Awards
Our team, LCG-China, made up mainly of high school students from China, agreed from the outset that joining iGEM goes beyond simply gaining an accolade for our college applications; it offers us a chance to leave our comfort zones, explore uncharted territories, and expand our limits. After almost six months of exploration and practice, we feel confident that we have honored our original commitment.
Our journey in iGEM has allowed us to explore and practice the cutting-edge field of synthetic biology while engaging with the real world through our wet-lab work, in-depth human practices, and entrepreneurial explorations. Throughout this process, we have examined the intersection of science and philosophy, particularly in addressing the potential risks posed by the dual-use nature of rapidly advancing generative AI. We have contemplated how to balance regulation with the freedom of technological advancement and what it means to responsible innovation. Our experiences and reflections have demonstrated that even as high school students, we can make meaningful contributions to our communities. We are eager to share our work and achievements with the judges and fellow iGEMers. We believe our efforts embody the iGEM community's values of responsible innovation and leadership, and we believe we are deserving of three special prizes: 🏆Best Safety and Security, 🏆Best Entrepreneurship, 🏆Best New Composite Part as well as a 🥇gold medal.
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in synthetic biology has introduced unprecedented efficiencies, reducing both time and cost for researchers. However, our team has identified significant potential safety risks in the AI x SynBio field. In response, we conducted research and developed a comprehensive AI safety policy guideline and proposal aimed at safeguarding both individual and societal security, while advocating for greater public awareness.
In line with iGEM’s safety framework, we addressed biosafety concerns, particularly the risks of accidental release of genetically modified organisms, and implemented protocols to ensure environmental and personal safety.
Additionally, we created and implemented an informed consent form to protect privacy during interviews, ensuring ethical handling of participants' information.
https://2024.igem.wiki/lcg-china/safety"Next-generation materials offer a greener and healthier outdoor experience." Building on our bacterial cellulose modification machine and our exploration of optimizing bacterial cellulose and protein production, we have initiated a startup company to commercialize the iGEM project. We identified the intersection between outdoor gear and consumer healthcare markets, and designed a 100% bio-based, environmental preserved bacterial cellulose adhesive bandage tailored for outdoor enthusiasts. Utilizing our company’s core technology, the "Bacterial Cellulose Modification Machine," we have integrated multiple functionalities—such as adhesion, antimicrobial properties, and repair—into our bacterial cellulose bandage, combining medical benefits with environmental sustainability.
Our product line is named "ExploreAid," leveraging our capabilities in material innovation and production, alongside AI technology, we can now more efficiently and accurately screen functional materials. By combining synthetic biology with traditional fermentation techniques, we can make bio-based materials more cost-effective. The future belongs to bio-based materials, and we aim to lead the revolution in next-generation outdoor gear.
As part of our entrepreneurial plan, we have thoroughly developed a comprehensive business proposal that includes product development, market analysis, and cost optimization strategies. Additionally, we have outlined a clear financing strategy to support the company’s growth and scalability.
https://2024.igem.wiki/lcg-china/entrepreneurshipThe SpyTag/SpyCatcher system is a technology for irreversible conjugation of recombinant proteins. The peptide SpyTag (13 amino acids) spontaneously reacts with the protein SpyCatcher (12.3 kDa) to form an intermolecular isopeptide bond between the pair[1]. DNA sequence encoding either SpyTag or SpyCatcher can be recombinantly introduced into the DNA sequence encoding a protein of interest, forming a fusion protein. These fusion proteins can be covalently linked when mixed in a reaction through the SpyTag/SpyCatcher system.
Using the Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) method, we successfully verified the strong binding between SpyCatcher and SpyTag by demonstrating the formation of a complex, which confirms their interaction under physiological conditions. This approach provides additional binding data for the SpyTag system and also validates the feasibility of this system from an immunological perspective. These findings are crucial for our project, especially in verifying the modification and binding of bacterial cellulose.
https://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K5461001We have met all criteria for the Bronze medal.
We have already submitted the Wiki and Judging Form, and we will submit the Presentation Video on time by October 9. Additionally, we will attend the Jamboree in person in late October to attend Judging Session.
We have clearly outlined the task and contributions of each team member, and have also acknowledged our advisors, as well as all the experts, entrepreneurs, and the companies and organizations that have provided us with support.
https://2024.igem.wiki/lcg-china/attributions
We designed and validated a Bacterial Cellulose Modification Machine, exploring its application by an entrepreneurship journey. This is the description of our project.
https://2024.igem.wiki/lcg-china/description
We provided additional data for previous part (BBa_K1159200) by using the Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) method.
We have met all criteria for the Silver medal.
Bacteria Cellulose, as a natural polymer material, has extensive application prospects in various fields due to its abundant resources, renewability, and biocompatibility. This year, we developed a modular, decoupled method for cellulose composite modification, aimed at utilizing proteins for cellulose modification through simpler and more efficient means. The system consists of three core modules:
Ultimately, we experimentally verified the efficient binding of cellulose, the scaffold protein Curlis Fiber-Spytag, and the target protein SpyCatcher-POI, demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of this modular system and providing a new strategy for cellulose modification applications.
https://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K5461000
We believe that our project is responsible and good for the world.
We have met all criteria for the Gold medal.
We noticed that iGEM currently lacks comprehensive guidelines for the use of AI, so we hope to contribute some of our thoughts to establish such standards. We conducted a social experiment to verify that the use of AI poses potential biosecurity risks. To mitigate these risks, we believe that AI usage needs to be standardized and traceable. Based on these two principles, we developed the AI Safety Form and AI Dialogue Record. The AI Safety Form is designed to check the AI usage standards of iGEM teams, while the AI Dialogue Record serves as a log of AI usage. We hope to engage the iGEM community in discussions about AI usage and work together to establish more robust AI standards, fostering a culture of responsible innovation in AI. "We have taken the first step."
In addition, we made contributions to the iGEM community in the Parts section by submitting two innovative Composite Parts: BBa_K5461001 and BBa_K5461000. These two plasmids form the foundation of our "Bacterial Cellulose Modification Machine." BBa_K5461001 is a POI-SpyCatcher expression plasmid with a standardized interface, enabling bacterial cellulose to acquire different functionalities. BBa_K5461000 serves as an "adapter," linking bacterial cellulose to the POI. It expresses Curlis Fiber that connect cellulose-Curlis Fiber-Spy system-POI. This system provides future iGEMers with a tool for bacterial cellulose modification, allowing for easier testing of new functions. Moreover, future iGEM teams can leverage this system to perform high-throughput screening of bacterial cellulose modifications.
As a high school team, we are default eligible for the following awards, and we hope to have the opportunity to pursue these awards as well as the Top 10 prize. If our project ranks in the top 10, or even in the top 3, we kindly ask you, as our judges, to join us on stage to respond to questions from the entire judging panel. If you believe our project is outstanding, please give us your support! Thank you for being our judges!
Special Prizes
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