Human Practices

On a serene evening, the BGI-MammothEdu-South team found inspiration in an unexpected place. During a visit to the BGI Time and Space Center, we were captivated by a quietly glowing plant. This was no ordinary tour; it was the moment that ignited our team's vision. Amidst the sparse starlight, the plant emitted a gentle yet steadfast glow, unfolding a splendid scene as if starlight had descended upon the earth. Its leaves swayed softly, whispering a secret: even in the darkest times, hope's light awaits discovery. We realized that life is a continuous cycle of renewal, and we believed that when light and darkness intertwine, the light becomes softer, and the darkness gradually fades—transforming into dawn, hope, and redemption. Inspired by this natural marvel, our team began to ponder: How could we bring this miracle into human life in a way that is both gentle and powerful?

Our team leader, Xingzhu Mu, was deeply moved at that moment. She shared, "Recently, while studying late in the library, I often feel an indescribable loneliness and pressure." Her words resonated with all of us. We recognized that many of our peers were also grappling with similar psychological pressures—exams, internships, and the uncertainties of the future. We wondered if we could create something that would offer solace during these moments of stress.

After our visit, we gathered to discuss the glowing plant we had seen. The idea emerged: Could we harness this natural wonder to create something that provides emotional support and psychological comfort? Our vision became clear—to create a glowing plant that is not just a decorative piece but a companion offering solace during times of loneliness and anxiety.

The healing process of the glowing plant is one of companionship. It thrives under simple conditions and provides a gentle light source, especially at night or during low moods, offering psychological calmness. It creates a tranquil environment, enhances aesthetic feelings, promotes relaxation and meditation, and provides emotional support. By improving the sleeping environment, it effectively heals the mind and alleviates stress. The unique glow not only adds visual comfort in dark environments but also helps people relax and calm down, enhancing overall psychological health and well-being.

Our vision was clear: to harness the power of synthetic biology to create a glowing plant that resonates emotionally with people. We believed this plant would become a guardian of the night, a silent healer whose light would illuminate the soul and dispel gloom.

In the early stages, we realized that enhancing the brightness of the glowing plant required innovative thinking and continuous iteration. We reached out to Professor Du Hao, a leading figure in synthetic biology at Zhejiang University. In our email, we detailed our team, project focus, and technical route. Professor Du's reply was insightful: "The application of glowing plants is fascinating, but current limitations are due to the intensity of luminescence. Enhancing the brightness is a challenging process, but glowing plants themselves have great potential."

His words prompted us to rethink our approach. We realized that the previously planned C3H pathway might not achieve the desired brightness. Professor Du's suggestions led us to redesign the metabolic pathway to increase luciferin production. Based on his work, we devised a new luminescence enhancement pathway, constructing a TAL pathway to produce more p-coumaric acid, which, through the caffeic acid cycle, would lead to increased luciferin production. This redesign was a significant breakthrough in our project.

Following our communication with Professor Du, we participated in the iGEM Plant Synthetic Biology Conference. We shared our technical route and envisioned outcomes for the glowing plant. The feedback was constructive, and we learned about a biotech company called Light Bio, also focusing on glowing plants.

We realized that glowing plants are a topic of great interest. The feedback encouraged us to contact Light Bio and consider building dry lab models to assist in predicting our metabolic pathways. We sent a friendly email to Light Bio, seeking collaboration or guidance.

To explore clinical applications, we conducted an online interview with Nurse Alex from a psychiatric hospital in the United States. We explained our project's expected outcomes and the roles of dark light therapy and plant therapy. Alex provided valuable insights: "If your glowing plants can achieve the expected healing effect, this would be a novel therapeutic method."

We recognized the potential of glowing plants in providing a healing environment for patients with psychological trauma. Alex highlighted that patients with PTSD require environments free from strong light and other stimuli. The soft glow of our plants fits this need perfectly. However, he also cautioned that further clinical trials are necessary to validate therapeutic effects. This interview helped us understand both the potential and limitations of our project in clinical applications.

We further explored the role of glowing plants in psychological treatment through an online exchange with Dr. Zhong Yi, a psychiatrist at Hong Kong's Castle Peak Hospital. Dr. Zhong's professional opinions provided valuable guidance: "Glowing plant pets have unique advantages and can serve as a special pet therapy with a broader range of applications."

We considered the potential application of glowing plant pets in home environments as auxiliary tools in psychological therapy. We discussed how they could provide a comfortable healing space for people with suboptimal mental health.

Through these key communication and iterative processes, our project has continuously matured, and our ideas have gradually taken shape. We have learned to listen, reflect, and quickly adapt to new information and feedback—skills that are crucial to the maturation of our project. Our story is one of continuous progress through exploration and iteration.

Believing that glowing plants are not just a scientific marvel but also a product that could touch people's hearts, we conducted field research at flower markets. We engaged directly with consumers to understand their perceptions and needs.

