The situation of antibiotic resistance in the past few years has remained a significant concern worldwide. The overall trends indicate that antibiotic resistance continues to grow and pose challenges to healthcare systems. Antibiotic resistance has been on the rise for many commonly used antibiotics. Our team is going to find an alternative of antibiotics to release the problem of antibiotic resistance.
One of our schools, carmel pak u secondary school, has experience in using black soldier flies (BSF) in food waste treatment, and we discovered that these flies could effectively recycle food waste without producing an unpleasant smell. Going deeper into our research, we made an unexpected discovery. The black soldier flies contained antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). This discovery piqued our interest and we decided to explore further. We discovered that AMPs possess no antibiomedical properties and they could potentially replace antibiotics for sterilization purposes.
Now, our focus is to research the use of AMPs in sterilization. We’re excited to continue our exploration into this fascinating world and we hope that we can strive to create a positive impact on both the environment and human health.
Our project was going to have a more comprehensive view about the black soldier flies as we had the privilege of interviewing Professor Shi Zheng Ren, an entomologist and a distinguished expert in bioindustry communication and development.
Professor Shi's remarkable transition from academia to farming mirrored our own quest for innovative solutions. His authority in black soldier fly research and insights into Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) illuminated potential applications, particularly in infection control and wound healing. His guidance not only emphasized the transformative power of AMPs but also underscored the importance of ethical considerations in balancing production yield and purity while maintaining AMP activity and stability.
During the interview, we gained valuable insights into the advantages and limitations of the black soldier flies and its potential for producing antimicrobial AMPs. According to Professor Shi, the black soldier flies offer several advantages, including its ease of cultivation and low cost. Additionally, AMPs can be mass-produced from BSF and utilized as feeds, thereby creating economic benefits.
However, there are limitations to consider. Professor Shi pointed out that purifying the desired AMPs from black soldier flies could be challenging due to their biological activity. Inserting AMPs into E. coli, a common method for mass production, may result in the death of the bacteria, making it difficult to achieve large-scale production. Furthermore, AMPs face challenges in surviving within E. coli.
When asked about the suitability of black soldier fly for the project, Professor Shi suggested that using eukaryotes would be the best choice for producing AMPs, particularly if the aim is to reduce costs through mass production. This recommendation emphasizes the importance of purifying AMPs to ensure their feasibility for large-scale production.
Addressing concerns about the potential harm caused by black soldier fly, Professor Shi stated that there have been no reports of disease transmission or adverse effects on human society since the discovery of the insect. Therefore, there is no significant cause for concern in this regard.
Professor Shi also raised some thought-provoking questions related to the project. Firstly, he questioned the economic benefits by comparing the cost of raising E. coli versus the cost associated with rearing black soldier flies. Additionally, he highlighted the challenge of the AMP itself transforming bacteria. If AMPs are inserted into E. coli and expressed to a certain extent, the abundance of AMPs could lead to the death of the bacteria, hindering mass production. Furthermore, the prokaryotic nature of E. coli makes conversion and purification processes considerably more difficult.
In response to these challenges, the team has developed a new plasmid design that incorporates intein protein fragments. These fragments can excise themselves and join the remaining parts via a peptide bond. They prevent AMPs from transforming E. coli by disturbing the activity of AMPs, ensuring bacterial survival and sustained AMP expression. Additionally, purification has been facilitated using Ni-NTA resin and His tags, while SUMO tags have been utilized to enhance AMP solubility and ease of extraction. However, because of the limitations of our expression system, using eukaryotes to express the AMPs is not possible in our laboratory.
In conclusion, the interview with Professor Shi Zheng Ren has had a profound impact on the project, leading to a reevaluation of the purification process and emphasizing the suitability of eukaryotes for AMP production. The team's innovative plasmid design addresses the challenge of AMP-induced bacterial death, enabling sustained expression and efficient purification. These insights have significantly enhanced the project's feasibility, ethical considerations, and social impact.
