Actively seeking for ideas for our project, the iGEM team starts off the year strong by attending the 19th International Conference on Genomics held at BGI (華大) in Shenzhen China. Many professionals in the field came and presented; a few of them in particular gave us a lot of inspiration for our project.
Mr. Jie Wang, a science movie director, talked about his experience and shared clips of his movies with us. This highly inspired us, so we contacted him after the conference and arranged to screen his movie “Seek out Natural Mysteries” in our school as part of our science education drive.
The first part of our day ended at 12:00; we enjoyed speeches about life evolution and ancient creatures and got to learn about some fossils from Mr. Jun Shi, Mr. LiDa Xing and Mr. KeCheng Niu.
The rest of the talks after lunch were all about education and experience sharing with students in BGI. I have to highlight the speech from YaoRen Zhang. He started the project “a thousand seeds”. It’s about thriving artistic education in village schools in poor areas. This led to a reflection on our own education team. Can we share our scientific knowledge by teaching younger science concepts to younger students?
At last, the event ended with some sharing of students from BGI, they shared concepts about stem cells, artificial intelligence, eDNA technologies, ideas about iGEM and future food exploration. We also met with members of the BGI Mammoth iGEM team and had some discussions about their project.
By concluding this day, we learned more than we expected; the speeches inspired our own project and provided new ideas.
By Bernice Huang
After deciding our topic, we realized that many of our members know very little about cardiovascular diseases and stroke we then decided to learn more from professionals.
Our team invited Dr. Tian Fang, a general practitioner of the Humansa Medical Group, to teach us more about heart attacks and stroke—especially about cases, prevention, symptoms, and warning signs. This lesson provided us with a foundational understanding on cardiovascular diseases, paving the path for future works and endeavors to follow.
Summarized below are the knowledges we’ve gained from this talk.
Significance of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases were characterized by high complication rate (13.6%), high mortality rate (51.0%), high disability rate (75.0%) and high recurrence rate (85.3%).
Cardiovascular diseases mainly include:
- Coronary Artery Disease: caused by buildup of plaques in the arteries of the hearts, which restricts blood flow
- Inflammatory Heart Disease: conditions caused by inflammation of the walls of the heart
- Structural Disorders: abnormalities in the heart’s valves, chambers, or walls
Cerebrovascular related diseases include:
- Ischemic Stroke: caused by a blockage that cuts off blood supply to part of the brain
- Transient Ischemic Attack: brief blockage, resolves without permanent damag
- Cerebral Hemorrhage: caused by ruptured blood vessel which bleeds into surrounding brain tissue
Risk Factors
Non-modifiable Factors: Age, Gender, Genetics, Ethnicity, Modifiable Factors: Bad Lifestyle Habits, Unhealthy diets, Smoking, Alcohol, Lack of Exercise, Obesity, Sleep Deprivation, Psychological Stress.
Aside from these conventional factors, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases are also often associated with and exacerbated by specific medical conditions:
- Vascular Pathologies: Disease in blood vessels, such as inflammation or hardening
- Hemodynamic Abnormalities: Conditions affecting blood flow, primarily high blood pressure
- Hemorheological Disorders: Conditions altering physical conditions of blood, making blood thicker/more prone to clotting
- Blood Composition Abnormalities: Disorders characterized by imbalance of chemical makeup of blood
Symptoms of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases: Chest discomfort, upper body pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, digestive discomfort, sudden extreme fatigue or weakness, cold sweat, dizziness, and heart palpitations.
Emergency Rescue Procedure: If you come upon someone who seems to have had a cardiac arrest, you need to follow the principle of "one look, two check, and three call" to determine if they need immediate CPR. The specific operation is as follows:
- One Look: Tap the person’s shoulder and ask if he is okay. Wait for response/movement/groaning.
- Two Check: Check for breathing and pulse
- Three Call: Call for help for emergency services and get AED. Begin chest compressions immediately.
One should also loosen tight clothing around neck, tilt the head to one side, call 120, and avoid moving the patient. Immediately start CPR until help arrives
By Jessey Pan
After learning about heart attack and stroke from Dr. Tian Fang, we recognized the importance of being prepared for emergencies involving heart attack. We wanted to ensure we could effectively respond if someone around us suddenly experiences a heart attack.
So, our IGEM team participated in a first aid training course led by Mr. Chen Wei, Chief First Aid Training Instructor at Humansa in Guangzhou. The course primarily focused on life-saving techniques for heart attack victims but also covered other essential first aid knowledge.
Myocardial Infarction (Heart Attack)
Treating myocardial infarction has become a critical topic in recent years. Here are some first aid steps:
- Ensure Safety: First, check if the surrounding environment is safe.
