Sustainability

Synthetic Biology and Sustainable Development Goals（SDGs）

---

1.Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3)

• Goal Identification:To achieve the purpose of SDG 3, collaboration among doctors, policymakers, and communities around the world is needed. To meet the SDG 3 targets by 2030, substantial investment and focus are needed to address these challenges, including tackling inequality and environmental factors. Urgent action is required to protect vulnerable groups and regions with high disease burdens.
• Problem Identification: Our goal is bringing health back to those who suffer from oral squamous cell carcinoma, the condition of whom significantly impact the quality of lives. By aiming at immune targeting, we give patients the opportunity to get rid of suffering and get back to healthy lives.

• Our Solution:In this project, we developed a immune-targeted therapy by the use of SynBio missiles to treat oral squamous cell carcinoma. Our work has a direct effect on SDG3. The goal of promoting Good health and well-being can be considered as the primary aim of our project, which focuses on treating oral squamous cell carcinoma. Malignant tumors are among the most challenging disease types in treatment, however current therapies rely individually on surgical removal and chemotherapy, both of which have severe side effects. To be short, we aim to ignite a beacon of hope in the dark and challenging world of oral cancer.

  We aim to develop a gene-recombinant SynBio missile targeting therapy as a new hope for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Thus, we hope to spark a glimmer of hope in the hearts of oral malignancy patients around the world, enabling them to return to normal life, freeing them from the suffering of the disease and the endless burden of high drug treatment costs, thereby alleviating their economic and social burdens.

• Our Project Goals and SDG 3

  • Specific Goal 1: oPatients with oral squamous cell carcinoma often face difficulties in mastication due to various reasons, including direct pressure and damage from tumors, pain and infection, deterioration of overall health, side effects of treatment, postoperative complications, and oral mucosal fibrosis caused by radiotherapy. Current treatment methods are to be blamed. By developing a new therapy, our project hopes to reduce these incidences and achieve SDG3.

  • Specific Goal 2: With the development of a new therapy for oral squamous cell carcinoma, anyone who needs it will have access to it. Moreover, due to the highly selective nature of this approach which targets only cancer cells without harming normal ones, patients would have shorter rehabilitation time and better quality of lives. This result will be significant to patients, especially to those living in remote areas with limited medical resources, allowing patients to receive treatment at home and reducing their reliance on medical institutions.

    

• Stakeholder Feedback

  • Wencai Ma

    Associate Professor of Oral Oncology, MD. Wencai Ma is an experienced oncologist in Lanzhou, who have been working in this field for over 20 years. He has published numerous works on oral tumors, including five articles in SCI journals.

    We introduced our project to Dr. Wencai Ma from various perspectives, including the human practice aspect. Dr. Ma show keen interest to our project. He discussed the immune-targeted therapy we designed, highly praising the effective specificity and selectivity, which would provide additional efficacy to our treatment. He also noted that our project is very meaningful to the promotion of the treatment of oral cancer.

    

  • Lei Wang

    Lei Wang is a talented young doctor with great enthusiasm and extensive expertise in oral oncology. He expressed concerns about the potential harm that the immune-targeted therapy, specifically the SynBio missile, might cause to normal cells. In response, we explained the mechanism of the SynBio missile and validated that our therapy is safe. By the end of this interview, he express a high degree of recognition.

    We value feedback from young doctors like Lei Wang because we believe that such experiences are not the only way to gain knowledge; they can also stem from a passion for innovation and creativity. This is why we reached out to Dr. Lei Wang, as he is eager to continue the search for new therapies for oral malignancies.

