iGEM 2015 team Toronto
Toronto team’s iGEM project was to design a synthetically engineered bacteria that would be able to bioremediate toluene, which is a toxin in oil sand wastewater ponds that poses a threat to the natural waters in Alberta, Canada. In their application scenario explores two types of bioreactor designs for the bioremediation of toluene ponds, describing the engineering specifications, economics, and risks. In order to envision the potential impact of such application on the society, they created three technomoral scenarios discussing transformations brought forth by this technology to local indigenous communities, and local businesses. During this part of the work, the team visited an annual gathering of local indigenous community leaders about watersheds and land use issues, where they presented the project, the scenarios, and hosted a discussion. The team also hosted a blog about these activities.