From Collective Wisdom to Future Impact
Our project stands on the foundation laid by countless iGEM teams and scientists who shared their ideas, tools, and discoveries openly. Their willingness to make knowledge accessible has shown us how collaboration fuels progress, inspiring creativity and breakthroughs across disciplines.
Throughout our own journey, we asked ourselves how our work could extend that spirit of openness and contribute meaningfully to the synthetic biology community. The process brought us moments of achievement as well as challenges that pushed us to grow—lessons we consider just as valuable as our successes. By sharing both, we hope to give future teams practical guidance and encouragement, making it easier for them to advance their own projects and ambitions.
Prologue
The success of our project stems from the passion and dedication of our interdisciplinary team. As future scientists and engineers, we believe in giving back to both the scientific and non-scientific communities by sharing the knowledge, tools, and resources we developed. Through our protocols, models, and educational materials, we hope to inspire and guide future iGEM teams and communities who wish to continue our mission — making history one gene at a time.
Our philosophy is to create a multipurpose project that benefits both local communities and future research groups. Communities like Vieques, Puerto Rico can gain from a tangible bioremediation solution and from the educational resources we have developed. Meanwhile, future iGEM teams will find a solid framework for detecting and degrading RDX using our models, methods, and genetic circuits. As science continually evolves, this project can be further optimized, expanded, and adapted to new challenges.
Protocols and Methods
Our team developed detailed protocols for the preparation, handling, and detection of RDX, a high-energy explosive compound. These methods were designed with safety and reproducibility in mind, offering step-by-step guidance for experiments involving hazardous materials. By sharing our procedures, we provide the iGEM community with a safe and standardized reference for studying energetic compounds.
These protocols not only demonstrate safe laboratory practices but also serve as a template for other teams interested in creating detection or degradation systems for environmentally persistent pollutants.
Models / Software / Hardware
We constructed a computational model simulating the kinetics of RDX degradation and gene expression dynamics within our engineered E. coli. The model integrates enzyme reaction parameters from the literature and predicts degradation rates under different conditions. This model serves as a predictive tool for teams designing similar bioremediation circuits.
Educational and Outreach Resources
Several members from the Biology and Engineering teams of iGEM-RUM had the privilege of presenting R-DetoX 2.0 at the annual Research Symposium at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez in May 2025 through three consecutive presentations. The first, “Development of an RDX Detection and Degradation Prototype Using Standard Biological Parts,” introduced our initial device, a dual-purpose biosystem designed to sense and degrade the RDX contaminant in polluted environments using standardized iGEM biological parts. The second, “R-DetoX: Development of a Killswitch Genetic Circuit to Regulate Engineered Escherichia coli for RDX Degradation,” focused on a genetic safeguard for controlled bioremediation, a safety circuit activated by Device 1 byproducts, formaldehyde and nitrite, which induces bacterial cell lysis. The third, “Engineering Converges with Synthetic Biology through R-DetoX: A Four-Stage Bioprocess for Escherichia coli-Mediated RDX Biodegradation,”, showcased the engineering component of our project and proposed a four-stage bioprocess integrating genetically engineered E. coli to both detect and degrade RDX.
Additionally, our participation in the ENGICHEM Chemical Engineering & Related Fields Symposium (September 2025) provided a valuable platform to promote synthetic biology within the chemical engineering community. Through hands-on educational experiences and technical presentations, we helped bridge the gap between the two disciplines. Our poster presentation, “Bioprocess Model for Escherichia coli-Mediated RDX Degradation: R-DetoX, Integrating Synthetic Biology with Engineering,” demonstrated the practical application of engineered biological systems in addressing environmental contamination, showcasing the integration of synthetic biology with bioprocess design.
Appendix
Safety Contributions
Our team established a comprehensive framework of safety guidelines for teams handling hazardous materials. Our Final Safety Form can serve as a model reference for future iGEM teams working with unconventional or high-risk compounds.
It details strategies for managing chemical, biological, and physical hazards associated with explosive materials like RDX and outlines best practices for work under BSL-2 conditions. The document also highlights our collaboration with Dr. Samuel Hernández Rivera’s licensed laboratory for energetic compounds, emphasizing safe partnerships and regulatory compliance.
Through this resource, we contribute to the iGEM community’s growing focus on safety, responsibility, and ethical experimentation.
Future Use and Accessibility
As the only iGEM team currently representing Puerto Rico, we aim to educate and inspire the next generation of scientists to explore the power of synthetic biology. We are actively mentoring new students to form future iGEM teams on our island, ensuring the continuity of this initiative.
Our standardized R-DetoX 2.0 system provides an adaptable foundation for future projects addressing environmental contamination. Built entirely with standard iGEM biological parts, our genetic circuits can be easily modified and reused for other pollutants.
All our resources — protocols, models, genetic designs, and safety documentation — are open access and can be found through our wiki, enabling replication, adaptation, and innovation by teams worldwide.
Acknowledgements
We extend our gratitude to all previous iGEM RUM-UPRM teams, whose pioneering work established the foundation for R-DetoX 2.0. We also thank our mentors, instructors, and advisors for their invaluable guidance and encouragement throughout the project. Finally, we acknowledge the iGEM community for providing a space to share our work, learn from others, and collectively build a future where synthetic biology serves humanity.
