Loading POSEIDON...
Team Banner IISER-Berhampur - iGEM 2025

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.

Our Botcast - Audio generated with project materials via google notebook LM

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

May 08, 2025 Initial project discussion

Held the first meeting with Vinay Sir to outline project objectives and establish initial goals.

May 23, 2025 Follow-up discussion

Continued discussions with Vinay Sir to refine project scope and address previous points.

May 24, 2025 First team meeting

Conducted the inaugural team meeting to align on project goals, roles, and timelines.

May 24, 2025 Presentation script draft

Developed the initial script for the institute presentation, focusing on key project highlights.

May 27, 2025 Director meeting

Met with the Director to review project progress and discuss strategic plans.

May 31, 2025 Team progress review

Held a team meeting to discuss updates, address challenges, and plan next steps.

Jun 02, 2025 Synthetic biology discussion

Engaged in a detailed discussion with Vinay Sir on synthetic biology aspects critical to the project.

May 04, 2025 Safety form submission

Submitted the project safety form to ensure compliance with institutional guidelines.

Jun 07, 2025 Cloning protocol review

Discussed cloning protocol, gene construct design, and vector selection with Vinay Sir.

Jun 09, 2025 Experiment consultation

Consulted with Nishad Bhaiya to address queries related to experimental procedures.

Jun 10, 2025 Industry partnership talks

Met with TATA and Aditya Birla representatives to explore potential support and collaboration.

Jun 11, 2025 Polymers and sampling discussion

Discussed polymer applications and methodologies for water sampling.

Jun 12, 2025 SnapGene queries

Held first meeting with Priya Didi to resolve queries regarding SnapGene software usage.

Jun 14, 2025 Team progress meeting

Conducted a team meeting to review ongoing progress and plan future tasks.

Jun 20, 2025 Team and advisor meeting

Met with Dr. Selvi Ma'am and the team to discuss project developments and updates.

Jun 20, 2025 Gene sequence finalization

Finalized gene sequences for ordering and consulted with Jose Sir for strategic directions.

Jun 21, 2025 iGEM alumni discussion

Held a discussion with Ritika Sethi Didi, a former iGEM team member, for valuable insights.

Jun 23, 2025 Village selection

Selected villages for surface water sampling to support project objectives.

Jun 23, 2025 Gene sequence optimization

Finalized codon-optimized gene sequences for ordering, ensuring compatibility.

Jun 24, 2025 Quiz collaboration meeting

Met with Qcell to discuss collaboration on a quiz event with UNSTOP.

Jun 27, 2025 Team alignment meeting

Held a team meeting to align on ongoing tasks and project milestones.

Jul 01, 2025 Gene ordering consultation

Consulted with Ritwik Bhaiya for guidance on gene ordering, which provided significant help.

Jul 01, 2025 Team coordination meeting

Met with PM Sir to address team challenges and improve coordination.

Jul 02, 2025 Team reformation discussion

Discussed potential team reformation with Dr. Selvi Ma'am to enhance efficiency.

Jul 03, 2025 Water sample testing

Submitted water samples for ICP-MS testing to analyze composition.

Jul 03, 2025 Gene sequence order

Placed the final order for gene sequences to advance project experiments.

Jul 04, 2025 Mock presentation

Conducted a mock presentation with Dr. Selvi Ma'am, followed by overnight refinements.

Jul 05, 2025 Institute presentation

Delivered the project presentation to institute students, showcasing key findings.

Jul 07, 2025 Customs and outreach planning

Discussed customs clearance with TWIST and consulted Nihar Sir for school outreach contacts.

Jul 08, 2025 School outreach

Communicated with local schools in Ganjam to explore outreach opportunities.

Jul 10, 2025 School outreach visit

Visited V.V. Giri Girls High School to conduct outreach activities and engage students.

Jul 13, 2025 AIIM poster design

Started designing the poster for the AIIM event to showcase project highlights.

Jul 13, 2025 VIT Vellore collaboration

Held a collaboration meeting with VIT Vellore to discuss 'Genes and Beliefs' project aspects.

Jul 14, 2025 School visit

Visited K.V. Ambapua school for outreach and educational engagement.

Jul 15, 2025 Military campus school visit

Conducted an outreach visit to K.V. Military campus school to promote project awareness.

Jul 19, 2025 Polymeric materials discussion

Discussed advanced polymeric materials for environmental and energy applications with Jung Hyun Lee from Korea University, focusing on sustainable membrane and adsorbent technologies.

Jul 20, 2025 Peptide attachment protocol

Refined the protocol for attaching peptides to beads for experimental applications.

Jul 21, 2025 AIIM presentation preparation

Started preparing the AIIM presentation and explored collaboration ideas with Flagro.

Jul 22, 2025 EDC/NHS coupling chemistry

Studied and understood EDC/NHS coupling chemistry for embedding peptides onto beads.

Jul 23, 2025 AIIM poster and sponsorship

Printed the AIIM poster and met with Hawkwood Biotech to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Jul 24, 2025 Travel to AIIM

Traveled to Mumbai for the AIIM event.

Jul 25, 2025 AIIM Day 1

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.

Jul 26, 2025 AIIM presentation

Delivered the project presentation at the AIIM event.

Jul 26, 2025 Membrane science discussion

Engaged with Pierre Le Clech from the UNESCO Centre for Membrane Science and Technology at UNSW, Sydney, on project-relevant topics.

Jul 27, 2025 AIIM poster presentation

Presented the project poster at AIIM and attended the closing ceremony.

Jul 28, 2025 Gene shipping clearance

Received an update on the clearance for gene shipping from Delhi.

Jul 31, 2025 Distribution kit received

Received the distribution kit for the project.

Aug 01, 2025 Gene delivery

Received delivery of ordered gene sequences.

Aug 02, 2025 Drama club collaboration

Discussed organizing a drama on Independence Day about metal contamination with the Drama Club.

Aug 03, 2025 AIIM judge feedback

Received feedback from AIIM judges on the project presentation and poster.

Aug 06, 2025 Logo stickers and STREAM ideas

Printed stickers with the project logo and discussed ideas for STREAM event demonstrations.

Aug 07, 2025 STREAM participation

Emailed the point of contact to confirm participation in the STREAM event.

Aug 08, 2025 Promotional video script

Developed the script for the final promotional video.

Aug 10, 2025 ZJU China collaboration

Held a meeting with the ZJU China team to discuss potential collaboration.

Aug 11, 2025 Jamboree medal criteria

Discussed revising medal criteria for the jamboree with ambassadors.

Aug 12, 2025 Promotional video shoot

Completed the video shoot for the final promotional video and submitted it.

Aug 13, 2025 Funding and video submission

Submitted a fund withdrawal request from the institute account and finalized the promotional video submission.

Aug 14, 2025 Drama practice oversight

Oversaw practice sessions for the Independence Day drama.

Aug 15, 2025 Independence Day event

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.

Aug 17, 2025 AIIM presentation link

Received and shared the public link for the AIIM presentation.

Aug 18, 2025 Wet lab protocol

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.

The main coding desk Last minute commit

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).