Difference between revisions of "Team:OLS Canmore Canada/Entrepreneurship"

Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{OLS_Canmore_Canada}}
 
{{OLS_Canmore_Canada}}
 
<html>
 
<html>
 +
<style>
  
 +
@font-face { font-family: Lato; src: url(https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/5/51/T--OLS_Canmore_Canada--font-Lato-Regular.ttf); }
 +
@font-face { font-family: Lato; font-style: italic; src: url(https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/3/3d/T--OLS_Canmore_Canada--font-Lato-Italic.ttf); }
 +
@font-face { font-family: Lato; font-weight: bold; src: url(https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/a/a6/T--OLS_Canmore_Canada--font-Lato-Bold.ttf); }
  
−
<div class="clear"></div>
 
  
 +
body {
 +
margin: 0px;
 +
font-size: 110%;
 +
top: 0;
 +
line-height: 25px;
 +
overflow-x: hidden;
 +
font-family: Lato;
 +
}
 +
#globalWrapper {
 +
padding-bottom: 0px;
 +
}
 +
#bodyContent h1 {
 +
margin-bottom: 0px;
 +
}
 +
#HQ_page h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
 +
font-family: Lato;
 +
}
 +
#HQ_page p {
 +
font-size: 16px;
 +
margin: 0px;
 +
font-family: Lato;
 +
}
 +
.contentbody.p {
 +
margin-bottom: 20px;
 +
}
 +
.header{
 +
width: 100%;
 +
height: 207px;
 +
background: #000000 url(https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/a/a6/T--OLS_Canmore_Canada--header-entrepreneurship.jpg) 50% 50% no-repeat;
 +
background-size: cover;
 +
box-shadow: 0 4px 8px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2), 0 6px 20px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.19);
 +
}
 +
.headertext{
 +
font-size: calc(13px + 6vw);
 +
font-weight: bold;
 +
color: white;
 +
text-align: center;
 +
margin: 0px;
 +
padding: 0px;
 +
line-height: 200px;
 +
vertical-align: middle;
 +
text-shadow: 2px 2px 4px #000000;
 +
}
 +
.contentbody {
 +
margin: 37px;
 +
text-align: justify;
 +
margin-bottom: 91px;
 +
}
 +
.title {
 +
text-decoration: bold;
 +
font-size: 140%;
 +
padding-bottom: 10px;
 +
}
 +
.subtitle {
 +
text-decoration: bold;
 +
font-size: 100%;
 +
padding-bottom: 10px;
 +
}
 +
#HQ_page table {
 +
cellspacing: 0px;
 +
margin: 30px;
 +
padding: 0px;
 +
min-width: 200px;
 +
 +
}
 +
.imagecaptiontext {
 +
font-size: 13px;
 +
background-color: #f2f2f2;
 +
padding: 5px;
 +
margin: 0px;
 +
text-align: center;
 +
}
  
  
−
<div class="column full_size">
+
</style>
 +
<body>
 +
<a name="top"></a>
 +
  <div class="header">
 +
  <h1 class="headertext">ENTREPRENEURSHIP</h1>
 +
  </div>
  
−
<h1>Entrepreneurship</h1>
+
  <!--CONTENT-->
  
−
</div>
+
  <div class="contentbody">
 +
<h1 class="title">The Summary</h1>
 +
 +
<p>
 +
In recent years, the issue of plastic pollution has become an overwhelming global crisis. Only 5% of all plastics are recycled and the rest ends up in landfills or oceans. When looking for a solution to this problem, the Design Thinking methodology learned at the Berkeley Program was applied. In the engagement with recycling stakeholders, the OLS SynBio team discovered that the issue is not the recycling of plastic, but instead the inefficient sorting of these plastics.</p>
  
