We made it! Sophomore year stem was a blast and we have all learned so much. For our final project we got a lot of freedom on the directions our projects took. Our guidelines basically stated that we had to come up with a way to make the world a better place using biotechnology.
My group decided to focus on the huge issue of plastic pollution all over the world. We researched the the problem extensively, meaning how plastic products are made, the quantities they are produced in, their disposal etc. We also researched ideas that already exist to help solve this big issue such as plastic alternatives and ocean cleaning devices. After more research we finally came up with a way we could greatly reduce the time it take plastic to decompose. This concept could have a overwhelmingly positive impact on our earth. |
Our presentation
Content
Disposable plastics- plastic products that are manufactured for single use
relates to our project-despicable plastic make up most of the waste in our landfills and oceans
Decomposition-the state or process of decay and rotting
relates to our project- petroleum plastic products don't decay fast
polymer-a chemical structure containing a chain of monomers.
relates to our project- polymers are broken down my the bacteria in our project
monomer-a molecule; building block of polymer
relates to our project-bacteria produce monomers which is the ideal structure for plastic decomposition
Sphingomonas- a bacteria that breaks down polymers
relates to our project- most import part of our concept
poly aspartic acid-a biodegradable, water-soluble polymerized amino acid
relates to our project- the molecule that Sphingomonas naturally break down
relates to our project-despicable plastic make up most of the waste in our landfills and oceans
Decomposition-the state or process of decay and rotting
relates to our project- petroleum plastic products don't decay fast
polymer-a chemical structure containing a chain of monomers.
relates to our project- polymers are broken down my the bacteria in our project
monomer-a molecule; building block of polymer
relates to our project-bacteria produce monomers which is the ideal structure for plastic decomposition
Sphingomonas- a bacteria that breaks down polymers
relates to our project- most import part of our concept
poly aspartic acid-a biodegradable, water-soluble polymerized amino acid
relates to our project- the molecule that Sphingomonas naturally break down
Reflectionn
This year in stem, we learned so much about biology and how it can be manipulated by technology. The final project gave us a lot of freedom to apply these techniques in any way we saw fit to improve the world. In our project, we were able to come up with an outcome that we all were very proud of. A lot of thought went into each part. Although we could have used slightly better time management skills and planned our project out more thoroughly, we completed everything to strong level.
This project also gave me a lot of insight into a problem that I was aware of, but didn't fully understand. Now, with new information, I feel more inclined to stop the problem. I also gained valuable skills while doing research for this. I noticed that since the beginning of it, I am more efficient in finding the sources I need and can easily decipher what is unimportant or unreliable information.
I could have improved the way I presented the information. I don't think that the presentation did the concept enough justice. The research and ideas were very strong and interesting, and I would like to improve the way I convey my ideas to people. I would also like to get better at planning out project timelines and dividing up the workload in order to make the work run smoother.
In the beginning of our project, we were having a hard time formulating our ideas. Our main idea involved a structure for rive that would stop waste from entering the ocean. After spending time developing the idea, we realized that the concept didn't really involve biotechnology very much, so we started over. After more research and brainstorming, we had a breakthrough on a new idea that we all liked and felt inspired by. Creating a way to make plastic decompose faster was very interesting to our group. Discovering the Spingomonas bacterium was definitely the peak of our project.
This project also gave me a lot of insight into a problem that I was aware of, but didn't fully understand. Now, with new information, I feel more inclined to stop the problem. I also gained valuable skills while doing research for this. I noticed that since the beginning of it, I am more efficient in finding the sources I need and can easily decipher what is unimportant or unreliable information.
I could have improved the way I presented the information. I don't think that the presentation did the concept enough justice. The research and ideas were very strong and interesting, and I would like to improve the way I convey my ideas to people. I would also like to get better at planning out project timelines and dividing up the workload in order to make the work run smoother.
In the beginning of our project, we were having a hard time formulating our ideas. Our main idea involved a structure for rive that would stop waste from entering the ocean. After spending time developing the idea, we realized that the concept didn't really involve biotechnology very much, so we started over. After more research and brainstorming, we had a breakthrough on a new idea that we all liked and felt inspired by. Creating a way to make plastic decompose faster was very interesting to our group. Discovering the Spingomonas bacterium was definitely the peak of our project.