Collaboration Meeting with ETH Zurich
Introduction
On August 28, 2025, Team iGEM IISER Berhampur held a collaborative discussion with Team ETH Zurich. The objective of this meeting was to exchange ideas, explore complementary approaches in environmental biotechnology, and identify potential opportunities for long-term collaboration. Both teams shared the vision of leveraging synthetic biology for sustainable environmental recovery—transforming pollutants into opportunities for ecological renewal.
Meeting between iGEM IISER Berhampur and ETH Zurich focusing on bioremediation and sustainable recovery strategies.
To share technical expertise and explore global collaboration opportunities in synthetic biology-based remediation.
Project Overviews
The ETH Zurich iGEM Team presented their project TERRA, which focuses on developing a bio-based system using microalgal bioaccumulation to recover valuable rare earth elements from toxic industrial byproducts. Their model aims to close the loop between waste and resource, advancing circular economy principles. Our team presented Project POSEIDON, which utilizes plant-based metal-binding peptides integrated into biodegradable filters for the removal of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic from contaminated water. Both projects converged on a shared goal—using biology as a sustainable remediation tool—but diverged in their material focus: rare earth recovery versus toxic metal removal.
- ETH Zurich: Focused on microalgal-based rare earth element recovery from industrial waste.
- IISER Berhampur: Designed a biodegradable, peptide-embedded filter for heavy metal remediation.
- Both teams emphasize circular resource recovery and environmental sustainability.
- Shared expertise in biosorption, metal affinity, and scalable deployment strategies.
Knowledge Exchange and Technical Perspectives
ETH Zurich shared insights on algal cultivation, system optimization, and recovery efficiency from liquid waste streams. Our team discussed adsorption kinetics and the mass-transport modeling framework applied in POSEIDON to simulate ion diffusion and surface binding. This scientific dialogue helped identify cross-learning opportunities—particularly on integrating algal bioaccumulation models with peptide adsorption systems for enhanced multi-metal remediation.
Cross-comparison between algal bioaccumulation and peptide-based adsorption processes.
Identified pathways to integrate biological remediation and circular recovery frameworks.
- Comparative evaluation of biosorption mechanisms across algae and immobilized biomolecules.
- Identification of kinetic overlaps between adsorption and bioaccumulation pathways.
- Discussion on scaling biological remediation under industrial wastewater conditions.
- Recognition of shared challenges in quantifying metal-binding efficiencies and long-term filter stability.
Human Practices and Outreach
Both teams also shared their ongoing outreach and human practices initiatives. IISER Berhampur described its community-based approach—school workshops, awareness campaigns, rural field visits, and nationwide competitions—highlighting grassroots-level engagement. ETH Zurich outlined its stakeholder-driven model, focusing on partnerships with industrial producers, policy experts, and environmental agencies to align their work with societal and regulatory frameworks. This parallel exchange underscored the importance of multi-level engagement in translating lab innovations into sustainable, real-world solutions.
Shared mutual commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and community-linked synthetic biology outreach.
Reinforced science–society collaboration as a global bridge for environmental responsibility.
- Both projects integrate education and ethics within their scientific framework.
- IISER’s approach builds awareness from the ground up, while ETH focuses on policy-to-practice translation.
- Shared vision to democratize access to environmental biotechnology.
- Mutual appreciation for community-oriented science communication.
Outcomes and Future Directions
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment to continue academic and outreach exchange. Both teams agreed to explore collaboration opportunities in data sharing, computational modeling, and knowledge dissemination. There was a consensus on co-developing frameworks for integrated remediation and recovery—bridging toxic metal filtration with rare earth recovery to achieve complete sustainability. Plans for future virtual symposia and knowledge exchange events were also discussed.
Established mutual understanding on combining heavy metal remediation with rare earth recovery.
Planned continued exchanges on modeling, sustainability, and outreach under post-iGEM collaborations.
- Exchange of adsorption and bioaccumulation model data for validation.
- Joint online events or publications on sustainable biotechnology.
- Inclusion of both projects in global discussions on green remediation technologies.
- Continued communication through post-iGEM collaborative platforms.
Reflection
Our interaction with the ETH Zurich team demonstrated how innovation in sustainability thrives through interdisciplinary collaboration. By connecting our project’s biochemical focus with their algal engineering framework, we identified complementary paths to tackle pollution and resource scarcity. This collaboration stands as a testament to iGEM’s spirit—bringing together scientists across borders to solve shared challenges in environmental health and biotechnological sustainability.