Overview
To combat mosquitoes' population, AIS-China 2024 developed Moskilla utilizing RNAi technique. Facing the challenge of market entry and meeting consumer needs, we recognized the limitations of relying only on our team's insights for product development.
Guided by values of public health, profitability, environmental safety, innovation and privacy, we engaged with diverse stakeholders, including the public, government officials, park staff and vets to identify potential end-users' needs and refine our project.
For project implementation, we collaborated with iGEM teams SZU-China, Tsinghua-M, SMU-GDMU-CHINA, and with a PhD candidate from Professor Xiaoguang Chen's team, focusing on shRNA design and detection, mosquito feeding experiments and addressing biosafety concerns.
In terms of commercialization, we have established partnership with mosquito product testing agency, an embedded engineer for testing and production, and patent experts to safeguard our innovation.
Additionally, we proactively educated communities and schools about mosquito-borne diseases, receiving positive responses.
Our Human Practices initiative aims to connect all those impacted by current mosquito control issues and those dedicated to controlling them. By consulting with experts across sectors, we strive to make Moskilla as effective and responsible as it can be for its real-world application.
Values Identification
We are committed to involving human practices in the engineering design process to successfully meet the needs of our potential end-users. We believe that for new technology to be accepted by society and enter the market, it is essential to listen to, evaluate, and incorporate the voices and backgrounds of potential end-users into the design. This is known as consumer-driven product design. In addition to the voices of potential end-users, we also want to value the voices of society, as this will help promote Moskilla to be as good and responsible as possible when entering the real world. So we define the users and related social groups involved in the project as our stakeholders.
For every stakeholder that has an influence on the development of Moskilla, we have prioritized our core values, including public health, profitability, environmental safety, innovation and privacy. We strive to integrate these values into Moskilla, helping us to identify consistency and resolve conflicts among them.
You can click on each value to learn more about our efforts to implement them.
Public health
Environmental safety
Innovation
Profitability
Privacy
Stakeholders Identification
Under the guideline of consumer-driven product design, we have visualized stakeholder interest levels in our project related to identifying our end-users, formulating our design, expanding our impact and commercialization. Guided by Mendelow's Matrix below, the categorization helps prioritize engagement strategies for effective project implementation.
Figure 1. Mendelow's Matrix weighing the Interest of certain stakeholders against their power
Reflection framework
∙ Reflection on AREA framework
To confirm the impact of a project, it is necessary to engage in effective two-way communication with various stakeholders. Therefore, we need a structured tool to help us integrate feedback received from stakeholders and make timely adjustments to project design based on feedback. Inspired by 2022 TU-Eindhoven, we use the four steps of their optimized Area framework as guidance to help us engage in targeted communication.
Reflecting on our project, we define the purpose of the communication event. Keeping the purpose in mind, we gain feedback while engaging with our stakeholders, take actions on the implementation of our project, and outline our next steps for further anticipation. By following this cycle, we have advanced our communications with stakeholders throughout the journey, ultimately achieving one milestone after another.
(Hover on each component to learn more)
∙ Events category
We have consulted with experts from various fields, who have provided valuable insights from multiple perspectives. Their contributions have been instrumental in identifying issues and formulating our solutions, and have also helped us understand the diverse impacts that Moskilla might cause.
After analyzing their characteristics and their interests in our project, we divided their outreach events into the following 5 categories based on their contributions to the development of Moskilla, the need, implementation, safety, laws and regulations, business.
You can click on each event to learn more about our definition of corresponding events.
The need
This section analyzes the reason why specific stakeholders need our project and elaborates how our project helps deal with their problems combining with the suggestions from experts.
Safety
This section confirms the safety of our product. As we've communicated with experts from different fields, the safety of our product can be optimized and verified in terms of every aspect.
Implementation
This section explains the application of our products to specific stakeholders. With the support of other experts, we received lots of suggestions and made some improvements in order to better meet the needs of stakeholders.
Business
This section allows us to analyze and improve the feasibility of project entrepreneurship from a more professional business perspective. It also indicates the economical impacts bring by our project.
Laws and regulations
This section can ensure that our project complies with local laws and regulations. This will help our project better enter the real world. Here, the patentability and legitimacy of our products will be demonstrated.
Our Human Practices Journey
Our journey began when our team members were troubled by mosquitoes, and the mosquito control products currently available on the market did not meet their needs. After literature research, it was found that mosquito borne diseases pose a threat to people around the world. Through communication with disease control experts and citizens, we have gained an understanding of the harmfulness of mosquitoes, the necessity of mosquito control, and the demand for new mosquitocidal products, which has helped us identify potential end users. Based on the needs of potential target customers, we consulted with biosafety and technology experts, and our solution gradually took shape. At the same time, in order to expand the influence of our project, we have raised people's awareness of mosquito control through educational classes and lectures, further expanding our target customer group. We also consulted experts in the business and legal regulatory industries to lay the foundation for Moskilla's entry into the market.
In summary, our human practices journey mainly consists of four stages, namely identifying issues, formulating our solution, expanding project impact(education), and commercialization(IHP sth about business).
You can learn about the events that occur during our journey through the rectangular text box. Each outreach has flag markers with different colors in the top right corner to indicate for which event category. If you are interested in our reflection process at an event, please click the READ MORE button to learn about our analysis of applying the AREA framework. You will understand our purpose, gains, reflections, and outlook.