We have visited a local black soldier fly farm located in Ha Pak Nai, Yuen Long, which has been set up for 5 years. The farm mainly focuses on food waste treatment by black soldier fly, so they culture a large number of black soldier fly in their farm. The main goal of the trip is to know more about the living condition and habits of black soldier fly, and have an interview with Mr. Lun, the owner of black soldier fly farm.
Mr. Lun introduced how powerful of black soldier fly in food waste treatment. Black soldier fly is non-pest which does not transmit any disease. Ingesting food scraps for life, black soldier flies can reduce food waste harmlessly. Also, the food waste will not stink since black soldier flies decompose toxic bacteria with functional antimicrobial peptides. Moreover, black soldier flies can consume twice its body mass each day and they can eat any type of organic waste. Using black soldier fly to handle food waste produces less greenhouse gasses and is more environmentally friendly. Additionally, when the larvae grow up, it can be the fish feed, turning food waste into valuable products. Comparing other food waste treatments, using black soldier flies as a solution can give a higher output with a lower energy consumption under a controlled growing environment.
Mr. Lun also introduced the living habits of black soldier fly to us. Black soldier fly is very difficult to capture in the wild. During artificial cultivation, it is important to maintain the food waste temperature and relative humidity. Also, it is difficult to let the black soldier flies to mate and lay eggs.
During the interview with Mr. Lun, we also knew that his farm has cooperated with some local companies to try to extract the AMPs from black soldier flies directly. However, they face a problem, it is difficult to extract and purify the AMPs. Thus, we shared our ideas with Mr. Lun, discussing our ideas, and he was surprised. He thinks our idea would be a possible and efficient way for mass production of AMPs.
It was a great experience that we learnt the ways to cultivate black soldier flies, including the optimum temperature and the relative humidity for black soldier flies to survive, and also the precautions of taking care of them. Moreover, we gain a lot by knowing the ways of overcoming the challenges of reproduction of black soldier flies, as well as knowing how to cultivate more healthy black soldier flies. Furthermore, we get his recognition of our project. All of that can enhance our confidence in the project.
Our new journey into the realm of innovation was ignited by a seemingly ordinary occurrence — a burn wound.
This injury left an ever-lasting imprint on one of our members, though minor in size. This scar sparked our mind, we realized that there is a need for effective wound care. However, this incident transcended its status as a physical ailment, evolving into a catalyst that would propel us into a comprehensive exploration of the fascinating world of adhesive plasters and advanced healing methodologies
As we carefully examined the wound, we couldn't help but notice the limitations of the plaster we had applied. It struggles in effectively managing inflammation and promoting healing. This observation bewildered us: Could the quality of the bandage itself be a decisive factor in the wound healing process? What aspects of wound dressings remained unexplored, waiting for improvement?
From the shell of black soldier fly larvae obtained from the farm, we further have some research on its properties and found that it is possible to produce a hydrogel and apply the purified AMPs to form an antiseptic plaster.
The next step we take is to further our understanding about the market, beginning in the local pharmacy.
According to the pharmacies we visited, most of the shopkeepers (90%) pointed out that they don't sell antimicrobial plasters. This implies that developing antimicrobial plasters is feasible. One of the pharmacies we visited sells antimicrobial plasters, but it is very expensive, priced at HKD$50(USD 6.5) per unit.
That’s when we realize that this faint idea is able to be turned into a project, profitable to society.
Curious about what people wanted and determined to come up with our ideas, we went out to the streets and conducted a series of street interviews with the general public. The interviews provided us with a unique opportunity to understand their preferences and had insights of what people wanted in wound dressings, specifically adhesive plasters.
Based on the extensive street surveys which involved over 100 participants, we have gained valuable insights into the public's preferences regarding tape. Our findings reveal that a significant majority of respondents show a preference for tapes with special effects.
Furthermore, we requested participants to provide a feasibility score for our project, and the majority of feedback received scores above 5. This indicates that the public believes in the potential success of our initiative.