−
<div class="column two_thirds_size">
+
<br>
−
<h3>Best Supporting Entrepreneurship Special Prize</h3>
+
<p>To further understand this issue, the team participated in many community outreach events. OLS Synbio consulted with Simon Robbins, the corporate manager of a local recycling plant, who provided guidance and insight of how the recycling cycle works. OLS SynBio also met with Peter Duck, the zero waste manager for the town of Canmore. Lastly, the team went to the Alberta Recycling Conference to learn more about how plastics are recycled in the community, and how big the team’s contribution would be. Stakeholder feedback helped to pivot and refine the project. </p>
−
<p>
+
−
In previous years, iGEM had an entrepreneurship track. Teams were encouraged to build projects and focus on commercializing their work. We have now moved to an award as the best work in this area may come from teams who are not solely focused on entrepreneurship.  
+
−
</p>
+
  
−
<p>The Best Supporting Entrepreneurship award recognizes exceptional effort to build a business case and commercialize an iGEM project. This award is open to all teams to show that entrepreneurship is something all teams can aspire to do with their project. This award can go to an new project, or to a previous project that a team aimed to commercialize. Have you filed a provisional patent on your project/device/process? Have you raised money to build and ship products? Have you pitched your idea to investors and received money? As always in iGEM, the aim is to impress the judges!
 
  
−
<br><br>
+
<table style="width: 25vw; float: right;" >
−
To compete for the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Awards">Best Supporting Entrepreneurship prize</a>, please describe your work on this page and also fill out the description on the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Judging/Judging_Form">judging form</a>.
+
<tr><td><img  width="100%"src="image1.png"></td></tr>
−
<br><br>
+
<tr><td class="imagecaptiontext">Some members of our team at the Canmore Sorting Facility.</td></tr>
−
You must also delete the message box on the top of this page to be eligible for this prize.
+
</table>
−
</p>
+
−
</p>
+
−
</div>
+
  
−
<div class="column third_size">
+
<br>
−
<div class="highlight decoration_A_full">
+
<h1 class="subtitle">The Subtitle</h1>
−
<h3>Inspiration</h3>
+
−
<p>You can look at what other teams did to get some inspiration! <br />
+
−
Here are a few examples:</p>
+
−
<ul>
+
−
<li><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Sydney_Australia">2016 Sydney Australia</a></li>
+
−
<li><a href="https://2016.igem.org/Team:Pasteur_Paris">2016 Pasteur Paris</a></li>
+
−
<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:UCC_Ireland">2014 UCC Ireland</a></li>
+
−
<li><a href="https://2014.igem.org/Team:Imperial">2014 Imperial College London</a></li>
+
−
</ul>
+
−
</div>
+
−
</div>
+
−
 
+
−
 
+
−
 
+
−
<div class="clear"></div>
+
−
 
+
−
<div class="column full_size">
+
−
<h3>Patents and intellectual property</h3>
+
  
 +
<p>The project will use synthetic biology to create a novel fusion protein that can specifically bio-tag polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, so that it can be sorted and recycled correctly. The project involves two proteins, a polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase (PETase) and a hydrophobin called BsIA, that is produced by a bacterium chassis called Bacillus subtilis. The PETase protein naturally binds to PET and would be paired with a red fluorescent protein called mCherry to visually indicate when the protein has adhered. The hydrophobin is “water-fearing”, therefore it will bind to anything, but for this project, it will help to adhere the PETase specifically to PET plastic. The project plan is to experiment with the use of both proteins, together and independently. If successful, the bio-tag would be proof of concept for a novel technology that can be implement easily in existing recycling facilities.
 +
</p>
 +
<br>
 
<p>
 
<p>
−
If your team is seriously considering commercializing and looking into building a company after the competition, you may want to look at how you are going to protect your work and secure investment. Investors will usually require some form of intellectual protection, so you may want to investigate how to apply for a patent or provisional patent in your country and region before disclosing your project at iGEM. Remember that you can only be evaluated in iGEM based on what you share on your wiki and at the Jamboree, so any work you don't present can't count towards your project. </p>
+
Before incorporating it into the recycling facility, the protein would be isolated and purified, and the team will run numerous proof-of-concept assays. The next step in the project is prototyping. The team has explored a prototype which would use a streamlined linear process that involves both existing technology and new robotics to effectively sort plastics. Early business modelling suggests that this project is desirable by people, feasible with technology and viable as a business.
−
 
