12% drop in lifetime income10. These losses perpetuate cycles of poverty; families of lower socio-economic status face diminished opportunities for intergenerational mobility, locking entire communities in structural inequity10.

Communities of colour and Indigenous peoples are also disproportionately exposed, reflecting ingrained patterns of environmental racism11. For example, First Nations peoples in Ontario experience 1.7 times greater dietary lead exposure than the Canadian average, a disparity rooted in unsafe hunting materials, mining contamination, and inadequate infrastructure11. The effects of lead exposure cause poorer health, behavioural and cognitive impairment, and reduced income potential, which reinforce inequality in our social structures.

Community Global and Future Impact

Our approach is designed with equity at its core. By targeting the needs of schools, municipalities, and Indigenous communities in Ontario, seQUESTer’s development offers a scalable solution that can be expanded globally. On a societal level, tackling lead contamination in water reduces healthcare costs, enhances educational outcomes, and improves long-term economic prospects. On an environmental level, it provides a sustainable means of removing THMs without generating secondary pollutants. Globally, it represents a shift towards synthetic biology-driven water security, with potential applications in diverse regions facing similar threats.  

Our Solution

To address this challenge, the iGEM Guelph 2025 team has developed seQUESTer, a bioengineered filtration platform that merges synthetic biology with environmental engineering. The system employs a riboswitch-based genetic circuit in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to detect and remove lead from contaminated water. Engineered yeast cells are integrated within a porous agarose-zeolite scaffold that functions as a living filter—capable of both sensing lead ions and immobilizing them through metal-binding and sequestration pathways.

Unlike conventional filtration systems, seQUESTer emphasizes accessibility, affordability, and sustainability. The biofilter can be produced using low-cost materials and simple laboratory techniques, making it adaptable to community-scale use in schools, municipal systems, or Indigenous communities where infrastructure replacement may be unfeasible. The device design is modular, allowing scalability for varying contamination levels and deployment environments.

Preliminary Market Analysis

Market Analysis

Unlike conventional systems that only treat lead contamination passively, seQUESTer integrates detection and continuous remediation, offering a scalable, eco-friendly alternative. Read our preliminary market analysis below.



Competitive Landscape
Existing technologies for heavy metal removal include precipitation, adsorption (carbon, zeolites, biochar), ion exchange, and reverse osmosis. While effective, they often generate waste, consume significant energy or require costly infrastructure. Competitors such as CB Tech (residential block filters), Veolia (MetClear), and Ecolab (NALMET) dominate the market but rely on conventional chemistry and mechanics. SeQUESTer's differentiator lies in its biological memory switch, enabling persistent, low-energy remediation.

References

  1. Soares, E. V., & Soares, H. M. V. M. (2012). Bioremediation of industrial effluents containing heavy metals using brewing cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae: A review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 19(4), 1066–1083. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-011-0671-5
  2. McDonald, J. A. (2022). Seasonal lead release into drinking water and the effect of aluminum. ACS ES&T Water, 2(5), 710–720.
  3. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (n.d.). Basic information about lead in drinking water. https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/basic-information-about-lead-drinking-water
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2025, Aug 20). About lead in drinking water. https://www.cdc.gov/lead-prevention/prevention/drinking-water.html
  5. United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2016). Optimal corrosion control treatment evaluation: Technical recommendations for primacy agencies and public water systems. EPA 816-B-16-003. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-03/documents/occtmarch2016.pdf
  6. Xie, Y., & Giammar, D. E. (2011). Effects of flow and water chemistry on lead release rates from pipe scales. Water Research, 45(19), 6525–6534. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004313541100580X
  7. Larsen, B., & Sánchez-Triana, E. (2023). Global health burden and cost of lead exposure in children and adults: A health impact and economic modelling analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(10), e831–e840. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37714172/
  8. Wehby, G. L. (2025). Early-life low lead levels and academic achievement in childhood and adolescence. JAMA Network Open, 8(5), e2512796. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2834519
  9. Talayero, M. J., Robbins, C. R., Smith, E. R., & Santos-Burgoa, C. (2023). The association between lead exposure and crime: A systematic review. PLOS Global Public Health, 3(8), e0002177. https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0002177
  10. Larsen, B., & Sánchez-Triana, E. (2023). Global health burden and cost of lead exposure in children and adults: A health impact and economic modelling analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 7(10), e831–e840. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(23)00166-3/fulltext
  11. Juric, A. K., Batal, M., David, W., Sharp, D., Schwartz, H., Ing, A., Fediuk, K., Black, A., Tikhonov, C., Chan, H. M., & Chan, L. (2018). Risk assessment of dietary lead exposure among First Nations people living on-reserve in Ontario, Canada using a total diet study and a probabilistic approach. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 344, 55–63. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389417307252

