Team:Macquarie Australia/Human Practices
HUMAN PRACTICES
A major point of influence for our project was public engagement and feedback, which gave us a valuable starting point for our human practices. Demonstrating the capability of synthetic biology for real-life applications such as hydrogen detection can have a broad impact such as wider acceptance towards synthetic biology, more funding towards scientific renewables and in turn, a valuable output for a sustainable economy. A broad impact of our project may facilitate the shift of a fossil fuel based economy towards a hydrogen economy which in itself has many more positive impacts for the environment. The team participated in three events in order to educate and engage the public in the realm of synthetic biology and iGEM.
Brigidine College St Ives
Team HyDRA presented a talk at Brigidine College, St Ives to discuss various topics relating to recent advances in science and our iGEM project. We decided to focus our presentation on issues faced by women in STEM, the properties and risks of hydrogen gas, the limitations of current gas detectors, and how synthetic biology and iGEM project seeks to provide a novel solution to enable efficient and easy detection of hydrogen gas.
Our team carefully planned our presentation to ensure it would not involve talking at the students, but rather discussing concepts with students. Prior to the presentation, we consulted with science communicator, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, to learn a variety of effective strategies to communicate our message in an engaging and memorable way.
We asked the students what they know about topics suchs as ethics and GMOs, discussing with them different ideas and interesting facts surrounding this. We then followed with a short (1-4 minute) YouTube video on the topic and asking the students their opinions
As all of our presenters on the day were female, and we were presenting at an all-girls school, talking about women in STEM was especially poignant to our team and to the students we spoke with. Another ethical issue that we discussed together with the students involved the environmental concerns of the use of GMOs for research, for food, and for other applications, such as for our iGEM project. The students were open to the use of GMOs in science. They expressed that they were supportive of synthetic biology research as long as all appropriate measures were taken to ensure that the environmental impact is minimal. This was an initial insight into the broad concerns the public may have that we had not considered.
Unsurprisingly, most of the year 10 students did not know the difference between genetic engineering and synthetic biology. The students were not aware of Australian laws concerning the labelling of GMO foods and products, such as canola oil, soy and corn. Additionally, the students were largely unfamiliar with the explosive and flammable properties of hydrogen gas.
Synthetic biology Australasia conference
iGEM teams across Australia and New Zealand were invited to attend and present at the 2019 Synthetic Biology Australasia (SBA) Conference in Brisbane. A diverse range of conference delegates presented, including local and international guests, researchers from universities and organisations and sales representatives of our sponsors. Teams were given 10 minutes to present their projects and answer questions from the audience. Alice and Jerresa focused on discussing the importance of hydrogen as a renewable energy source, the science behind our biosensor, along with key results from laboratory work and our outreach activities. It was a fantastic opportunity to interact with researchers and industry leaders and further develop our presentation skills. SBA was also a great opportunity to meet other iGEM teams in the Australasian region, and practice answering questions from an audience. ( Team Victoria University of Wellington, Team UNSW, Team Melbourne and Team Sydney).
Macquarie University open day
Team HyDRA was successful in arranging a stall for Macquarie University Open Day, an opportunity to engage in meaningful and enthusiastic discussions about synthetic biology, iGEM and the future of hydrogen gas as a renewable energy source. People who visited our stall ranged from primary and high school students, their parents, prospective university students and synthetic biology PhD students.
Our main activity at our stall was the operation of a hydrogen gas fuelled toy car, and a display of a video showing how hydrogen generating Escherichia coli cultures can power a fan. We presented an interactive talk to groups with informative and educational elements such as brochures, posters and surveys for each person to fill out. We were surprised how eager the younger generations were to learn more about hydrogen gas and synthetic biology, and how older audience members were more cynical about using synthetic biology to design a novel gas detector.
The most informative element that gave us the most feedback about public opinion was the survey. The two biggest public concerns in reference to hydrogen gas is cost and safety. 29% of respondents reported concerns regarding safety, and 9% were concerned with cost. This led us to wonder if potential stakeholders and industry leaders had the same concerns, and what tactics they may have to overcome this. We hypothesised that public perception would differ from industrial perception, and both must be considered in the design phase.
