Collaboration ​

SUSTech-Med, SZPU-China and SZU - Biosafety Public Science Exhibition ​

On August 31st, we went to Nantou Ancient Town in Shenzhen to participate in a biosafety public science exhibition organized by SUSTech-Med, co-hosted by HKUST(GZ), SZPU-China, and SZU.

The purpose of this event was to gauge the public's understanding of biosafety, raise the awareness of biosafety issues, enhance the public's preventive consciousness, and promote broader societal engagement and participation.

Each team had set up booths with different games and presentations. Our team’s theme was "How Much Do You Know About Invasive Alien Species," which not only expanded on the original content but also focused on invasive species commonly seen in daily life, enhancing the public's understanding of biosafety. Additionally, our booth's "ball-toss game" significantly boosted public interest in the exhibition, attracting more visitors to explore and learn about biosafety.

Through this activity, we recognized the importance of shifting the focus of educational activities towards two-way communication between educators and the public, rather than just one-way information delivery. In future, we plan to simplify our booth activities by employing more intuitive methods like images or videos to effectively deliver our key themes and communicate with engage visitors, creating a more interactive and informative experience for all participants.

Mcgill - BIOME book ​

We received an email from McGill, proposing a collaboration to create a picture book about proteins that bind to DNA. After careful consideration, we realized that the new part we are submitting this year, specifically the key protein LexRO in our light sensor, aligns perfectly with the theme of this protein picture book. We believe that a well-designed picture book is an excellent tool for science communication, making it highly beneficial for public education. Without hesitation, we responded to the email and submitted the relevant materials about LexRO. We are honored to be one of the nine iGEM teams contributing to the content of this BIOME book. We would like to extend our gratitude to McGill for organizing such a meaningful collaboration, and we deeply admire the artistic abilities demonstrated by the book's designers and illustrators. The final version of BIOME book is shown here.

### **JilinU - The Biosecurity and Bioethics Whitepaper**

To contribute more effectively to biosafety, we joined the initiative led by JilinU iGEM team to provide our insights for the Biosecurity and Bioethics Whitepaper in Synthetic Biology. As a team in the conservation village, we examined safety responsibilities within conservation projects. We began by researching relevant guidelines and laws pertaining to conservation-related projects. Additionally, we reviewed the wiki pages of past conservation teams, analyzing their safety circuit designs and safety implementation strategies. Most importantly, as an innovative conservation team, we shared our unique project design and insights, particularly in terms of safety considerations and distinct advantages, adding depth and specificity to the content. We are grateful to the Jilin University iGEM team for proposing such a meaningful initiative and for their assistance with content structuring and revisions. The final version of the Biosecurity and Bioethics Whitepaper is shown here.

Communication ​

the 8th Southern China iGEM Regional Meeting ​

On May 19, we participated in the 8th Southern China iGEM Regional Meeting held at Shenzhen University’s Lihu campus. This event brought together 16 teams from across the region under the theme “Get Ideas Ripple”. Each team presented their projects, aiming to spark innovation through the exchange of ideas. As our first in-person exchange, the meeting provided invaluable feedback and helped steer our project in the right direction.

In addition, we designed an interactive game where participants attempted to untangle a fishing net from a coral model submerged in water. The game allowed participants to experience firsthand how damaging fishing nets can be to coral reefs, enhancing their understanding of the relevance and urgency of our project.

Through this meeting, we received valuable feedback on our project design and experimental details. Marine biology experts offered constructive suggestions that we plan to incorporate into the next phase of our work. Moreover, the stamp-collecting activity at the event enlightened us to incorporate the interactive game into more HP activities, raising awareness of the threats coral reefs face and fostering a deeper understanding of our project’s goals.

Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC) ​

The 11th Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC) was held at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University this year. At this conference, 89 university teams and 35 high school teams from all over China shared their iGEM projects and engaged in in-depth exchanges with experts from academia and industry.

As a first-time participant, we are eager to engage actively in communication to receive constructive and actionable feedback, which would undoubtedly contribute to the further development and success of our project. During the presentation session, we presented the project background, circuit design, and Human Practices activity, receiving valuable feedback and suggestions from the judges. In addition, our team interacted with other iGEM teams, learning different experimental techniques and project presentation methods. At the end of the conference, our team stood out among 123 teams and achieved the 8th place.

