Townsend's team consisted of 14 undergraduate biology students at the University of Rochester, who brainstormed the project, carried out the research necessary to complete it, and presented it at a conference in Paris, France.
The project's goal was to create a biological system capable of taking CO2 out of the atmosphere and converting it into a biodegradable plastic. This project’s name was PHAntom, since the plastic the team aimed to create is known as PHA. One of the goals of PHAntom is to help facilitate a Martian colony by enabling plastic production on the planet. Transporting materials from Earth is incredibly expensive and inefficient, and thus a way for materials to be produced on Mars is likely necessary for a long-term habitat. PHAntom uses CO2 as the input
because the Martian atmosphere is incredibly CO2-rich, thus making the system more efficient.
To test the capabilities of the bacteria, the team designed and built a machine known as a clinostat. By rotating a biological sample on two axes, the force of gravity can be averaged out over time, which is used as an approximation of lower-than-Earth gravity. Using the clinostat, Martian gravity can be approximated in a lab here on Earth, with the team’s cheaply built and easily replicable machine.
The team consulted professionals across a wide range of fields to ensure that the needs of stakeholders were met both on Earth and on Mars. In doing so, they learned about applications of PHAntom here on Earth. As stated above, the bacteria takes CO2 out of the atmosphere, which is important since CO2 is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming. Also, PHA breaks down in soil and doesn’t leave behind any harmful microplastics.
This research was carried out under the umbrella of a program called iGEM, or International Genetically Engineered Machines. Teams from all over the world work on projects for a year or more, then travel to Paris and present their findings. This year, team PHAntom won a gold medal and received 4 nominations, which, by number of recognitions, means they were the best performing American team. The nominations were for Best Hardware, Best Entrepreneurship, Best Space Project, and Best Wiki.
The team’s head advisor is Dr. Anne Meyer, a long-time iGEM judge and a professor of biology at the University of Rochester. When asked about the team, she said, “I was really blown away by how successful the team's project was. Their amazing success is really a tribute to the team's innovative thinking, strong teamwork, and persistence throughout the course of their project. This team never quit thinking about ways to improve their project, and their creative troubleshooting really paid off in buckets.”
Pictured below: Team PHAntom, including teaching assistants (TAs) and Dr. Meyer, posing with their gold medal. Back row (left to right): Anthony Renzi (TA), Owen Oxley (‘27), Yifeng (Jackson) Zhao (‘26), Zack Vanderhoff (TA), Elizabeth Martin (TA). Middle row (left to right): Lacie Low (TA), Dr. Anne Meyer (advisor), Cassidy Garibaldo (‘27), Shailey Guddeti (‘26), Victoria Wang (‘27), Clare Liu (‘27), Hannah Lee (‘27), Sevarakhon Umarova (‘28), Sophie Black (‘27), Maia Kurti (‘27). Front row (left to right): Jessica Wang (‘28), Soham Bandyopadhyay (‘26), Daniel Oh (‘26). Not
pictured: Michael Townsend (‘27).
This article appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of Fidelitas: The Alumni Newsletter of Oratory Prep. To read the latest issue, visit www.oratoryprep.org/fidelitas.