As women age, particularly after reaching 30, estrogen secretion gradually decreases, significantly impacting skin health. Our project aims to provide skin health support solutions for Older women in menopause. By interviewing diverse groups from different regions and professions, and incorporating expert advice and public feedback, we continuously optimize our project design, making it not only reliable but also well-suited to meet the needs of Older women in menopause.

In our communication with the target audience, we found that some individuals faced barriers in understanding the project. In response, we conducted an in-depth analysis and decided to promote women's participation in STEM education.

Our activities are divided into three core components: background research, experimental project design improvements, and product implementation, interspersed with initiatives to encourage women in STEM education.

To better design our project and gain insights into the unmet skin care needs of Older women in menopause, we first conducted stakeholder identification to clarify the target groups most relevant to our project. Through this process, we clearly recognized which groups have direct influence and demand for our project.

Next, we conducted a survey focused on older women. We also interviewed beauty influencers and dermatologists, and organized focus group discussions. This series of research activities helped us further define our research direction, making our project design more aligned with actual needs, and more targeted and scientific.

In human social practice, we need to deeply observe and analyze the phenomena we discover, and conduct systematic research to propose feasible solutions. For our proposed solutions, we must ensure they are beneficial and responsible to the world. In this process, the role of stakeholders is particularly crucial. Through close communication with stakeholders, we can verify whether the project truly meets the needs of the target customers and continuously adjust the project direction and design based on their feedback.

To effectively achieve this goal, we created a stakeholder onion diagram. This diagram helps us clarify the communication targets we need to focus on. Through interactions with them, we can understand the needs our project must meet and continuously optimize our project design based on their feedback.

Females > 30: Middle-aged women are our primary consumer group, making their feedback on our products crucial.

Beauty Salons: Beauty salons represent a significant potential consumer base. If our products gain visibility and credibility, salons will purchase in bulk, leading to substantial profits for us.

Hospitals: Validation of our products' safety and efficacy through hospitals will give our products authority in the skincare field, enhance our brand recognition, and increase sales.

Investors: Securing funding is essential for our project's launch, and attracting investors is a key step. Their endorsement indicates market potential and commercial value, directly impacting our products.

Biologists: Biologists and researchers are critical to our product, as the academic knowledge underpinning our offerings is built and executed by them. Their feedback significantly influences our products' efficacy and safety, making them essential stakeholders.

General Public: While our mask ingredients primarily target middle-aged women, they also have benefits for a broader audience, making the public a potential consumer base for future needs.

Competitors: Our competitors may not directly impact our products, but their market strategies can provide signals that help us refine and improve our offerings.

We reviewed the "China Women's Skin Health Report"[1]

The report shows that fewer than one-third of women are satisfied with their skin condition. This result reflects that most women still face numerous challenges in skincare. Despite the wide variety of modern skincare products, many women find it difficult to find solutions that meet their needs, indicating significant market demand and room for improvement in skincare.

Between the ages of 25 and 30, as women enter a critical period for career development, common issues such as enlarged pores and dark circles are often triggered by work pressure and a faster pace of life.

After turning 30, women's skin metabolism begins to slow down, and estrogen secretion gradually decreases, leading to increasingly prominent issues such as dullness and lack of radiance. The appearance of dark spots also becomes more noticeable. Collagen and elastin in the skin gradually diminish, causing a loss of elasticity and the subtle emergence of fine lines. Additionally, the skin begins to sag, making signs of aging more apparent.。

In our preliminary survey, we focused on three core questions: first, the level of concern older women have about their skin condition; second, the skin issues they are most concerned about; and finally, how much time they are willing to invest in skincare each day. These three questions help us gain an initial understanding of women's needs and priorities in skincare. This information lays the groundwork for our subsequent interviews with the target population, enabling us to communicate more effectively with respondents and ensuring that the project design can better address their actual needs.

Survey data indicates that 84.25% of older women are concerned about their skin condition, reflecting their high demand for and emphasis on skincare.

The data also indicates that skin dryness is their primary concern, followed by skin aging. In fact, issues such as dryness and wrinkles are closely related to skin aging. As women age, the decline in estrogen levels leads to a loss of collagen and elastin in the skin, resulting in decreased elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Additionally, the natural moisturizing factors in the skin decrease, and the barrier function declines, making the skin more prone to dryness.

