The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 global goals adopted in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ¹. They aim to address the world’s most pressing challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, health, education, and environmental protection. Their purpose is to create a roadmap for countries, organizations, and individuals toward building a better and more sustainable future.

For us, the SDGs act as a guide to connect our scientific work with broader social impact. By linking research and innovation to these goals, projects can demonstrate how they contribute to solving real-world problems and improving lives. With our project, siREN, we align our efforts with the SDGs to show how synthetic biology can support better health, promote equity in treatment, and contribute to a more inclusive future.

Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages. siREN, directly contributes to this goal by introducing a novel RNAi based therapeutic approach for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Current treatments for CLL often face challenges such as resistance, relapse and numerous side effects compromising the quality of life for the patients. By providing a more precise and patient-centered treatment strategy siREN has the potential to expand therapeutic options for CLL patients who do not respond to existing therapies while also improving quality of life by minimizing side effects. This way siREN highlights how innovative science can be used to improve health outcomes for every CLL patient.

Goal 4 focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. As the iGEM Thessaloniki 2025 team, we set the goal of organizing and implementing multiple activities and events in order to enable more individuals to participate in the field of synthetic biology. Our educational activities were meticulously designed to encourage mutual learning and constructive dialogue between us and the participants, and to be implemented in an inclusive manner. You can learn more of our educational activities and the materials we designed and used in the Education Page (see our Education Page).

Goal 5 promotes gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. At iGEM Thessaloniki 2025, we view equality as a cornerstone of both science and society. A diverse and inclusive team not only reflects fairness but also strengthens creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. Throughout our project, we have actively ensured equal opportunities and responsibilities within our team, fostering an environment where every member’s voice is valued. We also designed our educational and outreach activities to be inclusive and accessible, promoting participation regardless of gender, background, or ability. To raise awareness about women’s empowerment, we invited Dr. Britzolaki, one of the co-founders of Greek Women in STEM and a highly valued mentor, to our conference, where she delivered an impactful speech titled “From the Biology Degree to Strategic Innovation and Women Empowerment”. Furthermore, in order to reach a wider audience we dedicated an episode from our podcast “Breaking Barriers in Science” to talk about the challenges of gender equality in sciences, featuring Dr. Lina Ntokou, founder of Greek Women in STEM.

Goal 8 focuses on promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. With siREN, our aim is not only to develop an innovative therapeutic platform but also to explore its potential entrepreneurial and societal impact. Through our work in the Entrepreneurship field, we analyzed the biotech market, engaged with stakeholders, and envisioned how our project could one day translate from the lab to real-world applications that create jobs, stimulate innovation, and support sustainable economic growth. In addition, we actively developed skills in financial management, project planning, and teamwork, which are essential for building sustainable careers and contributing to the economy as future scientists and innovators.

Goal 9 emphasizes building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. With siREN, we contribute to this goal by designing a novel RNAi-based therapeutic platform for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). Our approach combines cutting-edge methods in RNA design, lipid nanoparticle delivery, and molecular modeling, showing how synthetic biology can lead to breakthroughs with real clinical potential. We also worked on building the infrastructure for future innovation. By developing siRBench, a dataset for siRNA prediction, and by creating educational and outreach materials, we provide resources that can be used not only by our team but also by future researchers and iGEM projects. Moreover, by engaging with industry experts, healthcare professionals, and patient associations, we explored how siREN could one day transition into real-world applications.

Goal 10 focuses on reducing inequalities within and among countries, ensuring that all people have equal opportunities and access to resources, regardless of background or circumstances. This means working to eliminate disparities in access to treatment, education, and participation in scientific progress. With siREN, we aim to contribute to this goal by designing a therapy that addresses patients with CLL who experience resistance or relapse, groups that are often left with limited options. By providing a more targeted and accessible therapeutic strategy, we aspire to reduce health inequalities and give hope to patients who are underserved by current treatments.

As iGEM Thessaloniki 2025, we also extended this vision through our outreach activities, making education in science and biotechnology more inclusive. By developing accessible lab kits (such as Braille-labeled materials), creating engaging stories, and collaborating with diverse communities, we promoted participation regardless of gender, disability, or cultural background. You can find more details in our Inclusivity Page (see our Inclusivity Page).

Goal 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. While biotechnology projects may not always appear directly connected to climate action, scientific teams can contribute by adopting sustainable practices and raising awareness about environmental responsibility. At iGEM Thessaloniki 2025, we worked to align our project with this goal in several ways. In the lab, we optimized our experiments and made extensive use of in silico modeling, reducing unnecessary use of consumables and energy. In our outreach activities, we prioritized digital educational materials over printed copies, promoting sustainability and lowering our environmental footprint. Beyond the lab, we actively participated in protecting our local environment by collaborating with Cleaningans, a volunteer group based in Thessaloniki dedicated to organizing cleaning actions in public areas, raising awareness about environmental protection, and mobilizing citizens to take part in climate action. Together with them, we cleaned part of our city, combining hands-on action with our message of sustainability.

Goal 17 emphasizes the importance of strengthening global partnerships to achieve sustainable development. Partnerships played a central role in the development of siREN. We worked closely with professors, researchers, and clinicians to refine the scientific aspects of our project, while also engaging with patient organizations to ensure that our work remains focused on real needs. At the same time, we connected with sponsors to secure resources, expertise, and guidance, bridging the gap between academia and industry. Our collaborations also extended to the broader community. Through conferences, workshops, and outreach activities, we built relationships with schools creating opportunities for knowledge exchange and joint action. Each of these partnerships enriched our project and allowed us to amplify our impact, proving that meaningful science is built on cooperation.