Professor Ziwen XIE, one of the experienced judges, provided insightful feedback on "And Gate" modeling, which guides us to refine our dry lab work. Additionally, our engagement in workshops focused on Human Practices and biosafety has enriched our understanding of these critical aspects of our project. More importantly, the team leader from Fudan provided crucial advice on our safety circuit sensor, which is pivotal in addressing the biosafety considerations of our design.

Being recognized with the prestigious Best Project award among 123 iGEM teams was such an accolade that not only tested the quality of our project design and progress but also was a significant morale booster that motivated us to continue focusing on coral bleaching.

iGEM Greater Bay Area Synthetic Biology Industry-Academia Research Forum (iGBA) ​

The 2nd iGBA event, aimed to strengthen ties and foster dialogue between iGEMers and corporate sectors, commenced with over 60 iGEM participants from 15 teams assembling in Shenzhen. All iGEM team joined the interactive discussion on integrated Human Practice (iHP), Education and Sustainable Development Goals followed by a virtual session with Yuihan BAO, iGEM iHP coordinator. A seminar by an iGEM alumnus-turned-entrepreneur offered a unique perspective on the field, discussing the synthesis of biological experimentation and computational technology in synthetic biology.

Since this year we focus on iHP (Interdisciplinary Human Practices) and Education tracks, we are devoted to the communication of these two topics. In the workshop, we learn from peer iGEMers about how to gain valuable information from the population who lacks an educational background or is relatively vigilant. We also centered our education efforts to have a deep communication about educational innovation and design. Through the connection with Dr. BAO, we deepened our recognition of the relationship between educational activities and project design and development. In company visits and seminars, we had the opportunity to communicate with entrepreneurs in the biology field, providing us profound insight into project development and management. The insights gained from these interactions will help us to adjust our approach in the following ways: enhancing our communication strategies to engage with diverse populations, integrating educational outreach more effectively into our project design, and applying the knowledge from industry professionals to improve our project's future implementation and management.

The iGBA serves as a valuable platform for iGEM teams to communicate not only with peer iGEMers but also industry experts, gaining valuable feedback to enhance our synthetic biology work and explore the possibility of Human Practices activities or deeper collaboration. We look forward to learning from the collective wisdom of the iGEM community, ready to absorb insights that will refine our approach and drive our project to new heights.

With SZU-China ​

When we had run out of the aeblue and tspurple DNA sequences in the distribution kit, SZU-China and SCUT-China offered a helping hand. On June 23rd 2023, we went to ShenZhen University to borrow the sequences.

After obtaining the needed DNA from SZU-China, we discussed potential collaborations in education. Our Coral Cola team plans to promote synthetic biology across various schools, and SZU-China expressed interest in working with us during their club recruitment in September. Their team praised our efforts and is eager for further cooperation. We also exchanged ideas on lab equipment and budgeting. The exchange was fruitful, and we left with both the DNA and new collaboration opportunities.

With SCUT-China ​

We successfully obtained two tubes of aeblue and tspurple DNA from the SCUT-China team. During the exchange, we also discussed budgeting and resource management. We found that we are well-supported, not only in terms of travel funding but also in the availability of lab resources, ensuring smooth progress for our respective projects.

With HKUST ​

As HKUST-GZ and HKUST-CWB are part of the same academic family, this exchange served as a crucial opportunity to deepen our bond and leverage the resources and experience of our sister campus. Given the importance of refining our iGEM project, we sought valuable insights from the HKUST-CWB iGEM team, which has a strong track record in iGEM. By learning from their expertise and sharing project challenges, we aimed to enhance both the scientific and practical aspects of our project, while also exploring future collaboration possibilities.

On July 5th, 2024, 15 members of HKUST-GZ iGEM visited the HKUST Clear Water Bay (CWB) campus for an in-depth exchange. Upon arrival, the HKUST-CWB iGEM team welcomed us warmly and guided us through their lab. During the lab tour, we exchanged project details, discussed team structures, and shared current challenges. Both teams provided constructive feedback and offered suggestions for overcoming difficulties. HKUST-CWB's team also introduced us to experimental techniques passed down from previous years' iGEM teams, which could be valuable for solving practical lab issues.

