Education
1.Revolutionizing Colorectal Cancer Treatment Through Synthetic Biology
Synthetic biology is an exciting field that blends biology and engineering to create new systems and
organisms. One area where synthetic biology is making a significant impact is in cancer treatment,
particularly for colorectal cancer, which affects the colon and rectum.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. It starts when cells in the colon or rectum
begin to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. Traditional
treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, but synthetic biology offers new hope by designing
innovative approaches to target cancer cells more precisely.
Our high school team is passionate about promoting this cutting-edge treatment. We believe that synthetic
biology can revolutionize how we fight colorectal cancer by creating engineered cells that can identify and
destroy cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed. We are excited about spreading awareness and
educating others about these advancements because they represent a future where cancer treatments are more
effective and personalized. By supporting and understanding these developments, we hope to contribute to a
world where fewer people suffer from this disease and where new, life-saving therapies become a reality.
Therefore, in order to raise awareness of our project, our team has actively promoted our project across
various social media platforms and we aims to reach a broader audience, engage more supporters, and generate
greater interest in our cause.
1.1 WeChat official account
Utilizing a WeChat official account to promote a colorectal cancer treatment project presents a highly
feasible and strategic approach. WeChat is a dominant platform in China with extensive reach and engagement,
making it ideal for disseminating information, fostering community support, and driving funding
initiatives.
Promoting our colorectal cancer treatment project via a WeChat official account is highly feasible and
effective. The platform’s extensive reach allows us to engage a broad audience with diverse content. We
utilize educational articles on siRNA to explain our innovative treatment method, enhancing public
understanding and interest. Crowdfunding efforts can be seamlessly integrated into our team account,
leveraging WeChat’s payment tools to secure necessary funds. We also Introduce our team members through
detailed profiles and behind-the-scenes content in order to build trust and personal connection with our
audience. What’s more, we had some interviews with the local experts like university professors, doctors
from local hospitals as well as entrepreneurs, which will lend credibility and provide authoritative
insights, reinforcing the project’s legitimacy. Overall, WeChat’s features support a comprehensive
promotional strategy that can drive awareness, engagement, and funding for our project.
1.2 Bilibili & Tik Tok video promotion
We also use other social medias like Bilibili and Tik Tok to share our daily lives in the laboratory, our
promotion work and popularization contents.
1.3 online questionnaire
To gauge public understanding of colorectal cancer, our team conducted a comprehensive survey. The results
revealed valuable insights into people’s awareness and knowledge about the disease. We found that while
there is a general awareness, detailed knowledge and understanding are often lacking. This data is
instrumental for our ongoing research, as it highlights areas where public education needs to be
strengthened. The findings will help us tailor our outreach and educational efforts more effectively,
ensuring that we address the gaps in knowledge and improve overall awareness. This survey not only informed
our project strategy but also underscored the importance of targeted communication in advancing colorectal
cancer awareness.
2.Public awareness---offline action
Colorectal cancer poses significant health risks, being one of the most common and potentially fatal cancers
worldwide. It often develops with minimal symptoms in its early stages, leading to late diagnoses and
challenging treatment options. Recognizing the urgent need for increased awareness, our team decided to take
proactive steps to educate the community about this critical issue.
To address this, we organized an outreach event in the vibrant community of Hubu Lane in Wuhan. Our goal was
to engage directly with local residents, provide valuable information about colorectal cancer, and emphasize
the importance of early detection and prevention. Understanding that attracting and retaining attention is
crucial for effective education, we designed and distributed unique, custom-branded gifts to participants.
These gifts not only served as a token of appreciation but also helped in creating a memorable association
with our cause.
This activity proved to be highly successful. We observed a substantial turnout, with many attendees showing
genuine interest in our project and the information we provided. Numerous participants expressed their
desire to learn more about colorectal cancer, including its risk factors, symptoms, and prevention
strategies. The positive feedback and enthusiastic response underscored the community's readiness to engage
with and support our efforts. Overall, our Hubu Lane event was a significant step in raising awareness and
fostering a deeper understanding of colorectal cancer
within the community.
3.Collaboration
3.1 China’s IGEM Community
On June 14th, our team attended the Conference of the China iGEMer Community (2024 CCiC). At this stage, we
had just finished our project design and was starting wet lab experiments, so we mainly focused on our idea
RNA interference vector targeted to TEAD4 could serve as a promising therapeutic candidate for colorectal
cancer treatment.Then we had an open communication with other teams and shared our experience discussion
with excellent teams.
In addition, we also listened to the presentations from other teams, which expanded our knowledge and
further encouraged us to contribute in a positive way to medicine and synthetic biology. We had the
opportunity for meaningful communication with various teams from China, which had a profound impact on the
later development of the project.
3.2 China’s IGEM Community- CPU-China
We had an online communication with a team from China Pharmaceutical University called CPU-China. Same as
our study topic, they are also studying treatment approaches for CRC. They selected and improved LL 37, from
the terminal antimicrobial region of human cationic antimicrobial protein 18(hCAP18), as their candidate
killing peptide,which inspired us to learn deeper and find new treatment options for CRC.
3.3 China’s IGEM Community- HUBU-China
Hubei University in Wuhan(HUBU-China) aims to address the impact of pests on crops through RNAi-based drugs.
They exploited RNAi’s mechanism of action to induce complementary mRNA degradation leading to dege silencing
in the important lepidopteran pest Spodoptera litura. Overall, this exchange inspires us to learn more about
RNA, not only for cancer use but also in other fields.
3.4 China’s IGEM Community
In the end of September, we have communicated with links China in Shenzhen (Basis international school) and
shared our thoughts towards our projects. They seek to solve the poor medical conditions caused by ongoing
regional conflicts and unpredicted natural disasters with innovative first aid kits. Their solution was to
use antimicrobials as an effective alternative compared to traditional antibiotics used in first aid kit.
Defensin is chosen as the antimicrobial, and designed with a releasing domain, functional domain, and
binding domain in the form of both bandage and gel. Although their direction of research is significantly
different than ours, it still reminds us the benefits of cutting costs of mass production. Again, providing
a good example of implementation of synthetic biology within daily life.