Contribution

Introduction

At ALSense, our mission has always gone beyond building a biosensor. From the very beginning, we set out to bridge science, ethics, and society — because technology alone is not enough.

ALSense was born from a simple but urgent question: how can synthetic biology help diagnose Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis faster, more accurately, and more humanely? Guided by this purpose, we collaborated closely with neurologists, researchers, patients, and caregivers. Every decision, from design to testing, was made in dialogue with those living the reality of ALS.

Scientifically, our project contributes a new way of thinking about neurodegenerative diagnostics. We designed a dual-biomarker framework, combining neurofilaments, which reflect neuronal damage, with TDP-43–linked cryptic-exon peptides, which represent ALS-specific dysfunctions. This combination opens a new direction for biosensors targeting complex neurological diseases.

To detect these molecules, we developed an aptamer engineering pipeline — a standardized workflow for the computational design, selection, and characterization of RNA/DNA aptamers directly in blood samples. We shared all protocols, selection criteria, and troubleshooting notes openly so that future teams can build their own aptamer-based tools.

All of this is supported by our open-source tools and documentation. Our lab notebooks, code, and experimental protocols are available to anyone under FAIR principles — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These resources make complex modeling tasks easier for the next generation of iGEMers.

But ALSense doesn't stop at the bench. We wanted our project to be socially and ethically grounded. Beyond the lab, we explored what it truly means to transform a scientific concept into a real, sustainable solution. We conducted a comprehensive market analysis to understand where a diagnostic innovation like ALSense could create the greatest impact and how to navigate the translational pathway from research to application. We also developed a stakeholder analysis framework to identify, classify, and engage with key actors — from hospitals and patient associations to investors and policymakers — learning how to communicate with each of them effectively and respectfully.

To ensure our project's long-term viability, we investigated new funding routes, exploring national and European biomedical programs, venture capital opportunities, and public–private partnerships that could support future ALSense developments or inspire other iGEM teams to follow similar strategies.

Through this, we hope to inspire new teams to connect innovation with compassion — proving that when science is guided by purpose, biology becomes not only powerful, but deeply human.

Human Practices

Human Practices in ALSense were conceived as a continuous dialogue between science and society. Our goal was to ensure that every design choice responded to real medical, ethical, and social needs.

Through interviews with neurologists, ALS patients, health professionals, and bioethics experts, we identified key concerns about cost, accessibility, and the emotional impact of early diagnosis. These insights directly shaped our biosensor's design and the biological parts selected — prioritizing safe, well-characterized, and low-cost components suitable for scalable diagnostics.

We also examined the ethical and legal dimensions of implementation, including informed consent, data privacy, and equitable access. These reflections guided our communication strategy and data-handling principles.

By embedding Human Practices in every stage, ALSense shows that innovation in synthetic biology must evolve hand-in-hand with ethical awareness. Our documentation provides a practical framework for future iGEM teams to connect experimental design with human impact and to reuse validated biological components for responsible biosensing.

If you want to know how we did all the Human Practices part, we recommend you to take a look at our guide, inspired by ALSense.

One of the central goals of Human Practices within iGEM is to generate knowledge, tools, and frameworks that are not only useful for our own project, but that can also support the work of future teams. With this in mind, we have designed an Ethics Protocol Template for the Communication of Clinical Results, a flexible template that can be adapted to different diseases, technologies, and contexts.

Rather than imposing a rigid model, this template provides a structured yet adaptable guide for implementing ethical communication processes. It ensures respect for autonomy, promotes transparency, and guarantees comprehensive support for patients and families.

This contribution is meant to serve not only as a roadmap for ALSense, but also as a transferable framework that other iGEM teams can adopt, adapt, and expand—helping foster a broader culture of ethical responsibility in healthcare innovation.

With this approach, ALSense shows that synthetic biology can go beyond technical solutions, offering tools that integrate care, respect, and dignity at the very heart of innovation.

Parts

Parts and Protocols developed by the wet lab team represent a comprehensive and reusable resource for future teams working with bacterial culture, protein purification and other basic lab techniques. Each biological part was carefully selected, designed and characterized to ensure safety, reproducibility and efficiency within the ALSense system for ALS biomarker detection. The team prioritized well-characterized elements with predictable behavior, ensuring that the resulting constructs could be reliably used in other synthetic biology applications.

Alongside the parts, the team developed and standardized a full set of experimental protocols covering cloning, expression, detection and measurement assays. These protocols were published openly on the wiki so that future teams can reproduce results, troubleshoot efficiently or adapt the methods to their specific experimental systems. The open accessibility of these resources reinforces the collaborative spirit of iGEM, enabling teams to build upon existing work instead of starting from scratch.

Education

The educational outreach of iGEM UIC was designed to connect synthetic biology with diverse audiences and to raise awareness about ALS and biomedical research. The team created a variety of interactive activities, including workshops for schools and elderly centers, where participants learned about DNA, biomarkers, and early disease detection through practical, hands-on experiences.

To make learning more engaging, the team developed a multilingual board game titled "Who Modified the Bacteria?", which teaches fundamental principles of genetic engineering and biosensors through an interactive and playful format.

Social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram were used to communicate science in a modern and relatable way, reaching younger audiences and spreading awareness about ALS and the impact of synthetic biology.

All educational resources, including activity guides, printable materials, and workshop instructions, were made publicly available on the team's wiki. This open-access approach ensures that future iGEM teams and educators can reuse or adapt the materials for their own outreach programs, fostering collaboration and the continuous improvement of science communication initiatives.

If you want to know how we did all the Education part, we recommend you to take a look at our guide, inspired by ALSense.