- Assess the Patient: Determine if the patient is responsive. If not, call emergency services (dial 120).
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR):
- Position your hands on the lower part of the sternum.
- Use 2/3 of your palm to press down at least 5 cm for adults, at a rate of 100-120 compressions per minute.
- Perform artificial respiration every 30 compressions. If the patient is bleeding or vomiting, skip artificial respiration. Each breath should not exceed 10 seconds.
- For children, use one hand for compressions. If there are multiple rescuers, alternate every five cycles of compressions and rescue breaths.
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED): If the patient has no heartbeat or an irregular heartbeat, use an AED. Follow the instructions on the packaging or the device's voice prompts.
Our team got to practice CPR and how to use AED.
By Jessey Pan
To learn more about how heart attack and stroke were dealt with in traditional Chinese medicine our IGEM team visited the Guangdong University of Chinese Medicine.
From the moment we stepped into the Human Anatomy Exhibition Hall of Guangdong University of Chinese Medicine, a rigorous and solemn atmosphere hit us. In the exhibition hall, precise human structure models are arranged in an orderly manner; from the distribution of muscles and bones to the structure of internal organs, every detail is clearly visible. The specimens soaked in formalin silently tell the mystery of life. Through the glass container, those structures that we usually only see in textbooks are now truly displayed in front of us, bringing a strong visual impact.
With the explanation of professional teachers, we learned about the coordinated operation of various systems in the human body, and also deeply realized the close connection between the "holistic concept" and "qi" of traditional Chinese medicine and the structure of the human body. Moreover, we were also introduced on acupuncture, which is a traditional method Chinese doctors would use for treating all sorts of diseases, including strokes. We were especially moved by a human statue with an intricate lattice of blood vessels; through the model, we can easily identify the major arteries and veins and understand how blood flows through the body.
When my fingertips gently brushed the outline of the bone model, it seemed to touch the veins of life. This was not only a concrete cognition of medical knowledge but also made me realize the exquisiteness and fragility of life.
We also visited the Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine and saw a wide variety of medicinal specimens; we listened to the experts' explanations and appreciated the exquisiteness of Traditional Chinese Medicine theory. We learned about the profound history of ancient Chinese medicine, as if we had traveled through thousands of years, and deeply felt the profoundness and unique charm of Traditional Chinese Medicine culture. We also inquired about medicines treating heart attack and stroke.
From this we realized that, just as in Chinese medicine, we should also approach our iGEM project from a holistic perspective. This visit not only allowed us to gain insight about our project, but it was also a profound encounter with the wonders of life. It offers an immersive, hands-on understanding that deeply enriched our project and ourselves.
By Cindy Li
As we have decided to work on anticoagulants from leeches, one of our members mentioned that mosquitoes also produce anticoagulants. The question then came up whether we should include anticoagulants from mosquitoes in our project to compare the effectiveness between anticoagulants from leeches and mosquitoes.
To explore these possibilities, several iGEM team members went to visit a mosquito farm established by Dongguan Institute, Sun Yat-sen University.
Some of us really do not like pesky mosquitoes and went in feeling judgmental but left with our stereotypical views of mosquitoes completely changed.
From this trip, we learned about the life processes of mosquitoes, how they grow from tiny larvae to big fat adults flying around the room. The lead professor walked us through the lab, demonstrating the facilities they used for each stage of testing, and explained their project to us: they are engineering the genes of mosquitoes so as to turn them into benevolent agents, preventing them from biting people and spreading diseases to humans.
This approach inspired us to think back to our project. Parallels are drawn between and we realized our objectives align—we are all trying to convert “pests” (mosquitoes and blood-sucking leeches) into positive contributors to the ecosystem.
Driven by curiosity, we discussed our project with the professor and asked if we could also try and extract anticoagulants out of mosquitoes. He had explained that this wasn’t feasible within their current research framework and wouldn’t really recommend us using mosquitoes. Even though this path did not work for us, we still gained a lot of insight out of this visit and we are looking forward for future collaboration.
By Benenden Team
In the final week of March, Benenden Guangzhou welcomed scholars from Pembroke College, Oxford University. Three members of our IGEM team were honored to participate in a small class lectured by Mr. Vith Ketheeswaranathan, who is currently pursuing an MSc in Paediatrics at Pembroke College. Throughout the week, Mr. Ketheeswaranathan delivered a series of engaging lectures about the cardiovascular system and specific cardiac diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction.
Mr. Vith’s instructional methodology is centered around problem-based learning. Rather than delivering plain lectures and have students listen to him talking, Mr. Vith structured his lessons in a way where he would teach the mechanism of each disease and challenge students to deduce the risk factors, symptoms, and treatment. This helps with developing critical thinking skills and promoting active engagement, leaving a lasting impression on students.
