Education was of paramount importance to us as we promoted our project. We tried to develop new educational opportunities for individuals of different backgrounds, not only in synthetic biology but also in ASD, basic scientific research skills, and other subsets of biology. Our aim was to promote mutual learning experiences and encourage open dialogues among our audience. We were determined to create an inclusive environment where everyone involved could have fun learning and tried our best to provide follow-up support for anyone who showed an interest. While planning our activities, we tried to design the materials in various forms, including lectures, role-plays, picture books, art exhibitions, and jigsaw puzzles, making them more accessible to the general public. Additionally, we handed out questionnaires to revise and improve the activities based on the feedback and double-check that we were following the safety policies. The approaches that we applied and what participants learned from our activities are documented on the page for Education and Communication.

To enhance the implementation of our products in the real world, we build a piece of hardware for the testing strip in system 4 and made an instruction manual. We chose to focus on this system since policies are more complete in this regard than in synthetic biological drugs. Specifically, we developed a Lactate Test Kit composed of three cells: the testing strip cell, the specimen cell, and the safety cell. The testing strip cell contains a sealed pouch to store the strip and the specimen cell contains a specimen cup that can be taken out for urine collection. Since we have not added a kill switch in system 4, we designed the safety cell to be filled with disinfectants and instructed users to insert used strips there to prevent their release. We also designed s dropper for urine suction and an X-Gal Ampule for reagent storage. The shell and film enable the kit to be lightproof and are printed with the colorimetric card as well as the tracking code.

We have identified the significance of diversity and inclusivity from the very beginning of the competition and tried to achieve inclusivity in three aspects: education, accessibility, and general support. In terms of education, we made sure that besides students from surrounding communities, we also reached those in rural and distant areas and provided opportunities for them in science. Meanwhile, we shared inspiring quotes of women in STEM to encourage more females to pursue a career in STEM. To make sure that different people could learn about synthetic biology and our project from our wiki, we did adequate research on conditions that affect reading and understanding abilities, and modified the wiki accordingly. The selection of the team members was also considered an essential aspect of inclusivity. We also tried to support children and adults with ASD and their families since ASD was our main focus. Details of how we eliminate barriers, and promote inclusivity and what was learned are available in the Inclusivity and Diversity section.

We think that we are eligible for this prize because our human practices played a role at different stages of our project and gave us a better look at its influences on the world. Understanding the experiences of professionals and patients and getting their feedback about our project came first on our list and offered us a better insight into the ethics, safety, feasibility, and commercialization of the project. We also found support for the designing, execution, and overall goals of our project through communication with stakeholders, experts, and parents of autistic children. All of the feedback and comments that we received were considered weighed carefully and entered intoguided us to improve our work throughout the season. We also networked with other teams and modified our design based on the questions they posed during meet-ups. Our approaches to pushing our project forward with human practices are documented on the page for Integrated Human Practices.

In order to assist the project as a whole, we have conducted systematic modeling which includes structural analysis, mathematical modeling, hardware, and software. Our structural analysis included the analysis of the 3D structure of proteins and nucleic acids, including protein-protein, protein-small molecular compound, and protein-nucleic acid complex. It should be noted that due to the incompleteness of existing databases, we used computational protein structure prediction to explore potential functions of proteins outside their scope. Our mathematical modeling modeled the biological dynamics of the engineered bacteria mathematically and we built a series of the ordinary differential equations to depict the functional role of the engineered bacteria to predict the outcomes of applying the same engineered bacteria under similar scenarios. In terms of hardware, we designed a Lactate Test Kit for the testing strip in system 4, and for software, we developed a game based on our project design.

As for design safety, under the supervision of our PI, we have developed plans and proposed solutions for every potential hazard or risk since the design stage. We use chassis that are non-pathogenic and components that will not hurt humans/animals/plants. As for lab safety, every member of our wet lab has passed the school's Experiment Safety Assessment and received certification one to two years before the iGEM. We also compiled a safety handbook that discussed hydropower safety, chemical safety, fire safety, and biosafety in our laboratory, which can serve as a guide for both our project and future iGEM teams. As for human practices safety, we ensured compliance with social science ethical laws in all human practice activities involving human subjects. Consent is on an informed basis, and anonymous questionnaires are strictly administered. We also adhere to all COVID-19 pandemic regulations.

In terms of software, we developed an educational game based on the environment of the WeChat Mini Program due to its popularity in China. Specifically, we first compiled and documented our background research, which helped us form the initial ideas for the game. After that, we focused on the design and development tools of WeChat Mini Program games and weighed the advantages and disadvantages of each game forms based on engagement, accuracy, and attractiveness. Considering that while WeChat is a very popular social media platform in China and not as popular in other parts of the world, we also recorded a video to demonstrate how users can play the game. The QR code of the game as well as its introduction and instruction are documented on the Software page.

We wanted to be part of the change to create something meaningful as applied scientific researchers by taking a specific question and trying our best to find a valid and comprehensive answer. Our efforts in entrepreneurship entailed the following two aspects: the translation of our project and the starting up of an online biotechnology company. Each of them went from preparation to evaluation and future planning. Before steeping into entrepreneurship, we studied related regulations closely and looked at possible safety as well as ethic concerns. Although we haven’t filed a patent for our project, we did receive support from biotechnological companies after we pitched our ideas to them. We also wrote and revised our business plans with the help of professionals in this field. We think that we are eligible for this award, and the details of our efforts in entrepreneurship are documented in the Entrepreneurship section of our wiki.

Throughout the iGEM competition, we kept evaluating our project based on the Sustainable Development Goals because we believe that the real purpose of scientific research is to go beyond the lab to make a difference to the ultimate beneficiaries: the citizens of each country. Specifically, we first contacted professionals from the School of Public Health of our university, and they offered to lecture us on the specifics we could refer to when carrying out our actions. We then looked closely at the 17 goals before designing the project and stuck to them in all our activities. The seven goals we identified to be the most meaningful and achievable to us included Goal 3, Goal 4, Goal 5, Goal 10, Goal 12, Goal 13, and Goal 17. We also collaborated with other teams on the SDGs during the meetups. Additionally, we plan to apply the concept to our future work after the competition as we step further in the commercialization of our project. The exact approaches are documented in the Sustainable Development Goals section.

Part Number: BBa_K4205111

Part Number: BBa_K4205113

We aim at developing a wiki that is easily navigable and visually appealing. As to content delivering, our project is well-documented on the wiki and each of the page contains an overview so that readers can easily grasp the essentials. In addition, in order to promote inclusivity, we analyzed the difficulties that the visually impaired might encounter while navigating internet pages, and coded ours to support font size adjustment, image enlargement, and PDF downloading. Meanwhile, our wiki is viewable on both computers and mobile devices, and the contents are presented in a variety of formats, including rotating graphics, tabs, videos, and charts, making the wiki more accessible to individuals from diverse backgrounds. In terms of visual design, we chose to use colors that look comfortable to the eye and have weighed our choices based on their relationships in terms of saturation, hue, and value. Furthermore, we included interactive components such as a flip book to enhance the engagement.