Regarding the time respondents are willing to invest in skincare, 77.95% are willing to spend 0-30 minutes, 18.11% are willing to spend 30 minutes to 1 hour, and only a very small number of older women are willing to spend more than 1 hour on skincare. This indicates that the majority of consumers prefer simple and efficient skincare solutions.

This may be because many older women in our country bear multiple responsibilities, such as work, caring for families, and looking after elderly relatives, so they seek skincare methods that are both effective and time-saving.

The skincare needs of older women mainly focus on improving issues related to skin aging, and they tend to prefer simple and efficient skincare solutions. Therefore, our product design should emphasize providing time-friendly, convenient, and effective skincare options to meet their needs in their busy daily lives.

https://forms.office.com/r/w6jWBcGjwv

We conducted interviews with older women from different professions and regions to gain a deeper understanding of their concerns about their skin condition, as well as issues they care about most (such as wrinkles and skin laxity). We also explored consumers' preferences for different types of skincare products (such as lotions, masks, etc.) to better determine our product forms. Additionally, we gathered insights on their additional concerns regarding skincare products, such as safety and natural ingredients. This information allows us to clarify the key consumer needs and optimize our project design and positioning accordingly.

Since our mothers are around forty years old, we interviewed them to understand their concerns about their own skin condition.

Our mothers are very concerned about their skin condition, especially the condition of theirfacial skin. After talking with them, we learned that their focus on skin health is not only about maintaining personal image but also about staying competitive in professional and social settings. Ahealthy appearance significantly impacts their job performance and career opportunities, as good skin can enhance their confidence and help them maintain a positive mental state in both the workplace and social circles. Additionally, skincare is a form of self-care for them, providing psychological satisfaction. This daily skincare ritual helps them soothe their emotions and reduce stress, thereby maintaining mental health and inner balance.

In our conversations with the cafeteria and cleaning staff at the hotel, they initially stated that they hardly pay attention to their skin condition, thinking that at nearly fifty years old and working in food service and cleaning, skincare only involves a simple face wash in the morning. However, as our discussion deepened, they admitted that they do care about their skin, but due to a lack of knowledge, being older, and having limited income, they hesitated to openly acknowledge this, feeling embarrassed to do so. They do use creams and masks but have never systematically learned how to care for their skin scientifically. For them, the price of skincare products is the most important consideration.

We encouraged the staff, telling them that every job is equally important and that caring about one’s skin is entirely normal and nothing to be ashamed of. During this exchange, we discovered that they found it difficult to understand the professional skincare concepts we mentioned, and they expressed concerns about their lack of knowledge. This made us reflect on the importance of not only outward appearance but also the accumulation of inner knowledge. The conversation also prompted us to explore the current state of women in STEM education, realizing the significance of knowledge dissemination and enhancement.

As our project took shape, this conversation led us to consider the professionalism of our project. To better communicate our project content and philosophy in future interactions, we created a brochure. This brochure not only details the project's core goals, technical background, and expected outcomes but also uses clear and concise language along with visuals to help individuals from different backgrounds easily understand the professional aspects of the project.

We interviewed a 30-year-old white-collar worker, Ms. Xu. She expressed that, as she ages, issues like wrinkles and skin laxity are gradually becoming more noticeable. In her skincare routine, Ms. Xu typically uses lotions and masks, with L'Oréal's lotion and serum being her most frequent choices. While she finds them effective, she acknowledges that consistent use over a long period is necessary to see results. She also uses Kiehl's products, believing the brand has significant anti-aging effects, although she finds the prices quite high. Regarding skincare products, Ms. Xu places a strong emphasis on safety, particularly for facial care, as poor product safety can lead to skin issues. Therefore, she carefully checks the ingredient lists of skincare products. In our subsequent product development, we conducted in-depth research on L'Oréal and Kiehl's and consistently prioritized product safety in our project design.