+
</p>
−
<p>This is an area where we are different as we care about sharing, openness and contributing to the community and investors don't always agree with these values. It is up to you and your team to decide what to do. Remember that most universities have a commercialization department and that you can talk to them before coming to a decision.  
+
<br>
−
</p>
+
<p>In summary, the OLS SynBio team is creating a novel protein bio-tag that will adhere selectively to PET plastics.  This product has the potential to revolutionize the recycling industry, and reduce the current practice of landfilling poorly sorted plastics. This will create a truly circular life cycle for plastic products.</p>
−
</div>
+
  
−
<div class="clear"></div>
+
  </div>
  
 +
  <!--END CONTENT-->
  
 +
<!--FOOTER-->
 +
  <footer style="background-color: #262626; color: white; padding: 10px; font-size: smaller;">
 +
  <center>
 +
<a href="#top"><p style="display: inline-block; padding: 5px;">Back To Top</p></a>
 +
&diams;
 +
    <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Team:OLS_Canmore_Canada"><p style="display: inline-block; padding: 5px;">Home</p></a>
 +
&diams;
 +
    <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Team:OLS_Canmore_Canada/Attributions"><p style="display: inline-block; padding: 5px;">Attributions</p></a>
 +
&diams;
 +
<a href="https://2018.igem.org/Team:OLS_Canmore_Canada/Contact"> <p style="display: inline-block; padding: 5px;">Contact Us</p></a>
 +
  <center>
 +
  </footer>
 +
<!--END FOOTER-->
 +
 
 +
 
 +
</body>
 
</html>
 
</html>

Revision as of 23:09, 15 October 2018

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The Summary

In recent years, the issue of plastic pollution has become an overwhelming global crisis. Only 5% of all plastics are recycled and the rest ends up in landfills or oceans. When looking for a solution to this problem, the Design Thinking methodology learned at the Berkeley Program was applied. In the engagement with recycling stakeholders, the OLS SynBio team discovered that the issue is not the recycling of plastic, but instead the inefficient sorting of these plastics.


To further understand this issue, the team participated in many community outreach events. OLS Synbio consulted with Simon Robbins, the corporate manager of a local recycling plant, who provided guidance and insight of how the recycling cycle works. OLS SynBio also met with Peter Duck, the zero waste manager for the town of Canmore. Lastly, the team went to the Alberta Recycling Conference to learn more about how plastics are recycled in the community, and how big the team’s contribution would be. Stakeholder feedback helped to pivot and refine the project.

Some members of our team at the Canmore Sorting Facility.

The Subtitle

The project will use synthetic biology to create a novel fusion protein that can specifically bio-tag polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, so that it can be sorted and recycled correctly. The project involves two proteins, a polyethylene terephthalate hydrolase (PETase) and a hydrophobin called BsIA, that is produced by a bacterium chassis called Bacillus subtilis. The PETase protein naturally binds to PET and would be paired with a red fluorescent protein called mCherry to visually indicate when the protein has adhered. The hydrophobin is “water-fearing”, therefore it will bind to anything, but for this project, it will help to adhere the PETase specifically to PET plastic. The project plan is to experiment with the use of both proteins, together and independently. If successful, the bio-tag would be proof of concept for a novel technology that can be implement easily in existing recycling facilities.


Before incorporating it into the recycling facility, the protein would be isolated and purified, and the team will run numerous proof-of-concept assays. The next step in the project is prototyping. The team has explored a prototype which would use a streamlined linear process that involves both existing technology and new robotics to effectively sort plastics. Early business modelling suggests that this project is desirable by people, feasible with technology and viable as a business.


In summary, the OLS SynBio team is creating a novel protein bio-tag that will adhere selectively to PET plastics. This product has the potential to revolutionize the recycling industry, and reduce the current practice of landfilling poorly sorted plastics. This will create a truly circular life cycle for plastic products.