During the project, we had the opportunity to attend the 10th Conference of the China iGEMer Community (CCiC), and we fostered productive and collaborative relationships with BNU-China, CPU-China, CJUH-JLU-China, Tianjin, LZU-CHINA, BS-United-China, AIS-China, Shanghai-MedX, RDFZ-CHINA, and ZJFH-Nanjing. Through effective communication and cooperation, we not only gained a wealth of information on project promotion, but these activities also motivate us to think critically about the established strategy and to select the best underlying technology and model for our teamwork.

In the dry experiment, we used to select tetramer streptavidin as the “glue” for attaching fusion protein by molecular dynamics simulation. However, during communication with BNU-China, we came to know about the existence of monomeric streptavidin. Further discussions with CPU-China revealed that Harvard University's iGEM project in 2006 employed the monomeric streptavidin system. Although the following literature review indicated that the affinity of monomer streptavidin is lower than that of tetramer streptavidin, which is not suitable for our team's project this year, it is still an inspiration for our next project concept.

With CJUH-JLU-China, we held discussions on HP, Education, dry experiment and several other subjects.

In terms of dry experiment and hardware, we have a thorough discussion on experiment optimization as well as the design of the kit and test paper. Through online and offline discussions with them, we have gained a deeper grasp of reaction kinetics simulation, bioinformatics analysis, fluid dynamics and other techniques, like how the flow velocity of liquid samples on the test strip influence the detection accuracy, which helps us to improve the efficiency of our experimental design and hardware development. We fully reflect on the proximity of the optimization and improvement of dry and wet experiments during the communication, and we believe that eventually we can produce an outstanding test paper with both high detection accuracy and low cost.

As for HP and Education, we investigated more modes of practice as well as the potential for further cooperation between our two teams in the future. We came to an agreement to fully consider stakeholder opinions, and we had a lengthy conversation on how to better understand social demands. At the same time, we realize that rather than just exporting synthetic biology knowledge to the public, Education pays more attention to cater the audience with appropriate contents. Additionally, as we communicate, we become aware of the various team operating styles and learn how to boost the effectiveness of the team. In order to understand how to effectively promote the progress of the project, we must completely communicate with and reflect upon all team members.

We discussed the feasibility and construction strategy of microfluidic chips, shared some relevant literature with Tianjin regarding fluorescent immunoassay. We identified the technological gaps in fluorescent detection during our communication. What’s more, we explored how to improve the immunoassay technology and achieve simplicity and quantification.

Through our discussions, we have preliminarily defined the goals of our project. With our team's design, we aim to achieve semi-quantitative or even fully quantitative detection in the future.

We have engaged in discussions and collaborations with LZU-CHINA through Voov regarding Human Practice and Education in the context of cardiovascular diseases. We both aim to expand the scope of our investigations and influences through collaboration. The causes related to cardiovascular diseases in China vary across different geographic regions. LZU-CHINA and DUT-China are located in the northwest and northeast regions of China, respectively, which presents an advantage in broadening research scope. We shared our experience in visiting community hospitals, consulting cardiovascular disease experts. In terms of Education, we have separately conducted science communication activities in our respective local areas, which can be found on our Education page.

Additionally, we participated in the iG20 project organized by LZU-CHINA. This project includes a large-scale promotion video and a science video. Through these initiatives, we hope to gain more social attention, to make a greater impact on the world, and to increase public awareness and understanding of synthetic biology.

We, along with BS-United-China, AIS-China, Shanghai-MedX, RDFZ-CHINA, and ZJFH-Nanjing teams, organized a public education event through Voov. The purpose was two-fold: to show the women power in iGEM projects and to motivate the audience through presentations by female team members and experts. More than a hundred people attended the event. We have compiled the PowerPoint presentations and collected materials as a resource library for everyone to access,hoping that future teams can benefit from these resources. Through this collaboration, we not only helped our female team members realize their own strengths and confidently show their abilities, but also inspired more women to enter male-dominated fields with confidence and courageously respond to such biases.

The Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC) is a platform that provides resources and promotes mutual learning and communication among Chinese iGEMers. The 10th CCiC conference took place in Haikou, Hainan Province, and lasted for three days (July 8-10, 2023). We participated in academic lectures, team presentations, poster displays, workshops, team discussions and other activities. Most of our collaborations and exchanges were established through CCiC. Additionally, during CCiC, we also had the opportunity to interact with iGEM Human Practices Program Officers, Yuhan Bao, Yiming Dong , Baojun Wang and other experts. After attending the workshop conducted by Yuhan Bao and Alonso, we approached Yuhan Bao to discuss our HP plan. Bao affirmed our approach of using mind maps to establish an overall plan but also pointed out the shortcomings in our plan. Through this discussion, we gained a deeper understanding of HP , which was constructive for our future HP work. During the interactive sessions, we once again engaged with Yiming Dong for further exploration. As a senior iGEMer, she provided us with significant insights and suggestions, breaking our preconceived notions and rigid thinking about HP and Education. We are grateful for the help and guidance provided by Ms.Dong and will continue to uphold the spirit and values of iGEM by approaching every individual we interact with in a comprehensive, inclusive, respectful, and egalitarian manner. We hope that our project can effectively address social issues and help those in need.

Fig. 1. The scenes during the 10th CCiC.

Fig. 2. The Certificate of Participation in the 10th CCiC.