Stage 1: Identifying Issues
1. Questionnaire for citizens in southern China
Our project sought to understand public demand for mosquitocidal products through an online survey. Key findings include dissatisfaction with current product effectiveness (41.6%), a significant shift in public opinion towards mosquito elimination after disease education (86.1%), and safety concerns regarding chemical ingredients (53.5%). The majority of interest comes from domestic gardeners, outdoor enthusiasts, and pet owners, most of which have minimal concern for non-target insects. So we decided to design products for different application scenarios. For personal use product, the price preferences lean towards affordability (<100 CNY). In response, we propose RNAi technology for targeted mosquito control, a 'kill switch' in E. coli for biosafety, and public education on mosquito-borne diseases to foster support for effective strategies. Our approach also considers cost-effective product design and expert consultation for further optimization.
2. Telephone Interview with a vet
To address concerns about harmful ingredients in current mosquito-killing and repellent products, particularly for human and pet safety, we conducted an interview with a vet, identifying specific issues such as allergic reactions and heartworm infections in cats due to mosquito bites, and the negative health impacts of chemical repellents on cats. We also learned about the common mosquito control methods used by pet owners, which include mosquito nets and unscented electric repellents in lack of efficiency. It helps us identify cat owners as our potential customers.
3. Interview with Professor Yang Liu
Our interview with Professor Yang Liu, the staff in Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Abbr. CDC), illuminated the critical need for addressing mosquito-borne diseases, highlighting transmission patterns, economic impacts, and management challenges. Key obstacles include ineffective products and chemical resistance. Public awareness is low, with limited impact from social media. Despite ongoing efforts, practical application remains hard to achieve. Our project will focus on developing an attractive, safe mosquitocidal device, addressing technical, drug-resistance and biosafety issues, and engaging the public to enhance mosquito control. We also aim to further collaborate with CDC staff to explore the necessity for new, non-resistant insecticides that protect beneficial insects.
4. Interview with Shenzhen park management personnel
This interview aimed to understand the efficacy of current mosquito control in parks and to discern the management's needs for innovative solutions. Findings reveal that mosquitoes negatively affect visitor experiences, prompting the park to invest 300,000 CNY in extermination, including chemical and physical methods. While open to new technologies, concerns about efficacy and environmental impact exist. The park's interest in ATSB devices highlights a need for effective, eco-friendly alternatives. Identifying parks management as our end-users, we plan to offer our device for testing to meet their requirements and address their concerns.
5. Interview with staff in SZCDC
We conducted an interview with another staff in Shenzhen Center for Disease Control (SZCDC) and Prevention to gain further insights into the current status of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) in Shenzhen and explore potential solutions for prevention and control. Findings reveal the prevalence of MBDs, limited public awareness in mosquito control, econimic consumption and disadvantages caused by existing prevention measures. Besides, understanding the role of different stakeholders in managing MBDs, we identify street offices and communities as another potential end-users. Moving forward, we aim to partner with SZCDC for Moskilla's integration into their initiatives, commit to ongoing evaluation and adaptation of Moskilla, and engage with local other stakeholders for feedback and collaboration, especially street offices and communities.
6. Interview with staff in street office
We assessed mosquito control measures by the interview with a staff in street office, identifying end-user needs. Current chemical disinfection, while effective, poses sustainability and safety challenges. But they will also pay attention to regularly changing different insecticides to avoid mosquitoes developing resistance. And street offices recognized public education is vital for addressing misconceptions. Knowing the qualifications of outsourced companies, our Moskilla is confirmed as a better and more ecological alternative. However, broad pest control of chemical disinfection is preferred, as it can eliminate not only mosquitoes but also other pests like cockroaches and fruit flies. Inspired by them, We will focus on community engagement, R&D for urban pest shRNAs, and understanding outsourcer qualifications. Our shRNAs are also designed to target different key survival genes in mosquitoes to prevent the development of drug resistance.
7. Questionnaire for mountaineering association
We learned about the views and needs of the Shenzhen Mountaineering Association on current mosquitoes elimination products using while camping through online surveys. The main findings include 40% of participants complained about current products' lack of effectiveness. In addition, the survey shows that the public is very concerned about the composition and environmental protection of mosquito products, and 42% of participants are willing to pay higher fees for better mosquito control . Based on these survey results, we have strengthened our confidence in targeting camping enthusiasts as our end-users. And we will prove our Moskilla's effectiveness, safety and environmentally friendly effects to improve our market competitiveness.
8. Telephone Interview with staff in Environmental Protection Bureau
We contacted the local environmental protection bureau to understand the current chemical extermination methods and their regulatory oversight, as well as the role of mosquitoes in the food chain. Our research indicates that mass mosquito killing could disrupt habitats and affect species that rely on mosquitoes, such as geckos, lizards, and frogs. Additionally, chemical insecticides cause discomfort to residents, highlighting the need for communication and safety measures during the extermination process. We also explored the controversial gene editing technology for mosquito control, considering its potential benefits and risks, including genetic and biosecurity concerns, as well as its secondary effects on animals that consume mosquitoes. Our project's implementation will prioritize the safe domestic use of Moskilla, ensuring minimal environmental impact. With future external application in view, we are committed to meeting the Environmental Protection Bureau's testing standards to ensure safety and efficacy.