We interviewed Ms. Su, a white-collar worker. She mentioned that she often pays attention to her skin condition because it directly impacts her daily mental state. She noted that since turning 25, her skin has begun to change, especially during her menstrual cycle when it appears more unstable. In her daily skincare routine, she prefers using La Mer's lotion due to its significant and stable moisturizing effect, although she finds the price quite high. For nighttime skincare, she tends to use masks while engaging in leisure activities like watching TV. Ms. Su places particular importance on the safety of skincare products.

She believes that as she ages, her skin is gradually showing wrinkles and laxity, which has heightened her focus on skin management and increased her demand for skincare products. She prefers lotions and masks primarily for their excellent moisturizing properties. Additionally, she leans toward products with natural ingredients, considering them safer and more reliable.

We conducted street interviews with respondents including community cleaners, company salespeople, and company managers. Due to time constraints, we focused on understanding their concerns regarding skincare products. Respondents generally expressed interest in whether the ingredients are natural and safe, while also being conscious of product prices. However, women in different professions exhibited varying levels of price acceptance. Overall, safety and cost-effectiveness are important factors in their selection of skincare products, but specific price sensitivity varies according to profession and economic status.

Despite the differences in region, profession, and age among older women, they generally engage in daily skincare routines. However, the focus of their skincare concerns varies based on their occupations. Even though some women have been attentive to their skin condition from an early age, signs of aging—especially on the face—such as wrinkles, laxity, and pigmentation inevitably appear as they age. This indicates a strong demand for skincare among older women. However, despite the wide variety of skincare products available on the market, their needs for anti-aging and deep care have not been fully met.

As consumers increasingly prioritize health and natural ingredients, many older women wish to use gentle, non-irritating products in their skincare routines while also being able to afford reasonable prices. Currently, there is an opportunity for a product that combines natural ingredients with a reasonable price, addressing older women's dual demands for safety and cost-effectiveness.

In an online consultation regarding skin changes in older women, we consulted Dr. Li from Xijing Hospital's dermatology department. She explained that as women age, the secretion of estrogen gradually decreases, which can lead to issues such as dryness, reduced elasticity, and collagen loss, resulting in increased wrinkles and dull skin tone. There are three main treatment approaches for addressing decreased estrogen secretion: medication, aesthetic treatments, and supplementation.

Medication involves the use of compounds like conjugated estrogen tablets, estrogen combination pills, and progesterone capsules under medical guidance to replenish estrogen levels in the body. However, since skin issues are not suitable for treatment solely through medication, it is crucial to follow medical advice strictly. Supplementation can quickly replenish estrogen through subcutaneous injections, but careful attention to dosage is necessary to avoid risks such as uterine fibroids, endometrial cancer, or breast diseases. Aesthetic treatments are interventions specifically aimed at skin issues, offering noticeable effects but at a higher cost.

Based on Dr. Li's recommendations, we can explore using natural weak estrogen components to develop skincare products that gently assist older women in caring for their skin. Natural weak estrogens can gently regulate skin conditions and reduce problems related to declining estrogen levels, such as dryness, sagging, and wrinkles, while avoiding the side effects associated with medication or hormone supplementation. By selecting safe, natural plant-derived weak estrogen ingredients like soy isoflavones or black goji berries, we can meet consumers' demands for natural and safe ingredients while providing effective skincare solutions to slow down skin aging.

We interviewed a beauty blogger who emphasized that the key to skincare for older women lies in simplicity and effectiveness, avoiding excessive cleansing that can harm the skin. She recommended that older women choose skincare products with natural ingredients that are easily absorbed, steering clear of harsh ingredients. Regarding anti-aging products, the blogger pointed out that their effects gradually manifest with consistent long-term use, so patience is essential. Additionally, she stressed the importance of good lifestyle habits. She suggested maintaining a regular sleep schedule, eating a balanced diet, and keeping a positive mindset, as these factors can positively impact skin health and anti-aging.

This interview greatly boosted our confidence in choosing Genistein as a natural ingredient and in deciding to develop our product as a mask. Genistein, as a natural antioxidant, aligns with the skincare principles of "natural ingredients and easy absorption" mentioned by the beauty blogger. Moreover, masks, being a simple and effective skincare format, are particularly suitable for older women in their daily routines, providing deep nourishment to the skin in a short amount of time.