Lastly, we sought their opinions on our project, and they provided valuable suggestions. They recommended that we focus on making our product environmentally friendly, incorporate additional special effects, and consider offering it at a more affordable price point.
By conducting these street interviews, we have gained a comprehensive understanding of the public's needs and preferences. This valuable feedback will enable us to enhance and refine our product accordingly.
During our research, we wanted to gather feedback on both the perception of our product and its feasibility in the market. To achieve this, we interviewed Gilbert Chan, the Finance Business Partner at Business Standards Institution (BSI), on August 22, 2023. BSI specializes in business improvement and standards, and we are grateful for Gilbert's recommendations and support.
Through our interview with Gilbert, we learned that many potential customers are hesitant to use a plaster made from insects. To address this concern, Gilbert suggested that we market our product as a distinctive and biodegradable option using biotechnology techniques, instead of emphasizing the Black Soldier Flies. By doing so, we can reduce fear and increase confidence in our product.
To attract a wider customer base, Gilbert suggested that we offer our product in a variety of sizes, colors, and patterns. In the future, we should try to give some colours and have some designs to the plaster to make it more attractive and fit to consumer preferences.
Another concern raised by Gilbert was the cost of producing a biodegradable plaster. While the raw materials are low cost, the factor cost (machines, labor and etc.) for mass production could make the price of our product higher than existing options.
Moreover, to build confidence for the customers, we discussed the standard bodies that we are able to receive. Gilbert introduced three standard bodies to us which are ISO 13485, ISO 10933 and ISO 9001 for us to apply for. For future work, we should do more tests to fulfill the requirements of those ISO certifications.
Overall, we appreciate Gilbert's valuable recommendations and have learned important lessons about commercializing products. We will continue to improve our biodegradable plaster for further development.
In addition to conducting an interview with Mr. Gilbert, we also devised a comprehensive survey aimed at gathering the perspectives of the public regarding our plaster.
The first question sought to gather information regarding the frequency at which respondents utilize plastic products.
Notably, it was discovered that over twenty-five percent of participants admitted to oftenly using plastics, a practice that is known to have adverse impacts on the environment.
Given the wide-spread use of plastics, we want to know what steps respondents are currently taking in order to reduce plastic consumption in daily life.
Based on the above graph, it is evident that a significant number of respondents engage in recycling practices. However, the graph also indicates that only a few individuals reported reusing plastic or using biodegradable products.
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In addition, we also probed respondents about their expectations for our products. Surprisingly, the overwhelming majority rated them between 6 and 10 on a scale of 1 to 10.
With the intention of instilling greater confidence in our product among users, we went a step further and inquired about the concerns associated with our offering and sought suggestions for changes or advancements that respondents would like to see. By addressing these important aspects, we aim to continuously enhance our product and meet the evolving needs and expectations of our valued customers.
It appears that price is the primary concern for most respondents, with only a few suggesting a lower price point. Interestingly, there seems to be a greater emphasis on the appearance of our products rather than the pricing aspect. However, it is worth noting that a significant portion of respondents did not express any worries or offer specific opinions about our products. On the other hand, there were a few individuals who emphasized the importance of quality in their feedback.
At last, we asked about the respondents whether they would buy our product if we commercialize it
It's great news that most of them thought that our product was worth it and would buy it if possible.
It is truly promising to witness that the majority of respondents display a profound understanding of the pressing plastic waste issue, and furthermore, exhibit a genuine ambition to proactively address the problem through decisive actions.
Our journey has been enriched by insights from experts, the public, and stakeholders. We're now much more prepared to introduce this plaster that meets societal expectations. These encounters have equipped us with the knowledge and understanding to develop a product that aligns with societal needs. Our goal extends beyond just researching AMPs in sterilization and food waste processes. We’re also committed to developing biodegradable adhesive plasters infused with AMPs. This dual focus ensures that our product is not only effective but also environmentally friendly, meeting the growing demand for sustainable healthcare solutions.