Human Practices Loop

Design

This segment contains the initial outreach campaign that shaped the core design of seQUESTer.

Hannah Lye

 A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography:

Hannah is an MSc student currently pursuing her Master's in Molecular and Cellular Biology in Dr. Yang Xu's lab at the University of Guelph. She completed her Bachelor's in Synthetic Biology at Western University and was the Gold Medal Recipient.

Why did we contact Hannah?

In the early stages of the wet lab's project, one of the first problems to tackle was the cloning strategies that would be used for our yeast.

What did we implement?

Hannah pointed out that the most effective way to perform efficient cloning on a larger scale was using the MoClo modular cloning toolkit, which she had prior experience with in the lab. This became the standard cloning method for our lab and streamlined this project going forward.

Dr. George van der Merwe

 A person with glasses

Biography:

Dr. van der Merwe is an associate professor at the University of Guelph. After achieving his B.Sc at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, he completed his Ph.D. at University of Tennessee, Brock University, and the University of British Columbia. Dr. van der Merwe now teaches courses in microbiology, biotechnology, and biodiversity, in addition to leading undergraduate research projects in molecular and cellular biology. Currently, his studies focus on the molecular responses of yeast to its environment, including the commercial fermentation processes required for alcohol production.

Why did we contact Dr. van der Merwe?

Having years of experience working with Saccharomyces yeasts, we contacted Dr. van der Merwe to inquire about which strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to use. We also consulted him on several existing protocols and the key differences in diploid and haploid yeast strains that could affect protein expression in the S. cerevisiae. Many of his suggestions pointed out key elements that had been overlooked and were promptly integrated into our protocols.

What did we implement?

Our takeaways from this meeting were overwhelmingly positive. Dr. van der Merwe's suggestions were critical to this project and included:

  • Not using a promoter for each sequestration gene because these genes should only be activated by the lead-activated riboswitch and not independently. He advised either using only one gene for lead sequestration or making a functional pseudo-operon for eukaryotes.
  • Previously, we had intended to test the yeast model's integrase "flip" mechanism via flanking attachment sites using the LacZ gene in X-gal media, in which a colour change would indicate correct insertion of the genes. Dr. van der Merwe noted that the media ONPG would yield better results.
  • In our Golden Gate Assembly for creating this flipping/inversion mechanism, Dr. van der Merwe suggested testing the efficacy of our Bsal restriction enzyme that will be used for to ensure it would not cause issues in the assembly of our genetic circuit.
  • In case of the bacterial plasmid transformations favoring the wrong DNA constructs, he suggested also using the Bsal restriction enzyme to digest any excess/unwanted vectors.
  • An altered protocol to visualize the breakdown of lactose in the lab to indicate proper insertion of the LacZ gene into our yeast model.
  • Dr. van der Merwe also suggested several other small adjustments to the project to improve efficiency in both time and spending. His suggestions were implemented into our protocols and helped us to move forward with confidence in our procedures and reinvented project design and scope.

