by Dr. Elena Rosca, advisor to the AshesiGhana team

Dr. Elena Rosca also gave a session on this topic at iGEM’s 2020 Giant Jamboree (iGEM Video Universe)

My journey to synthetic biology began in 2007 while I was doing my PhD at Arizona State University. During my studies there, I had the opportunity to hear a seminar given by Drew Endy. Even to this day, I remember how excited I was about this idea of building a biological machine using standardized parts. However, I felt it was too late in my studies to change course, and so I completed my degree in bioengineering and continued my research in cancer therapies.

This journey has taken me from Arizona State University to Johns Hopkins to Kings College London and to the University of Hull, where I worked on improving therapies and imaging for cancer. In 2016, I joined the Engineering Department at Ashesi University in Ghana. There, I was reminded that even in an environment with less resources and infrastructure, I could probably still bring my knowledge about bioengineering using synthetic biology.

The first AshesiGhana iGEM team

In 2017, we had our own first team participate in iGEM – the 2017 AshesiGhana team. Their project was inspired by one of the biggest issues we have in Ghana, which is mining of natural resources. If mining is not done in a sustainable and environmentally sensitive way, it leads to much destruction of the environment. This is also accompanied by “galamsey”, which is illegal mining by small groups who use very toxic means to extract gold from refractory ore.

Inspired by this local problem, the team decided to design an organism that could quantify and liberate gold from ore in a safe and sustainable way. The students had no biology background at all, and so it was big achievement for them to participate in the iGEM competition. Their project earned them a Silver Medal, and they also received both the Twist Bioscience Award and the Chairman’s Award.

Building a synthetic biology community

As a result of this first project, we have conducted a series of outreach activities to introduce others, especially girls, to synthetic biology. The students conducted a series of radio interviews to raise awareness about synthetic biology. Currently, there is a team from Ghana working with the iGEM Entrepreneurship Program Innovation Community (EPIC) to further develop their project and perhaps turn it into a business. And two students from Ghana went on to become iGEM Ambassadors representing Africa. And so, we started building a community of synthetic biology in Ghana, particularly at Ashesi University.

The 2020 AshesiGhana iGEM team

This past year, we were fortunate enough to have our second iGEM team – the 2020 AshesiGhana iGEM team. Their project was inspired by another local problem in Ghana, which is coastal erosion and plastic pollution in the ocean. Ghana has been working since 2019 to try to build defense walls that could help stop erosion of coastal villages.

The 2020 AshesiGhana iGEM tackled both plastic pollution and coastal erosion by engineering bacteria to create “bioconcrete tetrapods” that are self-repairing and also bioluminescent. Their project earned them a Silver Medal, and they also received the Restore & Revive Sponsorship and the iGEM 2020 Science Slam award.

The Next Technology Revolution

Currently, Africa is responsible for only 1% of scientific research output. By getting young student scientists involved in iGEM, we are facilitating the contribution and progression of research. By starting so early we are hoping this allows the developing countries across Africa, and across the world, to actually contribute and be an integral part of this revolution, rather than being a spectator for a while and becoming involved later on in the process.

The iGEM community also nurtures and mentors this new generation of scientists who are posed to solve some of the most complex issues globally and locally. The development of solutions on a local level is particularly important. Many solutions are developed somewhere else, and may not necessarily address some of the local problems.

Synthetic biology for Africa

Consider that the African population is predicted to double by 2050, with 8.3 million people by 2030. This gives rise to several complex issues– from food production to infrastructure.

The African continent currently holds 60% of the world’s arable land. However, it is not a great producer of food for export. Africa actually imports quite a bit of its’ food. Some ideas of how synthetic biology may help in agriculture include:

Soil rejuvenation microorganisms
Plant pest eradication, for example pests that impact Africa’s cocoa production.
Enhanced agricultural productively, for example organisms that help with nitrogen fixation

Malaria is still one of the biggest problems in Africa, and is the leading cause of death for children under 5 years old. Artemisinin, one of the ingredients used in antimalarial drugs, is usually extracted from plants. Yet, there are a lot of issues with the growth of these plants, including soil and weather conditions, leading to waves of availability of antimalarial drugs. With synthetic biology, it has been shown that artemisinin can be produced in yeast. Artemisinin production in yeast is still rather expensive, but African scientists may be able to optimize the process to reduce costs and make antimalarial drugs more available.

Another interesting possibility is to look to Africa’s very rich herbal heritage. A lot of people are looking to herbal medicines before looking to traditional medicines. One of the biggest problems, however, is that herbal medicines are not controlled or standardized. Also, herbal medicines face the same challenges with soil and weather conditions, leading to problems with continuous and consistent production. With synthetic biology, African scientists may be able to engineer biosynthetic pathways to produce high quality medicinal compounds.

The African continent has the largest mining industry, which has led to destruction of the environment and the depletion of resources. For example, South Africa used to be the largest producer of gold in the 1970’s, but now produces only 6% of the world’s gold due to destructive mining practices and the depletion of resources. While it is not possible to do anything about the depletion of resources, synthetic biology could be used to improve mining practices in Africa:

Biomining approaches could be used to more efficiently extract gold and other precious metals from refractory ore.
Tailing management to remove arsenic, lead and mercury from tailings that are currently stored underground.
Environmental sensors to make sure that the environment for people to return to areas that have been mined.

Synthetic biology could also help with biodiversity and conservation on the African continent. For example, developing vaccines and medicines to address diseases that affect Africa’s wildlife.

Team AshesiGhana in 2017 - image from 2017.igem.org/Team:AshesiGhana

Impact for Universities in Africa

As more institutions in Africa become involved in iGEM or other activities that introduce young scientists to synthetic biology, it will be interesting to see the impact at the academic level. For example, at Ashesi University we have developed a Synthetic Biology engineering course that is run in a manner similar to iGEM – students find a local problem they want to address, they learn the synthetic biology tools, and in the laboratory they construct their organisms, show proof of concept, and collect results. Examples of synthetic biology projects coming out of this course include:

Anasi Creations: using spider silk to change the way we produce hair
Self-illuminating ceiling tiles: using bioremediation of coconut husks pollution

Board-O-Bact Board game by iGEM AshesiGhana 2020

Many final year projects are being inspired by work in synthetic biology. For example, one student is creating a game to introduce complex ideas and to reduce anxiety around synthetic biology. Another student is developing a biologically engineered IOT (internet of things) environmental sensing network that can be employed in many areas to monitor the environment.

In addition, we have a collaboration with a network to help teachers become more practical in their teaching. In this way we hope to be able to introduce teachers to the tools and potential of synthetic biology.

We are also creating a local community of iGEM alumni and iGEM Ambassadors, so that more people are being introduced to iGEM and synthetic biology. It is my sincere hope that Africa will be a significantly contributing member of the global community in synthetic biology.

My Final Message

Remembering back to the seminar where I first heard Drew Endy talk about synthetic biology, he described the E. chromi project of the 2009 Cambridge iGEM team. One of the things that struck me about that project is that the students didn’t know exactly what to do with it, and so they set up a collaboration with a design institute. And they came up with a potential product – a yogurt containing engineered bacteria that could use color to replace colonoscopies. The students predicted that it would not be until 2049 – forty years later – that the public might be willing to accept drinking a yogurt containing genetically engineered organisms as an alternative to a rather invasive and uncomfortable colonoscopy.

The challenge I leave to future iGEMers is to continue working hard and having fun with your projects, and maybe work even harder on engaging the larger community and stakeholders to come on board. With synthetic biology, I truly believe we can make the world a better, more efficient and sustainable place and community.