🪨 Milestone 1: Confirming the needs of our end-users
Following a survey and several interviews, we confirmed with our
stakeholders—the public, cat owners, the CDC, local street offices,
communities, and mountaineering enthusiasts, who are also our
end-users—the need for an innovative solution to mosquito control. All
stakeholders voiced concerns about the safety and efficacy of existing
mosquitocidal products. Upon gathering their feedback on our product,
Moskilla, we recognized the critical role of education in mosquito
control. Our concept of integrating specific mosquitocidal shRNAs with
sugar and HMBPP attractants has gained recognition.
In response to their concerns about our project's safety, we are
urgently working to refine the design of the traditional ATSB device to
prevent the release of live bacteria. Additionally, achieving the
qualifications necessary for commercialization and reaching our
end-users presents a significant challenge that we are determined to
overcome. To this end, we have consulted with specialists for the
implementation of our project. Meanwhile, we have conducted educational
programs on mosquito control aimed at the general public, thereby
amplifying the impact of our project.
Stage 2. Formulating Our Solution
1. South China Exchange Conference
In the South China Exchange Conference, we shared our iGEM project and gathered feedbacks from other iGEM teams. We received valuable insights on safety and shRNA delivery, leading to the development of a 'kill switch' for E. coli and the use of dead yeast cells for shRNA. With those feedback and concerns taken in mind, we plan to attend more conferences for academic exchange, engage with potential customers to reconcile different needs. With the collaboration with team SMU-GDMU-CHINA, we also plan to communicate with Professor Xiaoguang Chen to explore biosafety in mosquito control.
2. Meeting with team SZU-China
With questions about shRNA design and safety issues in mind, we met and discusssed with SZU-China. We received suggestions in shRNA design from their previous experiences and resources for further human practice activities.
3. Meeting with Dr. Zheng Li
This meeting with Dr. Zheng Li, a PhD in Physics from Tsinghua University, is to strategize the design of dual-purpose hardware for mosquito elimination, integrating HMBPP-producing E. coli and shRNA. Key insights include combining existing mosquito attraction technologies with HMBPP production for home and open environments. Suggestions encompass intelligent liquid modules for E. coli elimination, ergonomic device design for HMBPP generator management, energy-saving operation through mosquito detection, and solar power integration for outdoor use. Post-meeting, we will implement Dr. Li's advice, ensuring safety with a kill switch and exploring versatile designs. Our outlook involves further development for home and public health applications, engaging with potential users for feedback to refine our hardware.
4. Meeting with team Tsinghua-M 2024
As a mosquitocide produced by yeast, we need to ensure a fixed amount of shRNA is used in each product from the perspective of quality control. In order to have a further understanding of various quantitative detection of shRNA methods and apply in our project, a meeting with team Tsinghua-M 2024 was conducted. In the meeting, we mainly discussed the mechanism, progress, advantages and limitations of their project. Also, they gave us several suggestions and comments on our idea of small RNA(sRNA) quantification.
5. The 11th Conference of China iGEMer Community
From July 12th to 14th, the Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC) was held at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China. Nearly a thousand people attended the conference, including 89 teams from universities and 35 high school teams. In this great event, We aim to enhance our project by seeking external feedback and exploring broader applications. We gain the need for an effective kill switch for genetically modified E.coli, verifying bait attractiveness in hardware for mosquito trapping, and ensuring purple light for mosquito attraction doesn't hinder bacterial growth. Based on these gains, we implemented kill switch design and testing, and hardware effectiveness experiments design. We will conduct strategic light placement and upcoming mosquito breeding for further experiments post-hardware construction.
6. Written Interview with Southern Medical University Professor Xiaoguang Chen
In our discussion with Professor Xiaoguang Chen from Southern Medical University, he highlighted the increasing prevalence of mosquito-borne illnesses, like malaria and dengue fever, and the shortcomings of existing mosquito control products, indicating a need for innovative solutions. Recognizing the potential of our Moskilla technology, we secured his professional recognition and established a cooperative agreement for the provision and mentorship in mosquito experimentation. We look forward to potential future collaborations, including visits to Professor Chen's mosquito research facility for further exchange and learning.
7. Communication with Jing Wu, a PhD candidate of Pro. Xiaoguang Chen's team
Our team engaged in this study to enhance our understanding of mosquito breeding and genetically modified mosquitoes. We acquired insights into efficient breeding techniques, maintenance, and sex identification, which are critical for our research. Despite the challenges in genetic modification, such as low success rates, we confirmed the safety of the process with no gene leakage risk. This exchange has propelled our project forward, enabling us to integrate an HMBPP attractant into mosquito traps, aiming to significantly improve control strategies and reduce disease transmission, offering valuable insights for future public health innovations.
8. Meeting with team SMU-GDMU-CHINA 2024
With the wiki freeze approaching, we engaged in discussions to share project updates and explore collaboration opportunities. And we learnt about the innovative application of GMOs as probiotics for human consumption. We further discussed the probability of developing a guide for GMO product safety management and approval in China to ensure biosafety compliance in project implementation, aiming to support future iGEM teams in their development endeavors.
🪨 Milestone 2: Formulating our solution
To formulate our solution, we collaborated with a variety of iGEM teams, Dr. Zheng Li, and Professor Xiaoguang Chen, utilizing conferences, online meetings, and interviews to apply their expertise. Their specialized insights have been instrumental in guiding us to design mosquitoes-specific shRNAs, enhance the safety features of our hardware device, and conduct mosquitoes' breeding experiments. In light of end-users' concerns regarding the release of live bacteria, our device has evolved to a mosquitocidal lamp design, complete with sealed storage for live bacteria and a dripping module, ensuring both safety and effectiveness.
