Collaborations
Overview
Collaboration is the core engine that transformed POSEIDON from a concept into a multi-layered initiative spanning scientific research, public outreach, and inter-institutional dialogue. The project established connections at international, national, state, and regional levels, ensuring that both technical insight and community perspective were represented in every stage of development. These exchanges enabled data validation, mutual learning, and the creation of open-access resources for future iGEM teams and sustainability projects.
Partnerships across borders amplified innovation through shared knowledge, cultural diversity, and interdisciplinary exchange.
Improved reproducibility, expanded outreach, and refined biosafety protocols unified under a shared mission of sustainable innovation.
International Collaborations
Through iGEM’s global network, we interacted with teams working on environmental biosensing, biomaterials, and sustainability frameworks. Idea-sharing sessions and technical exchanges contributed to modeling refinements and biosafety improvements. These collaborations also allowed us to benchmark our biosorption model against established datasets and encouraged the use of standardized open documentation for reproducibility.
| Partner Team / Institution | Region | Area of Collaboration | Key Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| iGEM Team Berlin | Europe | Discussion on biosorption modeling and data normalization | Enhanced reproducibility and validation workflow |
| iGEM Team Kyoto | Asia | Exchange of peptide immobilization strategies | Refined bead coating and binding protocol |
| iGEM Team Boston | North America | Biosafety and synthetic biology outreach | Adopted shared safety matrix in documentation |
| iGEM Global Community | Global | Open-access modeling toolkit contribution | Improved visibility and citation of POSEIDON datasets |
National Collaborations
POSEIDON actively participated in All India iGEM Meet (AIIM 2025), where our team shared insights into synthetic peptide engineering for water purification and engaged in feedback sessions with other Indian teams. This meet facilitated collaborative problem-solving on topics such as data visualization, public outreach, and ethical water resource management. Beyond AIIM, informal coordination continued through shared resource files, questionnaire exchanges, and collaborative review sessions.
Enabled interaction among Indian iGEM teams through joint presentations, open Q&A, and problem-solving discussions.
Cross-team communication continues through shared drives, data exchanges, and collective participation in outreach initiatives.
State and Regional Collaborations
At the state level, POSEIDON’s field activities in Odisha—spanning sample collection, village surveys, and outreach events—were supported by institutional clubs, NGOs, and district-level facilitators. Regional collaboration within IISER Berhampur unified diverse expertise across disciplines: Biological Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. This internal synergy ensured seamless integration between laboratory modeling, chemical analysis, and community interface.
| Collaborating Unit | Function | Activities | Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|
| IISER Departments | Scientific integration | Interdisciplinary experiments; data analysis | Validated adsorption models and spectra |
| Local NGOs | Community liaison | Facilitating surveys and outreach workshops | Improved participation and local awareness |
| District Health Office | Field permissions | Sampling approvals and safety clearances | Authorized pilot zones |
| Science & Drama Clubs | Creative engagement | Public demonstrations and interactive sessions | Increased awareness through art-science integration |
Institutional Collaborations
Collaborations within IISER Berhampur and its student-led organizations ensured that scientific efforts were complemented by communication, theatre, and educational outreach. Key events such as STREAM 2025 and the Independence Day awareness campaign involved collective coordination across drama, art, and science clubs to connect complex environmental ideas with the public in relatable, creative ways. These interdisciplinary engagements enhanced the social translation of synthetic biology.
- Department of Biological Sciences – genetic modeling, peptide immobilization, and kinetics.
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences – contamination mapping and sampling site selection.
- Department of Chemical Sciences – metal interaction analysis and chelation optimization.
- Department of Physical Sciences – data modeling and filter performance simulations.
- Clubs and Student Bodies – outreach logistics, poster presentations, and content creation.
Contribution to Open Databases
All our adsorption kinetics data, diffusion models, and safety forms are maintained in an open-access repository accessible through iGEM documentation channels. By contributing datasets and model templates, we aim to create a collaborative continuum, enabling future teams to adapt and extend our framework.
POSEIDON contributes code, datasets, and documentation to community repositories for reuse and adaptation.
Encourages transparency, interdisciplinary collaboration, and sustainable technology transfer to future teams and institutions.
Looking Ahead
Going forward, POSEIDON seeks to expand this collaborative framework through joint pilot studies, biosorption material exchanges, and shared educational initiatives. By linking international research excellence with localized deployment, these collaborations ensure that the project’s impact extends far beyond the laboratory—toward a collective goal of accessible, sustainable, and scientific water security.