In interviews with cosmetics store staff, it was noted that older women tend to prefer skincare products that offer long-lasting effects at reasonable prices. They are particularly attentive to product ingredients, with natural components and plant extracts becoming increasingly popular as they seek to minimize skin irritation during their skincare routines. Products with clear anti-aging benefits, such as serums and masks that reduce wrinkles and improve skin firmness, are crucial considerations in their purchasing decisions. These types of products are often essentials on their skincare lists. Older women also heavily rely on brand trust when choosing products, with common brands including L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, La Mer, and Kiehl's, with Kiehl's being the most frequently chosen by consumers.

For older women, healthy skin boosts their confidence and contributes to a more positive mental state. Through in-depth interviews with women from various professions, dermatologists, and industry professionals, we concluded that our product should contain natural ingredients that effectively nourish the skin and are easily absorbed. Additionally, the product price should remain reasonable to meet the needs of a broader consumer base. Most importantly, we must ensure the safety of the product throughout the development process. As for the product format, we can design it as a cream or mask to provide a convenient and efficient skincare experience.

After researching and discussing as a team, we ultimately decided to synthesize Genistein using microbial methods. Genistein is a major active ingredient among soy isoflavones, possessing estrogen-like activity and various physiological effects. It effectively combats skin aging issues caused by decreased estrogen levels and collagen loss, rejuvenating the skin's vitality.

We designed key enzyme reactions to synthesize Genistein from naringenin via microbial pathways, which mainly include isoflavone synthase (IFS), cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), and 2-hydroxyisoflavone dehydratase (HID).

During the Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC), we shared our project progress with the judges, who offered valuable suggestions. They pointed out that considering our future plan to apply microbial-produced Genistein in skincare, common E. coli chassis strains like DH5α and BL21 might produce endotoxins, making safety a significant concern. They also recommended designing a suicide system to enhance project safety.

In our subsequent project optimization, we replaced the chassis microorganism with E. coli Nissle 1917 and successfully designed a suicide system after discussions with biological researchers, further improving the safety and feasibility of our product.

In our initial experiments, the yield of Genistein did not meet expectations, which left the team perplexed. To address this, we consulted Teachers Liu and Jia from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Teacher Liu's research focuses on bacterial gene function analysis, while Teacher Jia specializes in enzyme discovery and modification. They pointed out that the enzymes we were using were derived from plants and function by being anchored in the endoplasmic reticulum, which is absent in E. coli. This presented us with a challenge.

They provided several suggestions:

Use genetic engineering to remove the signal peptide or anchoring sequence from the enzyme, allowing it to be freely expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli.

The N-terminal hydrophobic structure of plant proteins may lead to protein aggregation, affecting their activity. We could address this by truncating the hydrophobic structure or adding hydrophilic tags.

Add a signal peptide to anchor the enzyme in the bacterial cell membrane.

Optimize the enzyme's structure through protein engineering to ensure it functions properly in the cytoplasm of E. coli.

In our subsequent experiments, we implemented strategies such as truncating the N-terminal hydrophobic structure of the IFS protein, adding various hydrophilic tags to the N-terminus of IFS, and fusing the OmpA L sequence, further optimizing enzyme expression and function.

Since our product is based on the core ingredient of Genistein, we visited Teacher Mao at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, who specializes in natural products research. Teacher Mao expressed her support for our project and pointed out that face masks could be a better skincare format. She also recommended bacterial cellulose as a material for the masks, highlighting its advantages such as good breathability, water absorption, and adhesion, making it particularly suitable as a mask base.

This exchange not only strengthened our confidence in choosing Genistein as a skincare ingredient for older women but also provided a clear direction for the product's form. In our subsequent experiments, we began exploring the production of bacterial cellulose to further optimize the practical application of our product.

Teacher Chen Zhongyu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University focuses on the biosynthesis of natural products, encompassing molecular biology and biochemistry, including bacterial molecular genetic manipulation, protein purification, fermentation separation, and genomic information mining. He endorsed our project while emphasizing the importance of safety.