Consumers showed strong interest in plants that could create a unique atmosphere at home. One customer remarked, "Such a plant would not only beautify the environment but also provide a warm feeling at night—something traditional flowers can't offer."

Based on our findings, we decided to develop a series of glowing plants with varying brightness and colors to meet different consumer needs. We emphasized the environmental friendliness and psychological healing potential of the product, positioning glowing plants as high-end, artistic home decorations.

To explore the commercial potential further, we had an in-depth discussion with an investment manager at BGI. She provided valuable feedback from an investor's perspective: "When considering commercialization, you need to clarify the unique selling points of your product and consider how to achieve sustainable growth through innovative business models."

We began drafting a detailed business plan, including market analysis, competitor analysis, pricing strategy, and marketing strategy. She suggested exploring partnerships with health and lifestyle brands to expand our product's market influence.

We planned market tests to verify consumers' acceptance and willingness to pay. We also considered offering subscription services, including regular replacement and maintenance, to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Through these market exploration activities, our BGI-MammothEdu-South team has gained a clearer understanding of the market potential of glowing plants and laid a solid foundation for the commercialization of the project. We believe that through continuous market research and communication with industry experts, we can continuously optimize our products and business model, ultimately achieving commercial success for glowing plants.

In our laboratory, we pursued scientific breakthroughs while emphasizing safety and ethical responsibility. We understand that any scientific exploration must be built on solid safety foundations and ethical considerations.

We attended a laboratory safety lecture where we learned about potential risks and proper handling of hazardous materials. "Safety always comes first in the laboratory," our instructor emphasized. We strictly adhered to safety protocols, regularly checking equipment and ensuring all safety measures were in place.

A lecture on bioethics and biosafety deepened our understanding of ethical standards in research. Through case studies, we recognized the importance of respecting life and protecting the environment. We considered the potential environmental impact of genetically modified plants and took measures to ensure biosafety, following ethical guidelines throughout our experiments.

Through background research and learning, our BGI-MammothEdu-South team members have not only improved their experimental skills but also gained a profound understanding of scientific ethics and responsibility. We love science, but we are even more aware that the true value of science lies in its ability to bring positive impact to humanity and the planet. Every step of our experiments is a pursuit and practice of this value.

Realizing that true innovation comes from interdisciplinary collaboration, we engaged in an online exchange with Counselor Mei, a psychological counselor. Her insights helped us understand how glowing plant pets could function in psychological therapy.

She noted that glowing plant pets could serve as emotional outlets for those unable to care for traditional pets due to physical or psychological reasons. She encouraged us to focus on the user's emotional experience and consider adding interactive elements to enhance the therapeutic effect. Following Counselor Mi's advice, we began considering adding more interactive elements to our glowing plant pets, such as having the plants' light change in response to the user's emotional state. We also started exploring how to better understand the needs of our target users through user research, aiming to make our product design more user-friendly and personalized.

"The interactivity that Counselor Mi mentioned made me think that we could develop an app to enable users to engage in deeper interactions with their glowing plant pets," Peng Yujun suggested after the meeting.

"Yes, we could also add mental health tips to the app, turning the glowing plant pets into little assistants for users' mental well-being," Huang Zihan added.

We also interacted with Artist Xu, whose work inspired new ideas. Xu shared his experiences using fluorescent materials in art, suggesting that the natural beauty of glowing plants could provoke deep reflections on life and nature.

He encouraged us to explore applications of glowing plants in art installations, combining science and art seamlessly. We began considering integrating glowing plants into public art projects, creating unique night-time landscapes in city parks or exhibitions. We have also begun collaborating with local artists to explore how the unique qualities of glowing plants can be transformed into a new medium for artistic creation.

Mr. Xu Hong's work made me realize that our glowing plant pets can become a tool for artistic expression," Li Jinfan shared during the discussion.

"Yes, we could host an art workshop and invite community members to create glowing plant artworks together," Xiong Ziye suggested as a specific activity idea.

We believe that through interdisciplinary collaboration and continuous innovation, our glowing plant pets will not just be a scientific product but also a heartfelt piece of art and an innovative solution that enhances people's quality of life.

To foster collaboration and communication between research teams involved in synthetic biology, we participated in the “2024 X-Challenge Disruptive Innovation Youth Camp” Gallery Walk, hosted by Shenzhen Zero One Academy, under the guidance of our mentor. This event allowed us to delve into research directions related to synthetic biology, engage in discussions, and share our team's progress on the glowing plant-pet project. We also had meaningful exchanges with participants from previous glowing plant projects and those interested in our work.

We participated in the Gallery Walk at the youth camp, where we observed the project presentations from the other participants. During these exchanges, we gained insights into their research directions and were inspired by the imaginative ideas from the high school students. After visiting all the booths, we realized that there was a noticeable lack of representation in biology, especially in synthetic biology. To address this gap and further promote the advancements in synthetic biology among students, our mentors arranged for us to set up a booth in the biology section featuring genetically modified plants.