    

2.Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

• Goal Identification: Lanzhou, a key city in western China, possesses rich research and educational resources. The anti-tumor drug projects supported by local research institutions such as Lanzhou University continuously contribute to the development of the regional biopharmaceutical industry. By translating research findings into practical products, this project not only enhances regional innovation capabilities but also promotes the development of related industrial chains.
• Problem Identification: : Oral squamous cell carcinoma limits patients’ abilities of normal life, and puts them at risk of losing their jobs due to impaired physical function and pain.
• Our Solution:According to the United Nations (UN), our project will impact the progress of SDG8, which aims to promote sustainable, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Our project is dedicated to reducing the number of patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma. people around the world become unemployed due to tumors, including oral malignancies. The symptoms of these malignancies affect their work capacity and reduce their productivity.

Our project aims to provide a new treatment solution for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. This will help comprehensively to improve patients' physical health and overall well-being, alleviate their physical burdens, and reduce pain caused by oral cancer as well as other chronic diseases. This will give them a better opportunity to go back to work and daily activities more easily and effectively without encountering any obstacles. Therefore, it can promote more productive employment and better economic growth by maintaining a healthy workforce.

If this project is realizable and further developed, our team will work towards establishing a biopharmaceutical innovation platform centered around Lanzhou University, collaborating with research institutions, enterprises, and incubators both within and out of Lanzhou and even Gansu Province. This platform will support new drug research and development, technology transfer, and business incubation, becoming a key driver of technological innovation in the region and promoting the development of the biopharmaceutical industry chain.

• Employees of Lanzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital

  During our visit to the Lanzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, we interviewed the head of the hospital's logistics department and several employees. We briefly introduced our project, and then conducted a survey regarding their understanding of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The results indicated that some employees have chronic illnesses or other diseases to varying degrees, and some of their colleagues have been diagnosed with cancer and need to accept current treatment. However, they could not drop their jobs, and their illnesses decreased their work efficiency, while prolonged labor further impacts their health.

  

• Lanzhou High-tech Zone Community Elderly Service Center

  To confirm whether there is a genuine direct relationship between our project and SDG 8, we aimed to reach out to individuals whose careers and income sources have been severely affected by malignant tumors. Therefore, we decided to visit the Lanzhou High-tech Zone Community Elderly Service Center and communicate with the elderly there. During the visit, we met an older man who shared the story since he had been diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) three years ago. He recounted how OSCC had ruined his career and plunged his family into debt.

  He also described the current surgical treatments as a contributing factor to his situation, as the surgery left him unable to speak and made him reluctant to go out and engage social activities. This negatively affected his work efficiency, since he could no longer handle his job well. Ultimately, he told us that if he had been able to access our treatment methods the first time he was diagnosed with it, it could have saved his career and have a significant impact on his future. He further noted that our therapy could help more people to reduce the risk of losing dignified employment due to disabilities caused by OSCC and similar conditions. As he preferred not to be photographed, we have not included any images of him from our interview.

  

3.Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9)

• Goal Identification: SDG9 plays a significant role in achieving development. It greatly influences growth, creation of job, and social progress. Developing countries must gain access to infrastructure and industrialization to enhancing international status and enhance overall quality of life. The targets of SDG 9 aim to Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Additionally, it includes upgrading existing infrastructure for sustainable development purposes and strengthening research and technological capabilities. Achieving these goals will ensure a future that is environmentally friendly for everyone.
• Problem Identification: In the process of developing immune-targeted missiles, we confronted many constraints, such as a shortage of experts in the field of biotechnology and insufficient infrastructure in this area.
• Our Solution: We applied our project to oral malignancies and are committed to promoting it to other malignancies in the future. This contributes to SDG 9, which is to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. The reasons are as follows: Our approach summarizes advancements in both genetic engineering and medical research. In our method, we addressed the challenges of oral malignancies through synthetic biology. We are developing a method that uses immune-targeted missiles to create innovative treatment options for oral malignancies and other cancers. The development and application of immune-targeted missile SynBio therapies can have a direct effect on various dimensions of SDG 9 and are considered as an innovative approach in the pharmaceutical development industry and cancer treatment. Furthermore, it represents advancements in genetic engineering and biotechnology, highlighting the potential to revolutionize medical treatment for many diseases. Additionally, scientists may utilize synthetic biology to target and eliminate the roots of tumors, ultimately benefiting patients. Our innovative approach will encourage the development of healthcare infrastructure, as synthetic biology-based therapies will become more common and require specialized medical facilities and experts in the biotechnology field. This demand will lead to the establishment of better healthcare facilities and provide more job opportunities, ultimately strengthening our healthcare system and building robust infrastructure.