During our discussion, we explored various safety measures and ultimately decided to design a suicide system for our engineered bacteria. Regarding the choice of promoters, Teacher Chen pointed out that there are many types of inducible promoters available, such as chemical, temperature, light, oxygen or anaerobic, and pH-inducible promoters. We will select an appropriate promoter based on project application needs in future experiments and project development.

This discussion bolstered our confidence in using Genistein for women's skincare. Additionally, we opted for a light-inducible promoter in our subsequent project and designed a series of safety measures to ensure the controllability and safety of the project (see our team's safety Wiki for detailed content).

We have created multiple media accounts to help more people understand our project better and collect feedback to improve it. Additionally, through these platforms, we actively promote women's participation and development in the STEM education field. The specific accounts are as follows:

Weibo: iGEM一She

Douyin: iGEM-She+

Xiaohongshu: iGEM-She+

WeChat Official Account: JIASHU-SH

On our media accounts, we will also share tips on improving skin health through daily routines and diet.

We created a project poster and posted it in the study corner of the library and on the school's bulletin board, hoping to attract attention to our project and collect feedback.

We had a conversation with Mr. Jiang, the owner of a beauty salon, and learned that older women tend to prefer products aimed at improving pigmentation, facial sagging, and skin whitening. This is particularly true for Asian women, who have a pronounced need for addressing pigmentation issues. When beauty therapists create anti-aging plans for clients, they recommend project combinations based on customers' at-home skincare habits and daily routines, with masks being a common choice.

For time management, some hurried clients, such as those heading out or attending events, prefer instant-effect treatments, while most clients opt for longer skincare sessions to achieve more lasting results. Additionally, when selecting skincare products, clients not only consider brand reputation but also place great importance on the safety and efficacy of ingredients, especially whether the products have official testing certificates, ingredient lists, and whether they are used in major hospitals.

This interview has reinforced our decision to position our product as a facial mask. To address different customer needs, we plan to launch two types of masks:

1. A mask containing only dye-derived flavonoids: This option caters to time-constrained customers, as it is easy to use but offers relatively mild effects, suitable for quick daily care.

2. A live bacterial mask with a light-induced suicide system: This option provides better results but requires longer application time, making it more suitable for professional settings like beauty salons to ensure safety.

This exchange also highlighted the critical importance of product safety. As we prepare to bring our products to market, we must undergo strict approval processes. The first type of mask is suitable for everyday self-use by consumers, while the live bacterial mask should be administered by professionals in salons to ensure safe usage.

We had further discussions with a lawyer regarding the safety of our project. The lawyer pointed out that if our project involves human experiments in the future, we must obtain approval from an ethics committee. The ethics committee will review the plans, designs, and progress of the experiments or research, overseeing the entire process to ensure compliance with ethical standards and relevant regulations. Additionally, the lawyer reminded us that when the product is launched, we must strictly adhere to the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Cosmetics" [2]and obtain approval from the National Medical Products Administration.

This provides clear legal guidance for the future development of our project, reminding us that we must strictly follow ethical and regulatory requirements during the process to ensure the safety and legality of the project.

We interviewed Ms. Yue, the mother of Weihan Song, who is a professor in the Chemistry Department at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. We discussed her views on our products and explored the obstacles women face in STEM education. Ms. Yue expressed her support for our project, noting that our mask products could effectively meet her needs in her busy daily life. She hopes we can continue to optimize production and advance the commercialization process of the project, further improving the products.

When discussing women in STEM education, Ms. Yue reflected on the situation twenty years ago. She pointed out that at that time, not only was STEM education not widely recognized, but even women's access to education itself was often questioned. Society generally believed that girls should marry early rather than focus on their studies. As more women began to enter schools, a new bias emerged suggesting that "women should study humanities, while science should be dominated by men." However, it has been proven that many women excel in science. Ms. Yue emphasized that women should pursue education and recognize their talents. If science is their strength, they should not be limited by societal biases. Conversely, if they are not interested in science, they can still gain a basic understanding of related knowledge to enhance their overall literacy.

We conducted a follow-up interview with Ms. Xu and Ms. Su, where we elaborated on our project and products. They expressed willingness to try our products if our project receives approval in the future.

