Team:ASIJ Tokyo
Project Description
Plastic is a ubiquitous material in modern consumer goods. One of the most common plastics used today is polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Chemically, it is a polymer consisting of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid subunits. With the increasingly short life cycles of consumer products, PET waste is accumulating around the globe at an uncontrollable rate. Moreover, PET is a plastic that does not biodegrade well, and degradation often has to use industrial processes. Given the rapid accumulation of PET and the difficulties associated with biodegradation by ecosystems, it is paramount to find a more efficient method to degrade PET.
TEAM
We are the American School In Japan (ASIJ) iGEM team! We are Japan's first high school iGEM team, and this is our first year in the competition. Our team is composed of 27 individuals, all with a shared interest in the field of synthetic biology. Seven of our members will be traveling to Boston this year to present our project at the Jamboree, along with Ms. Beth Crissy, our teacher advisor, and Dr. Tyler DeWitt, our mentor. We hope our contribution will help combat the issue of artificial waste on our planet, bringing about change and a more optimistic future. If you would like to read more about us, click the tab above titled "Our Team", or check out the link below!