After a lively lab discussion, we shared lunch together, continuing our conversations in a more casual setting. The afternoon was spent touring HKUST’s stunning sea-view campus. During the tour, their PI, Jessica, one of the Judging Program Committee since 2017, highlighted the importance of our upcoming fieldwork in Guangxi as a major HP strength, encouraging us to maximize its potential.

Later, we visited the Hong Kong branch of the Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), where we met with a researcher we had interviewed previously. He advised us that the biomass of our expressed proteins might be insufficient to alter the light environment or mitigate coral bleaching, but generously offered to assist with metagenomic sequencing analysis and connect us with relevant contacts.

The wonderful day concluded with a group photo at HKUST’s iconic red bird sculpture, exchanging contact details and expressing hopes for further collaboration.

This exchange was highly beneficial, providing us with practical tips for iGEM competition, project poster design, and presentation techniques. We gained valuable feedback on our project’s experimental setup and Human Practices strategies. The enthusiasm from HKUST-CWB’s team has motivated us to consider deeper collaboration and to refine our focus areas for the next phase of our project.

Following the exchange, we will reevaluate the biomass production in our experiments to better address coral bleaching. We will also implement some of the design tricks learned from HKUST-CWB for our project presentation. Additionally, we plan to collaborate further with HKUST-CWB, inviting them to our campus for a future exchange.

With SUSTech-Ocean ​

To exchange ideas and foster communication between iGEM teams, we turned to the SUSTech-Ocean, whose project shared the same theme of the ocean environment with us, and paid a one-day visit, focusing on coral and marine protection through synthetic biology. The meeting aimed to discuss project designs, challenges, and potential future partnerships while gaining insight into SUSTech-Ocean’s experimental and outreach approaches.

On July 6th, 2024, HKUST-GZ iGEM visited SUSTech-Ocean iGEM in Nanshan for a full-day exchange. The day began with a warm welcome from the SUSTech team, followed by project presentations. Both teams discussed challenges related to marine protection, particularly focusing on the biological mass required to form protective layers, the role of CARPs factors, and gene expression concerns. Our team proposed two approaches to gene expression: using peripheral bacteria or signal peptides, while SUSTech-Ocean shared their insights on switching from sugar-controlled to optogenetic methods, particularly for deeper-sea applications.

After the presentations, we toured SUSTech’s labs, where we explored their lab setup, member roles, and experiment protocols. The day concluded with a campus tour, and a group photo outside the meeting room, solidifying a meaningful and collaborative experience.

This exchange allowed both teams to gain a deeper understanding of coral protection through synthetic biology. The discussion on gene expression and the potential use of signal molecules provided valuable insights for both teams. The lab tour also highlighted differences in experimental workflows, giving us ideas for potential adjustments to our own project setup.

Following the exchange, we decided to further investigate the use of signal peptides to optimize our gene expression methods, especially in relation to the safety and efficiency of bacterial survival. Additionally, we plan to refine our Human Practices strategy, incorporating lessons learned from SUSTech-Ocean’s successful coral awareness campaign.

With Fudan ​

To address some challenges we encountered during the development of our wiki, we reached out to the Fudan iGEM team for assistance. Despite their busy schedules, they responded promptly with detailed instructions and advice on technical issues related to our wiki, which was a pleasant surprise. During the CCiC conference, we had the opportunity for in-depth, face-to-face discussions about our project, where we received valuable feedback on our safety circuit sensor. This broadened our understanding of sensor options and provided us with new perspectives.

With MacaoU ​

We were delighted to welcome members from the MacaoU iGEM team, along with some potential iGEM participants, for a lab tour at our campus. After the visit, we discussed our ongoing Human Practices activities as our project progresses, with a focus on education and the Sustainable Development Goals. We agreed that Human Practices should be closely integrated with the project to create a cohesive and meaningful design. As a first-year iGEM team, we also shared our experiences from the initial phase of team establishment to assist two prospective iGEM participants in starting their journey in this exciting competition.

With QS-FMI ​

We were honored to have an in-depth discussion with the Principal Investigator from the QS-FMI iGEM team. During our conversation, we explored the design of our project and identified potential safety issues that could arise during its future implementation, which we recognized as important limitations to address. We also gained valuable insights on how to improve communication with other teams in China, organize our workload more effectively, and manage our team in a more efficient and productive manner. These experiences have provided us with invaluable guidance for planning our next steps in the iGEM competition.