The SUNY Oneonta iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine) team returned to Paris in late October to compete in the annual iGEM Grand Jamboree and received a gold medal in its first-ever collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College.
The iGEM Grand Jamboree is a competition where teams of students from around the world “push the boundaries of synthetic biology by tackling everyday issues facing the world.” More than 450 teams registered for the competition this year, making the 2024 Grand Jamboree the largest in iGEM history. This was the fifth competition for the SUNY Oneonta team, which won silver medals in the 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“We could not be prouder of this year’s team, not only for their success, but also for their enthusiasm and dedication to having a positive impact on the world,” said Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Kelly Gallagher, who advises the team alongside Associate Professor of Biology Jill Fielhaber.
“Receiving a gold medal represents the culmination of countless hours spent both in and outside of the lab from every student,” said Dr. Fielhaber. “Our team’s first collaboration with students and faculty from Hartwick College makes receiving SUNY Oneonta’s first gold medal all the more significant.”
This year’s team included 15 SUNY Oneonta students from a wide variety of majors – including Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Dietetics, Early Childhood/Childhood Education, Earth Science, English, Exercise Science, Philosophy, Political Science and Sociology – who worked on both the scientific and human practices aspects of the project, Hartwick team members included majors in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Mathematics. Together under the mentorship of faculty from both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick, the students worked on a project titled, “pHish and CHIPS,” to create a device that would neutralize water automatically after detecting the presence of extreme pH imbalances.
“pHish and CHIPS”
“It all started with thinking about what the CHIPS and Science Act meant for upstate New York and all the investment in semiconductor manufacturers that has impacted the state,” said Dr. Gallagher. Signed into law by President Biden in August 2022, the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act has accelerated the development of new semiconductor chip fabrication plants throughout the United States, with two plants planned for construction near Oneonta. Research for the team’s “pHish and CHIPS” project began in April 2024.
According to the team’s project description, water is crucial to the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips. Prior to release or recycling of these chips, fabricators purify their wastewater by adjusting the pH level and removing contaminants called polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). With millions of gallons of water to process daily, real-time pH adjustment presents sustainability and water management challenges. Part of the iGEM students’ goal was to use their knowledge of synthetic biology to design a pH-sensitive wastewater system that would “turn on” and release buffers to neutralize the water in the presence of pH extremes during the chip fabrication process.
“iGEM has a way of training students to be multi-faceted,” said SUNY Oneonta Biology senior Jena Dookie. “I worked in the wet lab doing growth studies, making animations for the promotional videos, researching, reviewing scholarly journals and articles to develop more ideas, fundraising and much more. From this experience I learned the importance of synthetic biology to our world and how one small idea can have a huge impact. I grew closer to professors and made many friends while learning so much about working in a lab all at the same time. I also learned that my love for research is far greater than I could have imagined.”
While one part of the team was concerned with the research and development of the pH device, the human practices group investigated the ethical and regulatory landscape of the project and how to best engage public interests and concerns. This included how to successfully approach corporate sponsorship, researching what human impacts are related to these types of waste streams, where current holes in regulations exist and what can be done to help close those gaps, and how the group can improve industry issues. Together, the full team worked on “pHish and CHIPS” with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Six (Ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) and Nine (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation) in mind.
“The biggest challenge was definitely how meticulous website records are because there are laws that say that these companies have to disclose this information, but there are no laws about how accessible the information is,” said SUNY Oneonta English and Philosophy junior Nicholas Aliani. “A lot of this information is buried deep within websites. Just extracting this data was a real challenge, but we had a great team and we've had a lot of fun.”
A Good-as-Gold Experience
The 2024 iGEM Grand Jamboree was four days long, from Oct. 23-26, at the Paris Convention Center – a roughly 15-minute drive from the Eiffel Tower.
“Outside of competition prep, we took time to explore Paris together, which was amazing. We visited some iconic landmarks and enjoyed trying local foods. These moments gave us a chance to unwind and bond as a team, making memories that went beyond just the project,” said SUNY Oneonta Biochemistry senior Marie Box. “Experiencing the city together helped strengthen our camaraderie and created a balance between the intensity of the competition and enjoying the journey as a group.”
At the conference, the team had a booth set up and coordinated times for each member to represent “pHish and CHIPS.” With guidance from their faculty advisors, each student was prepared to answer questions during the judging session by being an expert on at least one part of their project. When they weren’t at the booth, the students explored the other presentations at the Grand Jamboree.
“Each team member had a story to tell about another groups’ project after a long day at the conference. The conversations showed the diverse cultures and projects we were among at the Grand Jamboree,” said SUNY Oneonta Early Childhood/Childhood Education junior Taylor Schroeder. “Some of these projects included biocementation of dusty farmlands in Western America, PET plastic remediation in Eastern China, and responsible European bee control in the mainland of Hungary. Seeing the variety of bio-synthetic solutions to problems I would have never experienced or thought of was a very humbling feeling.”
The iGEM team was supported by the Student Grant Program for Research and Creative Activity, the SUNY Oneonta iGEM Team Fund, funding from University Advancement, Access and Opportunity Programs, the Science and Technology General Fund, the Provost’s Office, and the Caroline ’67 and David D’Antonio Student Travel for Excellence Fund, which is funded by the University Foundation and the SUNY Oneonta Alumni Association through charitable gifts and grants to the university.