Stage 3. Expanding Project Impact
1. Interactive lesson in primary school
We initiative aims to enhance youth awareness of mosquito-borne diseases through educational programs and thus to expand our project impact. Finally, the comparison between the pre-class survey and post-lesson survey revealed a preference for mosquito repellent use at 85%, which rose to 98% post-education, reflecting the excellent teaching effect. This interactive lesson helped us develop science curriculum modules, interactive teaching methods, and post-lesson evaluations. Moving forward, we will keep on emphasizing the importance of public health education in mosquito-borne diseases prevention and control among the public.
2. Community education in World Mosquito Day
We initiated an educational lecture aiming at raising awareness about mosquito-borne diseases. After identifying a gap in public knowledge, we partnered with the community for a parent-child sports event on August 21, coinciding with World Mosquito Day. The pre-event Q&A revealed participants' limited awareness, which improved significantly by the lecture's end. Also, participants expressed support for our product, Moskilla, after learning about prevention strategies and product selection. It indicated the potential to boost customer engagement and contribute to our profitability. So we categorized this form of educational activity into the marketing strategy in our business layout. Moving forward, we plan to create awareness posters to further educate the public and increase brand visibility.
🪨 Milestone 3: Expanding project impact
The educational initiatives has been successful on raising awareness and changing behaviors related to mosquito-borne diseases. Also, both of the interactive lessons in the primary school and the community have contributed to our project's goal of expanding its impact. The feedback from these events has been instrumental in refining our educational materials and strategies, as well as in enhancing our marketing approach. We will continue to build on these successes to further our mission of public health education and disease prevention.
Stage 4. Commercialization
1. Telephone interview with engineer of mosquitocidal effectiveness testing institution (anonymously)
To facilitate Moskilla's market entry, we consulted an engineer from a mosquito efficacy testing agency to understand testing protocols and regulatory requirements. Through the telephone interview, we gained insights include using 3-7 day-old unfed female mosquitoes for attraction testing, the necessity of a pesticide registration certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture for new mosquitocide, and the need for national standard compliance, involving a 4900 CNY fee per sample. Then we implemented taking testing costs, regulatory applications, and aligning with the Ministry of Agriculture and Market Supervision Administration's approval criteria into consideration. We will engage with these departments to clarify requirements for a new mosquitocide and device.
2. Interview with a past patent agency official (anonymously)
For commercial purposes, such as marketing and future branding for Moskilla, AIS-China 2024 is planning to have a patent applied to demonstrate our product's quality, novelty, and unparalelled advantages. Therefore, a specialist working as the CEO in a patent application agency before (anonymously) took us to visit the exhibition hall of the Nanshan District Intellectual Property Protection Center in Shenzhen, helped us to understand some excellent products in Shenzhen, and systematically answered questions related to patent applications. Through the interview, we gained insights into the two-year timeline for invention patents, versus one year for utility model and design patents, and the 20-year protection period for invention patents. Patent application costs involve a 7,000 CNY agency fee and escalating annual maintenance costs, with an 85% reduction for institutional or individual ownership. With the help of this information, we will evaluate the costs, select a patent agency, and research similar products to refine our device design.
3. Written interview with lawyer Weijian Zhong, a patent attorney from DeHeng Law Offices (Shenzhen)
To minimize confusion and misunderstanding, we consulted patent law specialist Lawyer Zhong to help apply patent application for Moskilla. Through the interview, we gained insights into the application process and tips to keep in mind. Based on his professional advice, we decided to apply the invention patent for the largest extent of protection. After the interview, we will improve the hardware design, draft an instruction manual, and prepare the patent application document.
4. Consulation to embedded engineer Mr. Zhihao Gao
To explore cost reduction opportunities for our hardware device's raw materials under industrial production scales. We consulted Mr. Gao, an experienced embedded engineer, to gather industry insights on procurement and manufacturing costs. His expertise provided us with valuable data on device shell manufacturing, module costs, and IoT technology application expenses, which are crucial for refining our business plan's financial projections.
🪨 Milestone 4: Commercialization
To realize the commercialization of Moskilla, we regard the comprehensive strategy of facilitating market entry and intellectual property protection integrated with educational initiatives highly effective. Since our educational initiatives have demonstrated the success of expanding project impact, we subsequently outreached to a mosquitocidal effectiveness testing institution engineer, an embedded engineer and patent lawyers. Ultimately, our efforts to understand and navigate the regulatory landscape for Moskilla's market entry have been strengthened by these consultations. And all the actions in this section ensure our Moskilla's profitability and scalability.
Purpose
We conducted this interview to gather detailed information about the current state of mosquito-borne disease transmission in Shenzhen. This information will help us understand the severity and necessity of addressing mosquito-borne disease issues, confirm project requirements, and guide our subsequent research efforts.
Gains
From the interview, we gathered the following key insights:
- Transmission Patterns: High mosquito density increases the probability of mosquito bites, but biting is random. High-density areas are mainly construction sites.
- Economic Impact: Outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases lead to economic losses, including employee sick leave, construction site shutdowns, and social impacts.
- Challenges and Difficulties: The main challenge is management issues. Shenzhen has many departments, making it difficult to implement inspections and management. The wide range of mosquito bites, drug resistance in chemical control, high costs, and difficulty in controlling mosquito breeding sites are significant obstacles. Existing mosquito control products are ineffective, and there is an urgent need to develop new insecticides without resistance.
