Queen’s Genetically Engineered Machine Team (QGEM), is the Queen’s University iGEM team. We are a team of undergraduate students using synthetic biology to tackle real world problems faced in the world. The team is broken up into a Wet Lab team, Dry Lab team, and Outreach Team. The Wet Lab team is responsible for researching and working on processes in the Lab. The dry Lab team is responsible for working on the modelling of the data collection and creating the team’s wiki for the international competition. And finally, the Outreach team is responsible for connecting with other iGEM teams around the world and sharing the project with the community. Thus, the three teams have been working diligently for the last six months on Project ReCircuit.

We know that plastic is a reliable product for countless industries, due to its durability and versatility; however, it’s also not easily degradable. To improve recycling methods, we were inspired to take on project Recircuit. Through Recircuit, we will bridge the gap caused by plastic’s inability to degrade and cost to recycle by producing a bacterium that can use PET plastic, which is found in clear water bottles, as a feedstock for PHB synthesis, a type of bioplastic. This will create a system that can repurpose PET into a more environmentally friendly alternative. Our team aims to reduce the number of harmful plastics in the environment as well as increase the awareness of plastic impact.