Overview

We are We are ZJU-China 2024. This year, we place great emphasis on human practice, which helps refine our projects to positively impact the world. Our human practice efforts are primarily divided into four components: education, integrated human practice, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development. Throughout this process, we actively engage with various stakeholders, continually refining our projects based on their feedback. We also actively exchange ideas with different iGEM teams and extensively implement educational and entrepreneurial initiatives. Below is a brief introduction to each of these efforts.

Education

In the field of education, ZJU-China is dedicated to promoting the knowledge of synthetic biology through extensive and in-depth educational activities. Our goal is to build a more inclusive and equal educational environment where everyone has the opportunity to access and participate in the development of synthetic biology. Our educational activities are tailored to different groups, ranging from primary school students to university students and the general public, ensuring the universality and fairness of education.

Through these educational activities, we have deeply felt the power of education, which not only enhances the public's understanding of synthetic biology but also inspires people's love and pursuit of science. We have summarized several key points of our educational activities for other iGEM teams to reference, hoping to jointly promote the arrival of the "science for all" era.

For more detailed activities, please visit our education page.

Intergrated Human Practice

During the integrated human practice in the development of the Neovio Dye project, ZJU-China was inspired by China's traditional tie-dye culture and, recognizing the environmental pollution and resource wastage issues posed by the modern dyeing industry, decided to adopt violacein, a natural pigment discovered in Chromobacterium violaceum, as the dye to create Neovio Dye, which is both environmentally friendly and culturally significant.

At the initial stage of the project, our team reached a consensus to listen to the voices of the world and not act blindly. As the project progressed, we encountered many issues in theory, experimentation, ethics, and practical implementation, and identified the stakeholders we needed to communicate with. We divided our activities into three stages: project design, experimental phase, and continuous communication, following the natural sequence of time, and conducted Gibbs reflective summaries after each stage to optimize the project.

Through extensive literature research, brainstorming sessions within the team, and discussions with mentors, we continuously drove the project forward. We recognized that the successful implementation of Neovio Dye required not only solving technical challenges but also considering various factors such as market demand, social responsibility, and cultural heritage. Therefore, we constantly adjusted the project plan to achieve a closed-loop design, ensuring that our project was not just completed in isolation but was a meaningful work that could truly serve society and transmit culture.

For more details on our engagement with stakeholders, please refer to our integrated human practice.

Entrepreneurship

In the field of entrepreneurship, the ZJU-China team has focused on the Neovio Dye project, conducting in-depth research on the current state of the fashion and textile printing and dyeing markets, grasping market trends, and developing novel dye technologies based on environmental protection principles. Through SWOT analysis, we have identified our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and have formulated precise user personas and market positioning accordingly. During the implementation and execution phases, we emphasize intellectual property protection, planning to apply for relevant patents and trademarks to ensure the uniqueness and market competitiveness of our technology. Simultaneously, we have conducted detailed financial forecasts, including cash flow and cost projections for the next five years, providing a solid financial foundation for the project's sustainable development. Furthermore, we have designed a clear business model and corporate governance structure to ensure efficient operation and rapid development of the project.

In the future, the Neovio Dye project will actively participate in market competition, collaborating with technology companies, environmental organizations, governments, and others to expand brand influence. We also plan to seek additional venture capital investment to ensure ongoing financial support for Neovio Dye. We look forward to achieving the industrialization of Neovio Dye through continuous innovation and effort, bringing more environmentally friendly, interesting, and healthy fashion options to society.

For more information and practices, please visit our entrepreneurship page.

Sustainability

In terms of sustainable development, the ZJU-China team is dedicated to integrating the Neovio Dye project with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to contribute to the advancement of sustainable development across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. Our project supports the implementation of SDG#6, SDG#9, and SDG#12, while we also pay attention to the achievement of other SDGs, such as SDG#4 and SDG#17. Through activities like teaching support, advocacy, and exchanges and collaborations with different iGEM teams, we strive to narrow the education gap and promote the future development of synthetic biology.

For more detailed information on our practical activities, please visit our sustainable development page.