- Public Awareness： Public participation is low, and awareness of mosquito-borne disease transmission and health consciousness is insufficient. Although social media posts have some effect, the overall impact is limited due to different audience groups. Setting up courses in primary and secondary schools and government promotion are unrealistic due to time and manpower constraints, mainly relying on media promotion.
- Current Progress：Many people are working on this, and implementation results are good, but it remains at the experimental stage, making it challenging to apply practically.
Implementation
Based on the insights gained from the interview, we will:
- Ensure that the attractants in the device are more attractive to mosquitoes than humans.
- Address technical issues related to RNA degradation and the mechanism of shRNA entering the nervous system.
- Considering biosafety, we will design a device that can restrict live bacteria and verify its safety and effectiveness to ensure that the killing effect is only targeted at mosquitoes and does not affect other non-target organisms.
- Engage with the public to raise awareness and participation in mosquito control efforts.
- Explore how to reduce the drug resistance caused by our products.
Outlook
- Develop a mosquitocidal device: We plan to develop a device that offers an additional option for mosquito control, addressing current product pain points and providing a comfortable, mosquito-free environment.
- Engaging with other CDC staff: In order to understand what local official departments or organizations are implementing mosquito disinfection and sterilization actions in public environment, we need to continue to engage with other informed CDC staff to confirm the need for new mosquitocidal methods that need to protect other non-target insects, especially beneficial insects.
Purpose
Gains
- Prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases(MBDs): Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention (SZCDC) confirmed that dengue fever is the most common mosquito-borne disease in Shenzhen, primarily due to imported cases from dengue-endemic regions. MBDs are more prevalent during the warm and rainy months (May to October) and in areas with stagnant water and high human density, such as construction sites, parks, and traffic crone.
- Confirm the department responsible for prevention and control: The SZCDC focuses on targeted awareness campaigns and physical measures like removing stagnant water sources. Chemical control is limited to emergency situations and specific areas. Under normal circumstances, the local street office or community property uses the granted funds to select the mosquito elimination in the area.
- Measures for eliminating mosquitoes: SZCDC made it clear that they would not use chemical insecticides for large-scale elimination. On the one hand, they were worried about the harm of chemical reagents to human bodies, and on the other hand, they were worried that drug resistant mosquitoes would grow.
- Huge economic cost: Although surprised, the staff member of SZCDC said that some regions would spend 3.1 billion yuan every year on mosquito disinfection and sterilization and mosquito borne disease control.
- Public Awareness and Involvement: The Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention recognizes the need to raise public awareness of mosquito breeding grounds and the importance of timely medical treatment for suspected cases. However, due to limitations in manpower and funding, in addition to regular social media channels for education, they can only selectively educate in areas prone to flooding, such as construction sites, parks, flower markets and customs. Sometimes they enter the community to promote and advocate for the establishment of "Mosquito free community".
Implementation
- In addition to the CDC and park management, we have identified street offices and communities as potential end-users.
- We are developing a corresponding mosquito prevention and control education activities for the community to enhance public awareness and participation, and help respond to CDC's advocacy to establish "Mosquito free community".
Outlook
- Collaboration with SZCDC: We aim to collaborate with the SZCDC for further testing and implementation of Moskilla in Shenzhen, potentially as part of their “Mosquito-Free Community” initiative.
- Evaluation and Adaptation: We will regularly evaluate the effectiveness of Moskilla and make necessary adjustments based on feedback and data collected.
- Engage with local street office or community: Identifying local street office and community as potential end-users, we would try to engage with these stakeholders and gather their feedback on our project.
Purpose
During our first survey, we identified mountaineering and camping enthusiasts as our potential end-users. So we want to learn about our potential end-users through Shenzhen Mountaineering Association. We regard it crucial to understand their views on mosquitoes during camping and its expectations for mosquito elimination products.
Gains
- Frequent mosquito problems: 40% of participants are often troubled by mosquitoes when camping, reflecting the current lack of mosquito elimination products in the field.
- The effectiveness of mosquito repellent products: 40% of participants believe that the current mosquito repellent or anti-mosquito products are not effective and cannot achieve the expected anti-mosquito effect.
- Concerns about product composition and environmental protection: 33% of the participants are very concerned about the safety and environmental protection of mosquito repellent products, reflecting the public's attention to the safety of chemical use.
- Willingness to pay higher fees for better results: 42% of respondents are willing to pay higher prices for more effective anti-mosquito products, indicating the market demand for high-quality mosquito repellent products.
- The relationship between the frequency of camping and the degree of distress: Although 59% of the respondents said that they camped occasionally or frequently, most of them reported that they were affected by mosquitoes when camping, showing the great potential of mosquito repellent products in the camping market.
Implementation
- Prove Moskilla's effectiveness: In response to the feedback from the enthusiasts of the Shenzhen Mountaineering Association on the poor effect of the current products, the effectiveness of Moskilla is crucial to enhance our product's market competitiveness.
- Focus on product safety and environmental protection: In response to public concerns about the safety of ingredients, using RNAi technique to eliminate mosquitoes without harming any other non-target organisms is a great choice. But we should ensure and prove its safety and environmentally friendly effects.
- Improve the public's understanding of product ingredients: Through education and publicity, increasing the public's understanding of product ingredients and their safety will help improve the market competitiveness of our Moskilla.
