From the perspective of gender distribution, the majority of respondents are female. In terms of age distribution, teenagers have the highest proportion. In terms of income, the group with a monthly income of less than 3000 accounts for over one-third.

About 80% of our respondents heard of folic acid, but 37.78% of them did not know that folic acid was divided into three different types (folate, folic acid, and active folate). Only 23% of them heard of active folate, suggesting that the public awareness needed to be improved.

Though the survey, we found the most used way for people to gain knowledge of folic acid was social media, and 70% of respondents were willing to learn on social media platforms. Therefore, we decided to educate the public about active folate and on social media platforms.

67.3% of respondents grasped the connection between folic acid and fertility while fewer respondents were aware of the its connection with other illnesses such as cognitive disorder and megaloblastic anemia. It meant that public education was needed.

Furthermore, when queried about personal encounters with folic acid, more than half of the respondents reported such interactions. This underscored a basic awareness of folic acid and the public’s value and emphasis on personal health.

Only 60% of people were satisfied with the price of folic acid, and 70% were willing to accept a higher price if production was environmentally friendly. This told us that we may pay attention to pricing and the way of production. Other issues such as convenience, effectiveness, and security should also be considered.

Through this survey, we knew about the situation about public’s understanding regarding folic acid and active folate (L-5-MTHF) and their preference to obtain information. As a result, we decided to educate the public on social media platforms. Furthermore, we also learned price, convenience, effectiveness, and security were all important elements, which will be more thoroughly researched and investigated through discussion with experts and market analysis.

To learn more about the mechanism, functions, risks, potential targets, and market opportunities of active folate L-5-MTHF, we had an interview with Ms. Lu, the chief pharmacist at the Wuhan Institute of Technology Hospital.

3.1.1 Defined Target Users

We discussed with Ms. Lu about what kind of people need to take L-5-MTHF, so as to confirm our target users later. Our research revealed that L-5-MTHF was particularly crucial for pregnant women, as it contributes to fetal development. Deficiency in L-5-MTHF may result in fetal deformities and subsequent health problems, such as autism. The demand for L-5-MTHF was at its peak during the first trimester of pregnancy, during which many women might not be aware of their pregnancy. We concluded that our product should target at expectant mothers and those planning for pregnancy. Furthermore, we have garnered new insights indicating that a deficiency in L-5-MTHF can potentially result in conditions such as megaloblastic anemia, hypertension, cognitive impairment, and mental health issues. As a result, we decided to market folic acid as a health supplement.

3.1.2 Benefits and Technology

In order to find efficient L-5-MTHF production, we sought the expertise of Ms. Lu about the benefits and production process of various types of folic acids. Upon comparison, it was discerned that L-5-MTHF was more readily metabolized than tradition folic acid. Furthermore, the biological production method of L-5-MTHF was more efficient and environmentally friendly than the chemical method. However, the cost of biological method may also be correspondingly higher. This may be due to the immaturity of technology, which will be one of the challenges we have to face.

3.1.3 Product Form

To improve the consumer experience, we also discussed regarding the product form of L-5-MTHF. Ms. Lu told us that injections, pills, and capsules were all viable options. The injection can be absorbed rapidly, while pills provided greater convenience. Consequently, consumer can choose different forms according to their individual needs. For instance, oral administration is more suitable for individuals requiring long-term L-5-MTHF treatment by themselves, whereas injection is more effective when there being professional medical staff. Since injection often needed to undergo complicated legal processes prior to market release, we decided to focus on oral administration.

3.1.4 Potential Risks

Research showed that prolonged over-consumption of L-5-MTHF could potentially precipitate severe health conditions, including cancer. Therefore, we had to review our education material to emphasize the significance of dosage. Furthermore, Ms. Lu highlighted that health supplements, though less strictly controlled than drugs, still needed to be certified by the government before market release, which was a crucial factor we must consider.

After electing to biologically synthesize active folate (L-5-MTHF) through gene editing in Escherichia coli (E. coli), we consulted Professor Han, a food security specialist at Wuhan Polytechnic University. Our discussion focused on the food safety implications of our production methodology, as well as the challenges associated with market release, including regulatory compliance, public awareness, and user targeting.

3.2.1 Production Methodology

Professor Han said that E. coli was an effective bacterium to produce L-5-MTHF. The gene-editing process in E. coli was generally safe and straightforward, as well as legally permissible. Additionally, Professor Han emphasized the necessity of removing the toxic components of E. coli post-synthesis of L-5-MTHF. This was a key procedure that must be included.

3.2.2 Product Design

Furthermore, Professor Han recommended producing pills rather than capsules, thereby resolving our discussions regarding the appropriate product form. We further inquired about the necessary information to be highlighted in the packaging. However, Professor Han only reminded us not to overstate the product’s effectiveness. In that case, we planned to seek advice from other expert to avoid potential compliance risks.

3.2.3 Public Awareness

Afterward, we expressed our concerns regarding public awareness of synthetic biological production. Professor Han told us there was no need to worry about, because many drugs prescribed nowadays were produced via such methods. Generally, customers did not care about how drugs or health supplements were produced but only focused on their health benefits.