Dr. Stephanie Willerth

 A person wearing a green shirt

Biography:

Dr. Willerth is the Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Victoria where she is also a full-time professor. Dr. Willerth is also the founder of the start-up company, Axolotl Biosciences, that develops and sells bioinks for bioprinting. Dr. Willerth achieved two SBs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a MS and PhD at Washington University, P. Eng, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Engineers.

Why did we contact Dr. Willerth?

We had developed the initial biological scaffold proposal, and we needed feedback and recommendations on a production method that would be affordably produceable, scalable, and to maximize adherence and efficiency.

What did we implement?

From our discussions with Dr. Willerth we received guidance on the following:

  • Through her guidance, we were able to weigh the pros and cons for the three considered methods to increase the surface area of our scaffold. From her guidance we were able to further decide to move forward with freeze casting.
  • Discussed and adjusted protocols to integrate growth media into the scaffold.
  • Briefly discussed physical containment to include a small enough bacterial filter and dialysis tubing.
  • Confirmed that we don’t need oxygen generation capability as long as there are no dead spots in water flow.

Dr. Kolja Kypke

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography:

Dr. Kolja Kypke is a post-doctoral fellow and sessional lecturer in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics at the University of Guelph. His research centers on the mathematical analysis of tipping points in climate systems, using techniques from dynamical systems and bifurcation theory to understand when small parameter changes can trigger large qualitative shifts.

Why did we contact Dr. Kolja Kypke?

Our yeast bioscaffold model is a nonlinear ODE system with potential switch-like behaviour (lead sensing, gene activation, and sequestration dynamics). Dr. Kupke’s expertise in detecting and analyzing critical transitions in complex dynamical systems made him an ideal reviewer. We hoped his perspective would;

  • Verify the correctness and clarity of our equation set and assumptions
  • Suggest stability – and bifurcation-based diagnostics to test model-robustness
  • Offer pedagogical advice so non-mathematician teammates could follow the mathematics

What did we learn?

  • Confirmed the model structure captured the essential biochemical interactions
  • Flagged parameter groupings that govern steady-state existence and stability
  • Recommended adding a concise nondimensionalization to expose key control parameters
  • Suggested plotting nullclines and a simple one-parameter bifurcation diagram to visualize possible “tipping” behaviour in lead concentration
  • Noted places where verbal explanations or biological context would help interdisciplinary readers

What did we implement?

We acted on his advice by:

  1. Re-writing the model derivation section to include nondimensional variables and clearly state assumptions (e.g., quasi-steady mRNA).
  2. Adding a local stability table (eigenvalue signs vs. parameter ranges) that highlights critical thresholds.
  3. Revising figure captions and glossary entries so wet-lab teammates and external judges can follow the math.
Main takeaways:
  • Precise wording and consistent notation prevent misinterpretation
  • Identifying control parameters helped us frame sensitivity analyses and safety constraints
  • Small visual aids (nullclines, phase portraits) dramatically improve cross0disciplinary communication
  • Future iterations should keep parameter values transparent and traceable to biological literature or experiments
Dr. Kypke’s feedback not only validated our approach but also pushed us to embed dynamical-systems insight directly into the design cycle, strengthening the model and its presentation.

Project Safety

One of the largest safety concerns associated with this project is the handling of powdered lead nitrate to create media for the testing of phases two and three. There were various precautions and measures taken to ensure the safety of lab members and the environment, aside from the typical lab safety standards of wearing proper protective equipment (as outlined by the lead nitrate SDS). One of such measures was buying the lead nitrate in aqueous solution; this not only minimized the risk of inhalation but also reduced dust formation and facilitated safer handling and measurement.

Additionally, we contacted the Environmental Health and Safety department at the University of Guelph to better understand the proper disposal methods for all containers, media, and equipment that came into contact with lead nitrate. Lastly, to minimize potential misuse and handling of this substance, we greatly reduced the number of members who were responsible for handling the lead nitrate directly, limiting it to only directors and some team leads. In the cases where we would be unable to use lead nitrate, the project was planned to stay feasible and for testing to continue to take place. This involves using less toxic and non-toxic metals such as zinc and calcium as viable substitutes for Pb2+ as model ions to evaluate metal-binding, uptake, and sequestration mechanisms without the associated health and environmental risks of heavy metals.