Outlook
- Market research and user feedback: Regularly conduct market research and user feedback collection, and continuously optimize product design and functions to meet the needs of different user groups.
- Promotion and education: Improve the acceptance and influence of new products in the market through multi-channel promotion.
- Learning to optimize supply chain management: By understanding the fermentation production of mosquitocidal yeast and E. coli, optimizing supply chain management will ensure the quality control and market supply stability of Moskilla, while controlling costs.
Purpose
As attending the South China Exchange Conference, we aimed to share our solutions and receive feedbacks from people from other iGEM teams. We also aimed to understand different iGEM projects and find inspiration for our own project.
Gains
We received positive feedback recognizing the significance and plausibility of our project, as well as some suggestions.
- We should ensure that the genetically-modified yeast cells and E. coli will not be released.
- We should investigate how shRNA can be safely transported to mosquitoes' nervous systems given that the shRNA is taken in through the mouth and transported through the digestive tracts.
- We are suggested to conduct literature research on autolysis genes as the kill switch of E. coli.
Implementation
- Introduction of a 'Kill Switch' Mechanism: Autolysis genes become the basis of our 'kill switch' design for the living E. coli used in their hardware, aiming to enhance safety measures. After literature research, we chose T4L and gene E to compare and screen the most optimal "suicide" genes.
- Utilization of Dead Yeast Cells: To mitigate the risk associated with the release of living genetically-modified organisms, we have chosen to use dead yeast cells that contain effective shRNA.
- Research on shRNA Transport Mechanisms: Acknowledging potential customer inquiries about the transport of shRNA from the digestive tract to the nervous system, we have embarked on further research to understand and potentially improve the delivery system.
Outlook
- Attend more conferences to promote academic communication: The conference was a great way to share information about various projects, receive feedback, and reflect on our project. We decided that such exchange conferences are helpful for us to make improvements to our project, and therefore we will attend similar conferences in the future.
- Customer engagement to address practicality: The questions regarding the practicality of our project also pose a new challenge to coordinate with our business prospects. Considering the possible need to reconcile conflicts, we will also engage with some target customers and listen to their voices.
- Communication with Professor Xiaoguang Chen from Southern Medical University: We are fortunate to have met Junhao Li from team SMU-GDMU-CHINA at Southern Medical University regarding the biological safety of our proposed RNAi against mosquitoes and the commonly used release gene edited sterilized male mosquitoes in China. He is willing to help us contact Professor Xiaoguang, an expert in the field of gene edited mosquitoes in China, to jointly explore the biosafety in the field of mosquito control.
Purpose
We conducted this meeting primarily to acquire information and suggestions regarding shRNA design, measurement, and safety concerns regarding genetically-modified organisms.
Gains
- We should refer to various molecular structure prediction tools to ensure the effectiveness and target of our shRNA
- We should minimize the risk of releasing our genetically-modified organisms
- We should further engage with our customers to see their concerns about bacteria and genetically-modified organisms
- We could do gel electrophoresis to measure if shRNA is produced
We received numerous suggestions about ways to improve our project, such as the following:
Implementation
- We prioritized the design of our kill switch for living E. coli in our hardware to minimize the risk of release of living bacteria.
- We have redesigned our shRNA targeting mosquitoes to ensure that it will only be effective for mosquitoes and not any other organisms.
Outlook
- We plan to engage with customers, specialists and legal institutions to gain insights in genetically-modified organisms, regarding their public acceptance and legal risks, repectively. We might need to improve the safety of our hardware by making improvements to the overall structure.
Purpose
We conducted this meeting with Dr. Li to acquire information and suggestions on how we could design and create two versions of hardware, one for home use and the other for open environments use such as parks, to be able to carry HMBPP producing E. coli and shRNA with his experience and resources.
Gains
We received numerous ideas on ways to design our hardware, such as the following:
- The mosquito elimination machines currently used in households on the market include purple light attraction in dark environments, carbon dioxide attraction, and simulated human sweat odor attraction. We can combine our HMBPP production part together with other attraction parts.
- For home use, we can place HMBPP production part inside of the hardware, We should ensure to trap or kill the mosqito after it enters our harware, poteintially by electricuting it.
- If we want to achieve the function of inducing the deaths of live E. coli in hardware, the intelligent control drip liquid module is suggested to achieve this function.
- If the HMBPP generator is inside the device, it is necessary to consider and model the device's appearance, including where to place and replace the HMBPP generator, and where to collect and dispose dead mosquito.
- If we want to design an energy-saving mode to turn on the fan, we can consider either using a microphone to recognize the frequency of the sound of mosquitoes flapping their wings, or using a camera to recognize the image of mosquitoes and turn it on
- Except using lithium batteries to power our hardware, solar cells are strongly recommended to be integrated with our device for the convenience of using our device in poverty-stricken areas and parks.
Implementation
- After meeting with Dr. Li, we will begin to implement Dr. Li's suggestions while designing our hardware to be able to hold the HMBPP and shRNA while ensuring safety by having a killswitch for the living E. coli. We will also continue to discover ways of designing two versions of hardware that will fit different needs. We also plan to continue keeping in touch and updating Dr. Li with our progress.
Outlook
- After meeting with Dr. Li we have gained many insights, next we plan to develope our hardware to be able to be used in homes but also aid in preventing the spead of illnesses. We plan to engage with homeowners, park managers and and other potential customers to recieve more insight on their needs to improve our hardware design.