3.2.4 User Targeting

Professor Han also informed us that the required intake of L-5-MTHF was contingent upon individual variations, particularly genetic differences. However, personalized medicine has not been widely applied in the general population. If we can propose personalized dosing plans, it will become an advantage for our team.

In order to have a deeper understanding of folic acid, we participated in the discussion with Dr. Huang. First, we learned from Dr. Huang that active folic acid has better clinical absorption and higher utilization efficiency than traditional folic acid, and the required amount of use was much lower than that of traditional products. Dr. Huang emphasized the superiority of active folate, which convinced us that active folate had a promising development trend.

3.3.1 Dosage

We asked Dr. Huang about the recommended dosage of active folate. He told us that it was generally taken in the form of tablets, and the recommended dose was 5 to 15 ml. It should be noted that the dosage for pregnant women was different from other groups. They required less dose, otherwise would lead to the rapid growth of the fetus. Therefore, our team will emphasize the dosage in the instructions to avoid improper use of medication dosage.

3.3.2 Green Production

In order to achieve efficient green production, our team asked Dr. Huang severe questions about green production. Traditional production method had problems of high cost but low return. The new method also had many drawbacks, including the problems of unstable production, difficult waste disposal, and high cost. This means that our team also faced with challenges. To solve these difficulties, Dr. Huang recommends that we can consult more relevant books or browse online information.

3.3.3 Reflection

Dr. Huang explained the clinical superiority of active folate and pointed out the opportunities of the current green production technology of folic acid by microorganisms. He mentioned that industry-university-research cooperation plays an important role in drug research and development. We can take advantage of these cooperation to better develop and expand green microbial production technologies.

In order to further understand the actual needs of the market, we conducted actual interviews and publicity offline in Shanghai.

First Location: Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital.

Advantages: Contact potential target customers for immediate feedback.

Interviewees: Pregnant women and people with family planning.

Due to communication and connection problems, our team finally chose the entrance as the activity location. However, the high temperature weather in Shanghai undoubtedly weakened the desire to communicate with the masses, so the activity at the hospital did not go smoothly.

After further communication with the hospital, our team learned that due to some hospital regulations, we are unable to carry out activities at the entrance. In order to further improve efficiency and save time and cost, our team decided to choose the nearest mall to carry out our offline research via random interviews and publicity activities via posters and pamphlets.

Second location: Jiali Mall

Advantages: more diverse groups and the respondents were more patient to accept our interview

Interviewees: Chinese (including people of all ages) and foreigners (mainly adult men and women)

Due to the pleasant temperature in the mall, the difficulty of our interview and promotion was greatly reduced, and we scattered the activities in pairs to improve efficiency.

After conducting a sample survey at the shopping mall, we found that:
(1) Chinese adult females had a basic understanding of folic acid, which comes mainly from social media.
(2) Chinese adult males knew about folic acid mainly from their wives.
(3) Chinese teenagers almost had no impression at all.
(4) Chinese elderly females had a basic understanding, which comes mainly from friends and doctors.
(5) Foreign adult females and males generally had an understanding of folic acid. Of course, there were also some who have a very vague understanding.

In summary, most people had basic knowledge of folic acid but not very enough.

Through interviews and the distribution of posters and pamphlets, we gained valuable insights into the public’s awareness of folic acid. This experience has provided us with useful strategies and methods for promoting folic acid products in the future.

The event also revealed some issues in our communication and planning. Although we hadn’t coordinated with the hospital in advance, we quickly devised a solution and were able to successfully carry out the event.

From this activity, we learned that awareness of folic acid and active folate in China remains overly focused on women and fertility, overlooking its benefits for the elderly and its role in other health conditions. This not only underscores the market potential for our active folate products but also highlights the importance and urgency of raising awareness about active folate. To help build a healthier society, we are committed to increasing our outreach efforts, particularly among young people and children.

After visiting the 13th Shanghai International Biological Fermentation Products and Technical Equipment Exhibition in 2024, we learned more about the market of health products and discovered more issues such as package materials, production equipment, and publicizing strategy.

Major companies and research institutions have demonstrated advanced technology in various biological fermentation products and their related technical equipment, from basic fermentation equipment to cutting-edge gene editing tools, covering many fields such as bio-pharmaceuticals, the food industry, and environmental protection.

This extensive display not only shows the diversified development in the industry but also reflects the importance of biotechnology in solving global problems. The large scale of this exhibition and the level of its diversity (from production equipment to packaging material) tell us the matureness of the biotechnology industry chain. This is good news because it may be more easy for our production. However, it also means we are faced with a competitive market. We need to improve our product and service.

When we left the exhibition, we realized that we spent a lot of time looking for specific areas. When we recalled the content of an exhibition, it was difficult for us to think of everything completely without the help of pictures or other records. Thus, we concluded that online promotion is a better strategy since it is more convenient and our audience can easily use search history or screenshots to save our content.

Our project promotes direct consumption of active folate tablets, with varying dosages based on age and specific needs, which you can see in our entrepreneurship section