Another large area of attention for our team is containment. Not only is it critical that our engineered yeast stays in the system for effective filtration, but also to avoid an engineered organism escaping containment. Initially, the team intended on integrating an antibody system to have the yeast stick to our biological scaffold, we then explored engineering the yeast to be an auxotroph, however, upon further research and discussion with Dr. van der Merwe, we selected the S. cerevisiae strain BY4741 that is auxotrophic for uracil. This means that it requires a highly specific nutrient profile and minimizes any chances of survivability beyond its scaffold.

Dr. Christian Bellehumeur and Jennifer Mihowich

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography:

Dr. Christian Bellehumeur achieved his BSc in biochemistry and MS in cellular and molecular biology at Université de Sherbrooke. He later achieved his Ph.D. at Université Laval and Postdoc and M.B.A. at Université de Montréal. Currently, Dr. Bellehumeur works as a biosafety and biocontainment scientific evaluator at the Public Health Agency of Canada.

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography:

Jennifer achieved her BSc at Carleton University in biochemistry and molecular biology. She is currently a biosafety risk analyst at the Public Health Agency of Canada. Jennifer also serves on iGEM’s Safety and Security Commitee.

Why did we contact them?

We wanted to review our safety form responses with both and see if there are additional considerations that may pose a risk to consumers or our dedicated lab members working on its development. Since both have different backgrounds and perspectives in the same field, we were looking forward to the diversity of response.

What did we implement?

  • Jennifer highlighted that although S. Cerevisiae has been moved to the iGEM White List, it can still produce spores under some conditions and that mitigation measures should be put in place. This prompted talks of future hardware projects to create a system adjacent sensor to monitor sporulation conditions
  • Christian stated that although S. Cerevisiae is only a risk group 1 (RG1) human pathogen, an accidentally released or improper disposal would be of concern due to the fact it is an engineered organism and that it would carry lead
  • Both prompted the question, “Could the use of chemicals like bleach or other reagents pose a risk with the lead solution?”. We took this angle very seriously and began researching and redeveloping our testing plan
  • Christian noted that autoclaving with the lead solution can make toxic steam
  • When asked if our machine learning features or modelling would have any dual use concerns, they suggested minimal to no risk
  • Christian brought up Canada's New Substances program that is a joint responsibility between Environment Canda and Health Canada. He suggested conducting further research into the program for a regulatory perspective into commercialization. He suggests that if we can prove full containment, data requirements would likely be waived. He also said we would not only have to detail how our organism has been modified, but to also show its stability and interactions with other microorganisms (i.e. Will it transfer genes?)

Dr. Guneet Kaur

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography

Dr. Guneet Kaur is an Assistant Professor in Biological Engineering at the College of Engineering, University of Guelph. She received her PhD in Biochemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi and did her postdoctoral research at the University of Westminster (London, UK) and City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong). She is currently the director of the Canada India Research Centre for Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), a university wide research centre at the University of Guelph.

Why did we contact Dr. Kaur?

The engineering team contacted Dr. Kaur because she researches microbial biosystems and has experience working with microorganisms such as yeast, fungi, and bacteria. The team was having issues having the yeast stay on the filter medium and was instead being washed away and turned to her for advice.

What did we implement?