• Stakeholder Feedback

  • Qian Wu

    Dr. Qian Wu is a physician at Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital. We introduced our team and project to her, in which she showed great interest and admired our initiative. She noted that there are many drawbacks in current traditional therapies. if this project is realizable, it would be a significant achievement. Finally, she pointed out that we should pay more attention to the product's half-life, which will serve as an important source of inspiration for further advancing our project in the future.

    

4.Potential Long-Term Social, Economic, and Environmental Impacts

• Potential Long-Term Social Impact

  Our immunotherapy targeting SynBio missile will have significant long-term social effects, as oral tumors affect the lives of numerous patients by limiting their social interactions, leading to social isolation, impacting their emotional health, and diminishing their productivity in various aspects of life. Through our treatment, patients will be able to return to work, freely engage in social activities and improve their emotional well-being.

• Potential Long-Term Economic Impact

  The potential long-term economic impact of our treatment will be clear and effective, as all current treatment options come with after effects and shortages, which trap patients in an endless cycle of expensive medications. This becomes a lifelong economic burden for both the patients and the government, while our treatment is a one-time intervention. By receiving our therapy, patients will gain lifelong protection from the disease and can avoid substantial expenses related to surgeries and medical services associated with the illness.

• Potential Long-Term Environmental Impact

  Our project may have significant potential long-term environmental impacts, as our therapy will reduce the use of prescription medications and radiation therapy. Prescription drugs require many environmental resources, such as water, energy and chemicals. Additionally, the disposal of these medications can pose a substantial threat to the environment. Therefore, our project conserves resources used for prescription drugs and does not pose any environmental threat.

• Positive and Negative Long-Term Interactions with Other Sustainable Development Goals

  Positive Interactions

  • Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

    Oral malignant tumors are diseases that severely affect patients' quality of life. This project can improve the lives of tens of thousands of patients by providing innovative treatment solutions through SynBio missile therapy, enabling them to return to normal daily life without pain.

  • Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

    Malignant tumors reduce worker productivity and increase healthcare costs, which directly impacts the economy. Our project enables workers to perform normally without worrying about their illness, and it will lower healthcare costs, ultimately alleviating the overall economic burden of oral malignant tumors.

  • Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

    We are developing a new therapy that uses genetically modified bacteria to treat oral malignant tumors. Our project will revolutionize the treatment of oral malignant tumors and take a leading role, potentially guiding the development of new therapies for other malignant tumors. Our project also helps to build medical infrastructure by training scientists and researchers in synthetic biology and biotechnology.

  • Goal 10: Reduce Inequality

    Patients with oral malignant tumors often suffer from facial deformities post-surgery. Our palliative treatment projects contribute to reducing inequality.

  • Goal 17: Partnerships for The Goals

    We collaborated with HBUT-China and LZU-MEDICINE-CHINA teams to write an SDG manual. This manual provides guidance for future teams wishing to explore sustainable development to achieve SDG 17 (strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development). We clarified the significance and importance of the SDGs in the manual, as well as the contributions made by various countries towards achieving them.

• Our Recommendations for Future iGEM Teams Regarding the SDGs

  Here are some specific suggestions for future iGEM teams regarding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

  1.Emphasize Sustainability

  • Environmentally Friendly Technologies: oPrioritize the use of eco-friendly materials and renewable resources in experimental designs to minimize environmental impact.
  • Sustainable Product Development: oDevelop commercially viable products, such as biodegradable plastics or novel fertilizers using synthetic biology technologies.