Fire + Rescue NSW (FRNSW)
Who did we interview?
Scientific Officer, Paul Beylerian
Why did we interview them?
Paul’s role at Fire + Rescue NSW involves working closely with hazmat teams and firefighters responsible for responding to reports of radiation, biological/chemical agents and hydrogen gas leaks.
Highlights from the interview
Paul explained the current method of gas detection used by Fire + Rescue NSW is GC-MS (gas chromatography mass spectrometry). Due to the complexity of these devices, Paul described to us that oftentimes, firefighters simply do not use these gas detectors when they should, or they struggle to interpret the readings. Paul was recently contacted by a colleague from AFEC in Western Australia addressing the increasing prevalence of hydrogen gas in the reticulated gas system. There are concerns about existing infrastructure and the ability to support hydrogen gas usage, particularly in terms of explosions and fire risks.
Hazer Group
Who did we interview?
Chief Operating Officer, Mark Edwards
Why did we interview them?
Hazer Group are industry leaders in low emission production of hydrogen gas. Their patented Hazer process involves the conversion of natural gas into hydrogen gas and graphite. We interviewed Hazer Group as this industry stakeholder may have unique insights for hydrogen gas detection in the context of hydrogen production, and the safety considerations involved in producing industrial volumes of gas.
Highlights from the interview
Hazer uses a combination of gas detectors and infrared cameras in their facilities. Mark explained the difficulties in detecting and responding to hydrogen gas fires, particularly with extremely low radiant heat and the directionality of hydrogen flames. He also suggested considering the location of our hydrogen gas detector due to rapid diffusion of hydrogen and the presence of hydrogen containing equipment. This is not something we had previously considered so we discussed suitable locations such as the ceiling and along gas pipelines.
Maximator
Who did we interview?
Managing Director, Darren Wells
Why did we interview them?
Maximator is a company based in Brisbane, Australia specialising in the manufacture of custom-built high pressure systems for markets such as oil, gas, mining and industrial gases. We contacted Maximator to gain valuable insights into solution engineering and system design, and how these can address problems faced with hydrogen gas containment.
Highlights from the interview
Prior to current detection technologies, a common method of testing hydrogen gas fires was the “broom test”. This involved holding up a straw broom in a room and ignition of the broom would indicate the presence of a fire. As a company that designs custom-built systems, Darren mentioned various factors which play a significant role in considering the final product. In particular for hydrogen, he suggested considering the pressure range in the pipelines and using specialised stainless steel to overcome embrittlement. Darren also expressed the danger of hydrogen gas containment, and thus a high standard detector would be important in high-pressure gas equipment. Darren also noted if our sensor was placed along pipelines and had a visual output, it would be beneficial because users can easily check to maintain the safety of the work environment. He was interested in trialling a prototype of our biosensor but unfortunately, we were still in the process of assembling our BioBricks.
BOC
Who did we interview?
Business Manager in Analytical and Pharmaceutical, Chris Dolman
Why did we interview them?
BOC is a member of the Linde group and is a leading supplier of gases, chemicals and safety equipment for clients developing safe, sustainable and innovative solutions in various sectors. The team hypothesised that BOC would have extensive experience and knowledge in issues concerning gas usage in industry and factors associated with maintaining gas safety regulations.
Highlights from the interview
Chris and his colleagues explained safety considerations involved in the life cycle of a gas production plant, from the engineering design to decommissioning to ensure attention is paid to managing gas compatibility (H2 embrittlement) and permeability (leading to flammability). Current approaches used to monitor the presence of H2 in the production environment involve detection using catalytic bead type (identifies passive escaping gas) and an infrared flame detector for radiant heat (a result of H2 burned in air). He also mentioned Dräger tubes, single use tubes that undergo chemical reactions when exposed to various gases, resulting in a colour change. These technologies are not without limitations, He also provided invaluable insight to safety regulations that govern industries that use or manufacture gases in large quantities.