The team learned that it was vital to inoculate the filter medium with a larger yeast inoculum and potentially to incubate the inoculated filter medium for longer, because these steps may encourage the formation of yeast biofilm on the surface. Additionally, the team was told to investigate any trace elements which when added could encourage the formation of biofilm. Dr. Kaur also advised the team on how to measure yeast viability on the filter medium. She suggested several potential methods such as extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) measurements, APB assay, and CellTiter-Glo assay. However, she also confirmed that plating a sample of the filter media would likely be the easiest method, which is the method that the team decided to use.
Dr Kaur’s input reinforced some of the team’s theories and ideas, and she helped point the team towards encouraging the yeast to form a biofilm. Her advice influences the Engineering Team to focus more on the formation of biofilm by inoculating with a larger quantity as well as by adding trace elements. The team applied this feedback by testing multiple volumes of inoculum as well as the addition of zeolite which has the potential to encourage yeast biofilm formation. Through this meeting, the questions of how to improve yeast adhesion and how to measure yeast viability were answered.

Project Implementation

In our investigation to find what types of treatment centres might be most receptive to this project, we contacted two engineers involved in crucially relevant areas. These contacts were Chris Boys, a geological engineer in the oil and gas industry at Burnaby refinery, and Everett Horner, a water processing engineer at Associated Engineering.

Chris Boys

A photo of Chris Boys

Biography

 Chris Boys is a professional geoscientist with more than three decades of experience in environmental consulting and energy. After eleven years in consulting, he joined Chevron in 2002, where he worked until 2017. He has been with Parkland Corporation since 2017 and currently serves as Senior Environmental Specialist – Land & Asset Retirement Obligations (ARO) at the Burnaby refinery with a focus on bioremediation systems. Chris also holds an MS in geology from the University of Saskatchewan.

Why did we contact Chris?

We contacted Chis because of his extensive industry experience with bioremediation. We wanted to understand the technical requirements for an industrial bioremediation system and how this might impact the design of our hardware as we consider real world applications. We also wanted to know more about refineries, and if they have concerns with THMs that could be addressed by our project.

What did we learn?

Chris works for the Burnaby refinery, which has a significant soil remediation program involving bioremediation. We learned that In the oil and gas sector, soil and groundwater remediation is typically built around passive treatment systems. One of the systems is the Foreshore Passive Treatment System (FPTS), which primarily targets hydrocarbons. This system includes oleophilic clay (to sorb hydrocarbons) and activated carbon, with indigenous bacteria aiding biodegradation.

Another remediation system at the Bernaby refinery is an active treatment system called the Perimeter Extraction System (PES). This does not rely on microbes, instead, using strategic pumping to manipulate groundwater and lower the water table, capture the contaminated plume, and route water to a treatment plant. Applying equipotential line mapping and hydrogeology confirms the capture zone, so all impacted groundwater is intercepted and directed through the system.

Another remediation system at the Bernaby refinery is an active treatment system called the Perimeter Extraction System (PES). This does not rely on microbes, instead, using strategic pumping to manipulate groundwater and lower the water table, capture the contaminated plume, and route water to a treatment plant. Applying equipotential line mapping and hydrogeology confirms the capture zone, so all impacted groundwater is intercepted and directed through the system.

Everett Horner

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography

 Everett is a water process engineer-in-training with a civil and environmental engineering background. He is involved in a range of community service initiatives and has a background with the non-profit organization Water First. Water First is a Canadian non-profit dedicated to working with indigenous communities and youth, focusing on education surrounding clean drinking water and the challenges that indigenous communities without access to clean water may face.

Why did we contact Everett?

Everett’s background in combining water process engineering in combination with his work with Water First stood out to us as someone who can provide a unique perspective on the issue and on the water treatment centers that would be best suited for our filter.

What did we learn?

When asked if he had any concerns regarding the efficacy of implementing this filter or the barriers we might face, Everett brought up a few major points to consider. His first concern was about yeast survivability beyond the filter and if it might use alternative carbon sources. This was something we considered early in the project initiative, and it was Dr. van der Merwe’s solution to use an auxotrophic strain of yeast that would not survive outside its designated scaffold. Everett was also skeptical of the scalability of the filter design and throughput and suggested smaller-scale pilot studies on the efficacy of the filter in various conditions.