  2.Community Engagement

  • Local Needs Assessment: Conduct local needs assessments at the project's outset to ensure the research addresses real community issues.
  • Public Participation: oEncourage community residents to participate in the project by collecting opinions and feedback through surveys and forums.

  3.Interdisciplinary Collaboration

  • Collaboration Across Fields: oWork with experts from fields such as environmental science, economics, and sociology to explore solutions to the issues at hand.
  • Collaboration with Universities and Research Institutions:  oEstablish partnerships with other universities or research institutions to share resources and experiences.

  4.Education and Advocacy

  • Raise Public Awareness: oConduct popular science activities to enhance public understanding of the SDGs and related projects through workshops, lectures, and other formats.
  • Showcase Achievements: oDuring competitions, use posters, presentations, and social media to showcase the team's research achievements.

  5.Develop Long-Term Strategies

  • Follow-Up Development Plans: oConsider follow-up developments when designing projects to ensure sustained impact after the competition ends.
  • Commercial Viability: Think about how to commercialize project results for economic sustainability.

  6.Technological Innovation

  • Explore New Technologies: oStay updated on the latest advancements in biotechnology, integrating new technologies to enhance the project's innovation and efficiency.
  • Application of Software Tools:oUtilize data analysis and modeling software to improve the accuracy of project design and outcome assessments.

  7.International Perspective

  • Global Cooperation: oConnect with iGEM teams from other countries and regions to share experiences and technologies, expanding horizons.
  • Understand International Needs: oResearch the challenges faced by different regions in achieving the SDGs and design solutions tailored to diverse environments.

  8.Continuous Improvement

  • Project Summation and Reflection: At the end of each project phase, summarize and reflect on successes and areas for improvement.
  • Establish Feedback Mechanisms: oEnsure the project has regular feedback and evaluation mechanisms to adjust and optimize the project direction promptly.

• Our SDGs Education

  We participated in the annual orientation lecture for new medical students. We discussed SynBio and the iGEM competition, talking about the Sustainable Development Goals and showcasing our GSLZ-A 2024 SDGs-related materials to familiarize them with the SDGs, as most were not well acquainted with this terminology. We discussed the importance of the SDGs and how they addressed the most pressing challenges facing the world today. The Sustainable Development Goals are universal and applicable to all countries, aiming to create a better future for everyone. We also discussed the impact of our project on the SDGs and shared experiences on how to guide future projects to maximize their impact on the Sustainable Development Goals.

  

5.Conclusion

This project is not only an attempt at technological innovation but also a positive effort to promote the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through school and community health education, field visits, and workshops, our team’s project can provide tangible benefits for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma while raising public awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In the future, our team will continue to focus on translating research outcomes into social value, contributing to health, industrial innovation, and the reduction of inequalities. With solid planning and action, we are sure to become leaders in global health and sustainable development.

7.References

1.World Health Organization - official website

2.Maity, Shrabanti, and Anup Sinha. 2024. “Disparities in Achieving SDG Goal of ‘No Poverty’ for Developing Countries: Technical Efficiency Estimates across Asian, African and American Nations.” International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, July, 1–14. doi:10.1080/13504509.2024.2377247.

3.World Health Organization - Cardiovascular diseases

4. Delanka-Pedige, H. M. K., Munasinghe-Arachchige, S. P., Abeysiriwardana-Arachchige, I. S. A., & Nirmalakhandan, N. (2020). Wastewater infrastructure for sustainable cities: assessment based on UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 28(3), 203–209. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2020.1795006

5.World Health Organization - news - fact-sheets - diabetes

6.Bali Swain, R., & Yang-Wallentin, F. (2019). Achieving sustainable development goals: predicaments and strategies. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 27(2), 96–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504509.2019.1692316

7..World Health Organization - news - facts-in-pictures - diabetes