Our "Current" Project
In 2024, we proudly participated in our first iGEM Jamboree, a milestone that showed our team that it is possible to use synthetic biology to make a lasting impact on current real-world problems. Below is the project that our team proudly showcased at the 2024 iGEM jamboree. We are currently working on a new project for the 2025 competition cycle.
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Stay tuned for our 2025 project!
NuScent (2024)
A fresher composting system.
In 2024, our team introduced NuScent, a synthetic biology project designed to improve composting by addressing its major challenge—unpleasant odors. In 2019, over 40 million tons of food waste were generated in the U.S., but only 5% was composted. The unpleasant smell produced during composting is a barrier, particularly in urban areas. To solve this, we engineered bacteria to emit pleasant scents like peppermint and lavender, making composting more enjoyable and helping to repel pests, which encourages more people to participate in sustainable waste management.
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The Wet lab Team focused on engineering bacteria to emit pleasant scents during composting. They primarily used E. coli, a well-established organism for genetic modifications. The team incorporated genes responsible for producing menthone (for peppermint) and linalool (for lavender) into E. coli. By modifying the bacteria’s metabolic pathways and introducing enzymes like menthone reductase and linalool synthase, they programmed the bacteria to synthesize these scents.
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The Hardware Team developed a simple, accessible, and environmentally friendly storage container to deliver the bacterial slurry into the composting system. Initially, they explored using individual pods made from Polyvinyl Alcohol but shifted to a more scalable, box-shaped design. This design was intended to be user-friendly and efficient, offering a straightforward solution to introduce the bacterial slurry into compost without requiring electricity.
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The Human Practices Team engaged with the community to promote composting and sustainability. They collaborated with the Jordan Boys and Girls Club's culinary arts program, conducting interactive workshops on composting and food waste reduction. The team also worked with Northeastern University’s waste management team, gathering student feedback through surveys and focus groups to improve composting efforts on campus. Their efforts included conducting a composting walk-through to identify areas for improvement and proposing solutions to enhance campus composting practices.