Held the first meeting with Vinay Sir to outline project objectives and establish initial goals.
Our Notebook
Every project is a story — and this is ours. From early morning sampling runs to late-night idea boards, each month has carried its own rhythm of discovery, dialogue, and documentation. This notebook captures not just the events, but the spirit that guided them — the laughter during a STREAM demo, the quiet when the first HPLC peak appeared, the warmth of a village’s welcome, and the patient recalibration when things didn’t go as planned.
Snapshots Along the Way
What began as a simple curiosity about metal contamination grew into an integrated effort — combining science, outreach, and governance study. Below, our Timeline displays these turning points: from design meetings to school visits, from first samples to public exhibits.
Timeline
Continued discussions with Vinay Sir to refine project scope and address previous points.
Conducted the inaugural team meeting to align on project goals, roles, and timelines.
Developed the initial script for the institute presentation, focusing on key project highlights.
Met with the Director to review project progress and discuss strategic plans.
Held a team meeting to discuss updates, address challenges, and plan next steps.
Engaged in a detailed discussion with Vinay Sir on synthetic biology aspects critical to the project.
Submitted the project safety form to ensure compliance with institutional guidelines.
Discussed cloning protocol, gene construct design, and vector selection with Vinay Sir.
Consulted with Nishad Bhaiya to address queries related to experimental procedures.
Met with TATA and Aditya Birla representatives to explore potential support and collaboration.
Discussed polymer applications and methodologies for water sampling.
Held first meeting with Priya Didi to resolve queries regarding SnapGene software usage.
Conducted a team meeting to review ongoing progress and plan future tasks.
Met with Dr. Selvi Ma'am and the team to discuss project developments and updates.
Finalized gene sequences for ordering and consulted with Jose Sir for strategic directions.
Held a discussion with Ritika Sethi Didi, a former iGEM team member, for valuable insights.
Selected villages for surface water sampling to support project objectives.
Finalized codon-optimized gene sequences for ordering, ensuring compatibility.
Met with Qcell to discuss collaboration on a quiz event with UNSTOP.
Held a team meeting to align on ongoing tasks and project milestones.
Consulted with Ritwik Bhaiya for guidance on gene ordering, which provided significant help.
Met with PM Sir to address team challenges and improve coordination.
Discussed potential team reformation with Dr. Selvi Ma'am to enhance efficiency.
Submitted water samples for ICP-MS testing to analyze composition.
Placed the final order for gene sequences to advance project experiments.
Conducted a mock presentation with Dr. Selvi Ma'am, followed by overnight refinements.
Delivered the project presentation to institute students, showcasing key findings.
Discussed customs clearance with TWIST and consulted Nihar Sir for school outreach contacts.
Communicated with local schools in Ganjam to explore outreach opportunities.
Visited V.V. Giri Girls High School to conduct outreach activities and engage students.
Started designing the poster for the AIIM event to showcase project highlights.
Held a collaboration meeting with VIT Vellore to discuss 'Genes and Beliefs' project aspects.
Visited K.V. Ambapua school for outreach and educational engagement.
Conducted an outreach visit to K.V. Military campus school to promote project awareness.
Discussed advanced polymeric materials for environmental and energy applications with Jung Hyun Lee from Korea University, focusing on sustainable membrane and adsorbent technologies.
Refined the protocol for attaching peptides to beads for experimental applications.
Started preparing the AIIM presentation and explored collaboration ideas with Flagro.
Studied and understood EDC/NHS coupling chemistry for embedding peptides onto beads.
Printed the AIIM poster and met with Hawkwood Biotech to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
Traveled to Mumbai for the AIIM event.
Participated in AIIM Day 1, attended the DURC Workshop, listened to professor talks, and mailed headquarters to request an extension for jamboree registration until August 15.
Delivered the project presentation at the AIIM event.
Engaged with Pierre Le Clech from the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at UNSW, Sydney, on project-relevant topics.
Presented the project poster at AIIM and attended the closing ceremony.
Received an update on the clearance for gene shipping from Delhi.
Received the distribution kit for the project.
Received delivery of ordered gene sequences.
Discussed organizing a drama on Independence Day about metal contamination with the Drama Club.
Received feedback from AIIM judges on the project presentation and poster.
Printed stickers with the project logo and discussed ideas for STREAM event demonstrations.
Emailed the point of contact to confirm participation in the STREAM event.
Developed the script for the final promotional video.
Held a meeting with the ZJU China team to discuss potential collaboration.
Discussed revising medal criteria for the jamboree with ambassadors.
Completed the video shoot for the final promotional video and submitted it.
Submitted a fund withdrawal request from the institute account and finalized the promotional video submission.
Oversaw practice sessions for the Independence Day drama.
Participated in the Independence Day drama, received AIIM prizes from the Director, and delivered a short message to the institute about the project and metal contamination.
Received and shared the public link for the AIIM presentation.
Developed a comprehensive wet lab experimentation protocol.
A Living Record
This notebook grows with us. New reflections, images, and community stories will continue to be added here, keeping the record of our work open-ended — just as science itself should be.
Overview of our Integrated Human Practices Journey
| Month | Overview / Key Activities |
|---|---|
| February | 1. Highlighting the problem — initial scoping, literature scan and community reconnaissance. 2. Framing research questions and human-practices objectives. |
| March | 1. IHP design — drafting the Integrated Human Practices framework and venns (thematic & zonal). 2. Planning stakeholder engagements and outreach calendar. |
| April | 1. National magnitude study — systematic literature synthesis and compilation (~300 points/zones). 2. Prioritising hotspots and drafting national report outlines. |
| May | 1. State study — focused assessment for Odisha (industry, mining belts, tribal impacts). 2. Mapping local case studies and IKS (Indigenous Knowledge Systems) interviews. |
| June | 1. Field sampling & regulatory review — water sampling, lab analysis, and comparing results with CPCB/BIS standards. 2. Safety & biosafety protocol development for lab and field work. |
| July | 1. Education & school visits — TLM delivery, demos, quizzes, and map/story activities in local schools. 2. Iterating TLM based on classroom feedback and language accessibility checks. |
| August | 1. Representation at AIIM & public engagement — presenting project at All India iGEM Meet and public events. 2. Cultural outreach — Independence Day skit with Yavanika, campus and community awareness performances. |
| September | 1. Compilation & governance gap study — synthesising engaged materials, policy gaps, and stakeholder inputs. 2. Preparing implementation pathway and pilot site selection criteria. |
| October | 1. Village visits & Sukinda stakeholder interviews — in-depth community consultations and documentation of lived impacts. 2. Finalising goals, pilot designs, and community co-design plans for deployment. |
| Additional / Cross-cutting | 1. Continuous: Responsible innovation & safety audits — ethics reviews, iGEM safety forms, and dual-use assessment. 2. Continuous: Documentation & open resources — creating TLM repo, discussion pages, and data links (literature CSV). |