Purpose
The purpose of the meeting is to check the feasibility of using RNA sensors and ADAR to achieve the detection of shRNA in yeasts. The reason is that RNA qualitative detection is relatively complex and inconvinient. For one thing, due to the lack of qPCR cycler, we are not allow to do the shRNA quantification in our lab. For another, in the common measured, the target RNA needs to be extracted and purified, which is also a time consuming and complicated process. Coincidentally, we learnt that team Tsinghua-M's project this year is to solve the challenge of in situ detecting sRNAs. Hence, we hoped to have a more in-depth understanding of technique and tried to apply it.
Gains
- Unfortunatelly, their lower bound of the length of the target RNA is about 210bp, but the shRNA we designed is only about 20bp, which is too short. If we design the sensor RNA 20bp long, the accuracy will be low. Besides, as the result of competitive paring from non-sense RNA, it may be difficut for the sensor RNA to bind with the sense RNA. Therefore, their method cannot be used.
Implementation
- After the meeting, we have no choice but to give up the advanced technique studied by Tsinghua-M 2024. Hence, in the future, methods qPCR or G-quandruplex will be preferred.
Outlook
- If it is possible, we may continue looking for some other easier ways of quantitative detection of shRNA.
Purpose
Our team look forward to identify shortcomings and gain novel insights of our project by exchanging ideas with members of other teams, and explore the vast applications of synthetic biology.
Gains
We received both positive feedback and suggestions for further improvement.
- We need to ensure the effectiveness of the kill switch to prevent the genetically-modified E.coli cells from releasing.
- We need to conduct experiments to verify the effectiveness of our bait in attracting mosquitoes after it is incorporated into the hardware. This is because different designs of the hardware might affect the attractiveness of our baits.
- If our hardware design wants to integrate light attraction, we need to ensure that the purple light lamps commonly used to attract mosquitoes do not affect the growth of live bacteria inside the device.
Implementation
- We have already finished designing the kill switch for E.coli before, and soon after the CCiC, we tested the effectiveness of our kill switch with experiments.
- We have included the effectiveness experiment of the verification hardware in our testing process.
Outlook
- The purple light in our device will be set outside the device, and live E. coli will be placed inside the device, unaffected by external lighting.
- We will be starting to breed mosquitoes, and conduct experiments after we finish constructing the hardware.
Purpose
How to carry out animal tests around mosquitoes and secure the biosafey of our project has been a problem for the AIS-China experimental group. During the South China Exchange Conference, we have met Junhao Li from team SMU-GDMU-CHINA at Southern Medical University. We contacted professor Xiaoguang Chen through him, the director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Southern Medical University, to jointly explore the efficiency-testing method and biosafety in the field of mosquito control.
Gains
- Mosquito-borne diseases: In China, especially in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, among all the mosquitoes borne diseases, malaria and dengue fever are the most harmful to human health. But the clinical manifestations are typical and easy for medical workers to judge. At present, mosquito borne diseases show a trend of increasing incidence rate, expanding transmission scope, and increasing outbreak frequency. This is closely related to factors such as climate change, accelerated urbanization, and increased population mobility. For example, in 2024, the global incidence of dengue fever reached its highest level ever recorded. Therefore, strengthening mosquito control, improving environmental hygiene, and raising public health awareness are important measures for preventing and controlling mosquito borne diseases.
- Views on current mosquitocidal products: There are many drawbacks to mosquito killing products on the market now, with varying effectiveness and safety concerns. And ATSB, a technology used 5 years ago, has been phased out due to its low specificity and high testing costs, and its effectiveness is no longer significant. Given the specificity and sensitivity are not high, and the level of intelligence technology has not been utilized, leaving great room for optimization.
- Tips for raising mosquitoes: We welcome you to come to the laboratory for exchange and cooperation. We use mosquitoes, especially Aedes approved by the national special project. Aedes need to be cultured in a moisture and room temperature environment away from light. Generally, larvae will hatch into pupae in two days. It is necessary to pick out the pupae in time, and screen the pupae with a glass partition in time to remove the pupae that is too large and transfer it to a cloth cage. They need to be fed every day. Distinguish male and female mosquitoes: 1. Female mosquitoes are usually larger than male mosquitoes 2. Male mosquitoes are hairy and female mosquitoes are less hairy 3. Female mosquitoes have two drooping ovaries that can be separated by spines.
- Views on Moskilla: This is a great idea. But whether the implantation of shRNA will lead to plasmid overload and will be clipped by CRISPR-caspase9 immunity, or it can really achieve specificity, mosquito resistance, etc..., remains to be determined.
Implementation
- Specific validation experiment: Due to safety limitations of iGEM, we can currently only ensure its specificity by comparing the design of shrna with transcriptome databases, that is, confirming that it is unlikely to bind to non target biological mRNAs other than mosquitoes. In the future, we will refer to literature methods and purchase more non-targeted organisms for testing.
- Efficiency validation experiment: We have reached a cooperation agreement with Professor Chen to purchase specialized mosquitoes from their laboratory to conduct mosquito experiments and verify the feasibility of our project.
Outlook
- If we have the opportunity, we will go to Professor Chen's mosquito factory for exchange and learning.
Purpose
In order to help our product Moskilla enter the market, we contacted an engineer from professional mosquitocidal effectiveness testing institution. We would like to conduct a phone interview to understand the testing method, which government department's permission is required for the product to enter the market, as well as the approval process.