When asked if he thinks it is realistic to implement this filter into existing wastewater treatment centers, he said that it is a realistic option (given that our aim to keep the filters cheap and accessible is maintained). The largest obstacle here would be that, although smaller treatment facilities are better suited to implementing this filter, many operators of smaller facilities may not have the required training for implementation and disposal. This has directed our focus towards ensuring easy installation of these filters, and towards exploring safe methods of disposal for these filters (to contain both the spent yeast and its sequestered lead). Our goal is to incentivize consumers to return these spent filters to us at iGEM Guelph so that we can tightly regulate and streamline the disposal process.

Between both contacts, Everett and Chris helped us to identify that small wastewater treatment centers may benefit the most from the SeQUESTer filter. It has directed us to keep costs low and focus on studying the water capacities these filters are equipped to handle, while complying with municipal by-laws and remaining in contact with these facilities so that we can reclaim spent filters and minimize the associated risks of concentrated lead. They have provided us with a clear path to ensuring our project is as safe and accommodating as possible.

Human Practices in Education

Although education outreach is not considered human practices, it is valuable to iGEM Guelph that the education outreach that is done caters to the needs of the diverse communities we aim to serve. Alongside consulting regulations and provincial ministry standards, we reached out to two community educators to gain their perspectives on how we should design our initiatives.

Sonia Tarzi

A person wearing a graduation gown

Biography

 Sonia Tarzi has been an educator for 25 years. As a lower-elementary Montessori head teacher, her teaching approach is child-centered to foster independence and discipline for students to carry out hands-on learning. Sonia achieved her BA at the Allameh Tabataba’i University in language and literature and Montessori teaching certification at Association Montessori Internationale.

Why did we contact Sonia?

We wanted to hear the perspective of an educator working with early childhood as our age group primarily being in our early 20’s being so far removed to what children need. By gaining her perspective on what is commonly lacking in lesson planning for young children, we are able to make more robust materials for our education outreach, making a greater impact on our community.

What did we learn?

  • The best way to prepare students for a future of learning is to engage their ability to make connection between concepts. When students connect concepts within a discipline and engage skillsets of different subjects as well, they train their brain to be well rounded individuals with augmented problem-solving skills.
  • Young age groups are not conventionally testable, “nor should they be!” she adds. Age-appropriate application activities can solidify concepts and also inadvertently test students' connection making skills. This shifted our approach of having a fun themed activity at the end of a lesson and to actively engage information recall into different medium forms such as art, music, and movement.
  • We learned to make the activities in the Treasure Box Initiative linked to one another in varying difficulties. Her advice was directly useful for life science units such as ecology where the concept of “cause-and-effect" is important to connect to current events such as deforestation, rising sea levels, and global warming.

Anonymous Teacher at the Toronto District School Board

Why did we contact them?
We know what content to cover but our team needed to understand the needs of the average Ontarian classroom to better design realistic resources that can be used by educators.

What did we learn?
  • There appears to be what they called, “a COVID lag”. Because of the lockdowns, students are missing foundational skills in all subjects. This prompted our team to ensure all concepts are defined and broken down to varying levels on paper to quickly adjust lessons when students are seen to have difficulty with grade-level explanations.
  • This educator also detailed a clear decline in fine motor skills found in children. This inspired us to create activities that mimic the lab in various age groups. This subtly pushes play to develop fine motor skill as not all students have had the opportunity to build on this skill in younger ages.
  • Schools in Ontario have been facing stringent budget cuts. The educator expressed to have experienced them firsthand through overcrowded classrooms, lack of external resources, inability to do as many affordable field trips as before or hire guest educators in classrooms. We later confirmed this fact to find that since 2018, yearly per-student funding has dropped by $1, 500 when accounting for inflation. Our outreach really derived meaning from this fact as we were providing a free service by sending volunteers out to support classrooms and provide a new light to their education. It also meant that if our resources such as Treasure Boxes could not be hand delivered, they can be affordably reproduced by teachers by printouts and dollar store materials.