By setting up our display, we quickly immersed ourselves in the academic atmosphere of the Gallery Walk. We shared our posters and project concepts with high school students and passersby, explaining the concept of PetalGlow and the future potential of genetically modified plants. During the presentation, we received many questions about PetalGlow, such as how to enhance the plant’s brightness, how to design controls to compare light intensity, which plants could be made to glow, and whether PetalGlow could be commercialized. These questions were closely related to the challenges we were already addressing in our project, providing us with valuable insights into the public's interests and concerns, which helped to further refine our research direction.

The event reached its peak when our team leader guided everyone through a comprehensive presentation of our project’s concept, experimental progress, product prospects, and future directions. This allowed the audience to gain a deeper understanding of our project. The enthusiastic feedback from the audience confirmed the novelty and appeal of the PetalGlow concept, strengthening our belief in the practical value of our research. It also inspired the students of Zero One Academy in their own research fields. Members of the Track 5 team from the 2023 summer school, Chen Tanghao and Jin Borui, extended the conversation with us by sharing their work on glowing plants from the previous year, which helped us further expand our project’s direction.

We also gained inspiration for creating a game to promote and market our project. Incorporating PetalGlow into a game had been an idea we wanted to pursue, but we were unsure of how to proceed. Through the Track 6 "Biological Interaction Game" session, where students created a slime mold-themed game, we learned about the game development process and the expected outcomes. This provided us with valuable references for creating our own game. We also realized that using games could significantly capture the audience’s attention and boost the visibility of our product, helping to introduce the PetalGlow concept to a wider audience.

Below are some of the screenshots of Petalglow vs. Zombies game we developed with the inspiration from this trip:

Key Takeaways:

1. We gained insights into other biology-related research topics and progress, which helped us clarify the next steps in our research, particularly focusing on enhancing brightness and exploring different types of glowing plants.

2. We successfully promoted PetalGlow and gathered data on its acceptance among students, which helped us understand the public’s main expectations and concerns. We learned that PetalGlow has great market potential, though ensuring the safety of the product is paramount.

3. We explored the feasibility of using a game as a tool for promoting the project, which provided a valuable reference model for our game design.

Conclusion:

During this event, we systematically introduced the concept of PetalGlow, our experimental progress, product prospects, and future directions. We were pleasantly surprised by the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the audience, which even sparked ideas for further research and integration with synthetic biology in their own fields. After our presentation, members of the Track 5 team from the 2023 summer school extended the conversation with us, sharing their previous work on glowing plants, which led to further discussions and collaboration. The strong audience interest confirmed the novelty and appeal of PetalGlow, reinforcing our confidence in the practical value of our research. This experience demonstrated that we had effectively introduced synthetic biology and glowing plants to a wider audience, successfully expanding public knowledge and awareness.

On the stage of the BGI International Conference Center, our team members, full of enthusiasm and well-prepared, presented our glowing plant pet project to scientists and experts from around the globe. Our presentation not only covered the scientific details of the project but also demonstrated our deep understanding of and commitment to human practices.

On-Site Performance:

With her passion and clear logic, Mu Xingzhu introduced the concept of glowing plant pets and our research progress to the audience. Li Jinfan detailed our efforts and innovations in enhancing the brightness of the glowing plants.

Expert Interaction:

During the Q&A session, we were met with a question from Dr. Shen Yue of the University of Edinburgh, who inquired about how we ensure the biosafety of the glowing plants. Our response not only showcased our thoughtful consideration of the project but also reflected our respect for scientific ethics.

“When Dr. Shen Yue acknowledged our project, I felt incredibly proud. Our hard work has finally been recognized by international experts,” said Mu Xingzhu excitedly after the presentation.

“Yes, it’s not just a recognition of our work but also a testament to our team spirit,” Li Jinfan added.

As the ICG Conference concluded successfully, our project embarked on a new starting point. Our Human Practices efforts added value to the project and gave it deeper social significance. Our project won the "Biomanufacturing’s Best Oral Presentation Award" at the conference, which was a great acknowledgment of our work. This experience brought our team members closer together and boosted their confidence, allowing our story—and our plants—to shine brightly on the international stage. We plan to continue optimizing our glowing plant pets to better meet market demands and user expectations. We will also explore more collaborative opportunities to bring our project to an even broader stage.

In today’s world, the relationship between humanity and nature is being reshaped. Human civilization, in its pursuit of progress, continually disrupts the natural order. In the long run, this not only harms nature but also serves as a slow poison to humanity itself. In modern society, we are losing our primal essence, leading to feelings of boredom, anxiety, depression, and numbness—deep and lasting damage to each individual within human society. However, through synthetic biology, we actively modify plants that originate from nature, and this modification is positive and constructive. Nature nurtures humanity and grants us the ability to transform the world around us; by altering plants, we ultimately enable them to have the potential to change us in return.

We warmly invite you to join us in this luminous journey. Let's illuminate the path toward a brighter future together.