Gains
- For the physical device used to kill mosquitoes, their institutions usually use female mosquitoes that have not consumed blood for 3-7 days after hatching to detect the attraction of the device to mosquitoes.
- If mosquito killing chemicals are used in mosquito killing products, it is necessary to apply for a new pesticide from the Ministry of Agriculture and obtain a pesticide registration certificate before use.
- The mosquito killing device needs to obtain national standards before being launched, that is, cooperate with professional institutions, and each sample will cost approximately 4900 CNY. Institutions will directly submit experimental data and related materials to the Market Supervision Administration for approval.
Implementation
- We established a cooperative relationship with the mosquito killing effectiveness testing institution, to further prompt our Moskilla to meet the testing standards.
- The mosquito subjects used in testing experiments can refer to the method of letting the female mosquitoes of the experimental subjects not consume blood for 3-7 days.
- Consider the approval requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Market Supervision Administration in the business plan.
Outlook
- We will attempt to engage with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Market Supervision Bureau to understand their audit requirements for a new mosquitocide and devices.
Purpose
In the business perspective, AIS-China 2024 is planning to apply for a patent for our exclusively designed device, Moskilla. Therefore, to understand the cost and procedure of patent application, AIS-China 2024 interviewed a specialist working as the CEO in a patent application agency before (anonymously).
Gains
- The general invention patent application takes about two years, while utility model and design patent generally take about a year.
- If we want to protect our design and product's features to the largest extent, we should apply the invention patent, which protects the product for up to 20 years.
- The costs associated with patent application consist of patent agency cost, generally 7,000 CNY per patent, and yearly maintenance cost, ascending from 900 to 8,000, ascending every three years.
- If the patent belongs to an institution, especially a school or university, or to an individual, the yearly cost will be reduced by 85%.
- If we want to apply for an invention patent, we should best find a patent agency to assist the process, considering the fact that they would list out similar products and help draft the technology disclosure form.
Implementation
- Taking general prices for patent applications provided by him into consideration of our cost calculation and financial projection.
- To minimize confusion and misunderstanding, we formulated an interview outline regarding patent application, including questions about the process, the pricing, subsequent maintenance costs, and questions asking for suggestions.
- Search other products' features and similarities online to get preparation for our patent application.
Outlook
In the near future, AIS-China 2024 is looking forward to the following such as but not limited to:
- Confirm a patent agency for cooperation.
- Perfecting our hardware device design.
- Draft the patent application document.
Purpose
Gains
- The general invention patent application takes about two years, while utility model and design patent generally take about a year.
- If we want to protect our design and product's features to the largest extent, we should apply the invention patent, which protects the product for up to 20 years.
- If we want to protect our product, we should keep an eye on similar products, and start a legal proceeding once our rights are violated.
- Apart from costs for the application itself and the yearly maintenance, other costs consist of the cost for finding an attorney in legal proceedings.
- When developing a patent in biotechnology, we should consider biosafety carefully to get our patent approved.
- We may want to consider applying multiple patents to best protect our rights.
- We should ensure novelty, non-obliviousness, and utility of our product.
Implementation
- We aim to apply the invention patent for the largest extent of protection.
- Reflect based on our understandings from the two interviews with different people working with patent applications and legal proceedings. Make revisions and add law-focused questions to our question lists since we have known the basics in patent application.
- Search other products' features and similarities online to get preparation for our patent application.
Outlook
In the near future, we are looking forward to the following such as but not limited to:
- Confirm a patent agency for cooperation. Finding a patent agency.
- Perfecting our hardware design.
- Having an instruction manual of our device written.
- Drafting the application document.
Purpose
Since we have successfully produced our hardware device, we would like to see if there is still room for price reduction for each module raw material required for our device under industrial and part scale production processes, in order to help us calculate the corresponding costs in our business plan. So we outreached Mr. Gao, an embedded engineer, who has rich experience in managing hardware devices for factory production. We hope he can provide industry information on procurement before manufacturing.
Gains
- The cost of device shells in manufacturing: Generally, it is currently impossible to achieve mass production of device shells that we need using 3D printing. The common process now is to open a mold for only 5000 CNY, and then each one will cost only 1-5 CNY.
- The cost of device modules in manufacturing: As for the device modules of your device, a discount of approximately 30% off can be achieved during the manufacturing process. And as the production scale increases, the bargaining space becomes larger.
- The cost of IoT technology application: If you want to achieve intelligent control titration and other functions, the main cost of combining IoT technology lies in server and client development. The server takes about 400-500 CNY per years to develop, while the client development is relatively simple and only requires 500-2000 CNY. To make it look better, it is estimated to cost tens of thousands CNY.
Implementation
- We apply the costs provided by Mr. Gao to complete our financial projection.
Outlook
- Since we have completed our financial projection, we will finalize our financial model, ensuring the project's economic viability and market competitiveness. Also, we will integrate these cost savings into our business strategy to enhance profitability and scalability.
Summary
By applying the AREA framework, we completed a comprehensively closed loop of Human Practice Work. Throughout our engagement with diverse stakeholders, such as the general public and experts in disease prevention, mosquito control, shRNA design, environmental conservation, business, and engineering, we refined our project's feasibility. Despite facing biosafety skepticism, we valued all perspectives, ensuring that Moskilla aligns with public health, environmental safety, innovation, profitability, and privacy. This collaborative approach led to the successful development of our product, Moskilla.