Additionally, we discussed the issue of gender discrimination in the workplace. Ms. Su believes that as long as women have sufficient experience and capability, they should be treated fairly and not be stereotypically defined as only suitable for administrative roles due to their gender. Ms. Xu mentioned that her company has fewer stereotypes about women, but she is aware that gender discrimination still exists in the internet and technology industries. Even when women demonstrate stronger abilities, some companies still prioritize hiring men for key positions.

Ms. Xu also shared her experiences in education. She recalled that in high school, some teachers believed boys understood formulas faster than girls and preferred to explain problems to boys. In a preliminary math competition in middle school, Ms. Xu scored the same as several boys, but the school ultimately nominated only the boys for the competition. These experiences made her aware of the impact of gender stereotypes on women in academia and the workplace.

We also promoted the project among nearby students, hoping they would take our brochures home to introduce it to their mothers and help us gather feedback. Due to our limited team size, we aimed to expand our reach to the target audience and obtain more insights this way. Unfortunately, as of now, we have only received feedback from two students. They reported that their mothers showed great interest in the project and expressed positive feedback, but also inquired about our pricing strategy and safety measures. In response, we provided detailed explanations and discussions with the students.

We set up an outdoor booth to promote both women's education and our project. In our first attempt, we placed the booth under the school building, but the results were not ideal. Subsequently, we improved the booth by adopting a more proactive promotional approach. We created signage and arranged for dedicated personnel to explain the project, encouraging women to recognize themselves and break free from traditional constraints.

In our new attempt, we chose locations for the booth in hotels and city squares. Hotel guests have time to learn about our project while checking in, and city squares are popular gathering spots for women in the afternoon, giving them more time to engage with our activities. These improvements significantly enhanced our outreach, attracting more women's attention and participation.

We also utilized AI to create a song related to our project, aiming to make our message more relatable and help people better understand our philosophy while collecting more comprehensive feedback. This innovative approach not only added an element of fun to the project but also effectively increased public engagement.

To better promote our project and ideas, the quickest way is to commercialize our products. We have completed part of the business plan, which details our vision for the product and the concept of creating a women-friendly enterprise. Due to time constraints, we have not been able to expand commercially further, but we will showcase the completed business section. Through these efforts, we hope to advance the project's development and lay a foundation for future commercialization.

Ms. Ren is approaching thirty and has shown great interest in our project, providing valuable advice on commercial promotion. She emphasized the importance of meeting customer needs and actively seeking feedback, as customers are our market and should be a key focus. Ms. Ren suggested that we consider raising product prices to ensure investors can see the profit potential. Additionally, she recommended analyzing brands in the market, particularly popular ones like Innisfree, which have excellent marketing but lower technological content, resulting in higher prices.

She also pointed out that we should provide good benefits for our employees, especially in the early stages of entrepreneurship. This includes appropriately increasing salary compensation to attract top talent while establishing a strong brand positioning to secure a foothold in a competitive market. These suggestions provide new ideas and directions for our future commercialization pathway.

We attended a lecture held at a microbial fermentation factory, where we learned about the market price and cost structure of industrial fermentation microorganisms, and learned about the country's laws and regulations on industrial fermentation.

We have completed the overall business concept, including product design, market positioning, and brand development strategies. However, due to limitations in the team's time and energy, we have only completed part of the expansion work so far. Nevertheless, our initial efforts have laid a solid foundation for the project's subsequent development, and we will continue to advance these commercialization processes in the future.

Through Human Practices (HP), we gained a deeper understanding of the unmet needs of older women and continuously adjusted our project direction and product forms based on their communication and feedback. Our discussions with biological experts helped us refine our experimental design and ensure project safety. During the product implementation process, interviews and follow-ups with older women confirmed that our product received their approval. Additionally, our interactions with relevant manufacturers further optimized product design. Throughout this process, we also promoted another important aspect: enhancing women's self-awareness and eliminating societal stereotypes about women.

In the future, we will continue to advance our business plan, further optimize the project, and strive to make greater contributions to women's skin health.

[1]https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/jEibI-Kd_crAvW1hw8zkIQ

[2]https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2020-06/29/content_5522593.htm