In these lessons, students learned about common cardiovascular diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction. This enhances our basic knowledge of the heart and provides us with extended knowledge on mechanisms of different CVDs. Students were also instructed on the professional procedures to simulate diagnosing a patient and treating a specific cardiac disease, just as a doctor would. Furthermore, they were also taught on how to interpret electrocardiograms. This gives a peek into the job of a cardiologist.
Everything we learned from Mr. Vith directly related to our project and helped us to formulate a big part of our education drive of teaching others about cardiovascular health.
By Alice Li
We came to a crossroad in our project…
Our team chose anticoagulant molecules as our project focus; further research led us to land on hirudin: the molecule secreted by leeches when feeding. Our team was really excited for its use in medicine, especially in the treatment of heart attacks and strokes in humans.
But…
Looking at the iGEM rules more closely, we then found that as a high-school team we cannot do any projects using human blood or human cells…
So…
We really wanted to keep working on hirudin and its anticoagulant properties, but we had to find another focus for our research. To help us redirect our focus, we reached out to two experts through ARCH Education for discussion.
At the first session we met Mr. Michael in-person on our campus. During our one hour discussion, we learnt that the modern research of molecule hirudin focuses more on the wound aiding aspect rather than an antithrombotic agent due to how strong of an effect it provides. Current clinical medicine uses heparin (injection) and warfarin (oral) as alternatives for a more stable and controlled blood thinning effect. Hirudin may still be used in operations such as limb transplant, where during the complex surgical reattachment process, blood flow should be maintained for a successful fusion of donor/recipient tissues.
In our second session we were put in contact with Ms. Eve, discussing and sharing possible applications of the current project outline. She pointed out that fish species in a fish-farm setting suffered from more frequent wounds, high infection rate and most importantly, reduced wound healing rate. This led us to pivot our direction of research into how the hirudin molecule can be used as an agricultural aid for fish-farming.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/raq.12443 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-35002-5 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10106625/By Louis Wan
Now that we decided to switch our focus from the use of Hirudin, a natural anticoagulant derived from leeches, to prevent cardiovascular disease in humans to the use of Hirudin to prevent cardiovascular disease in farmed fish, our team decided to learn more about fish farming.
In order to do so we visited Yeung’s Marine Products Ltd., a commercial fish farm located in the Mai Po district of Hong Kong. The farm owner generously shared his expertise, offering valuable insights into the daily operations, challenges, and innovations in modern aquaculture.
One of the first observations we made was the absence of fish at the surface after feed distribution. According to the farm owner, this could be due to overfeeding, which requires a slower feeding rate, or it could indicate that the fish are unwell. Feeding behavior is also influenced by routine—fish may not respond to feeding outside their accustomed schedule.
The farm uses a custom-formulated feed developed in collaboration with a Chinese university and manufactured in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. This feed meets ISO 22000 standards, ensuring high food safety and nutritional quality. The composition includes soybeans, corn, and other plant-based ingredients for freshwater species, while saltwater fish require more fishmeal, a costlier component.
A key performance metric is the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). For example, mullet ideally have an FCR of 2:1, meaning two pounds of feed produce one pound of fish. Poor feed formulations can increase waste and degrade water quality.
Fish health is closely monitored through behavioral cues. Abnormal swimming or loss of appetite can signal illness, hypoxia, or water quality issues. Sick fish are isolated and oxygenated, while dead fish are promptly removed to prevent disease spread. Notably, the farm avoids using medication, instead relying on disease-resistant species like tilapia and sea bass, and adjusting feeding practices based on water temperature. However, regarding our visited fish farm, the accurate reasoning for fish deaths are not studied or recorded as the numbers only account for around 2% of the total agricultural output which was said to be negligible.
Water quality is critical to fish health and flavor. The farm uses scientific wells to source seawater with a salinity of 21 ppt, adjusting levels based on species needs. For instance, mullet thrive at 5 ppt. Tools like refractometers and pH meters are used to monitor salinity and acidity, while aeration and controlled feeding help maintain optimal conditions.
To prevent the undesirable muddy taste in fish, the farm maintains salinity above 5 ppt to inhibit blue-green algae growth. During icing, salinity is carefully adjusted to 3–5 ppt to preserve fish appearance and freshness.
Each fish species has unique traits. For example, Taiwanese mullet, grouper, giant grouper, and sea bass differ in behavior and care requirements. Freshness is assessed by checking for glossy skin, clear eyes, and appropriate mucus levels—excess mucus can indicate prolonged storage.
Fish are harvested in batches, with smaller individuals left to grow. After harvesting, ponds are disinfected using UV light. The farm practices single-species farming, except for shrimp-fish polyculture, and tailors feed to each species. Equipment like feed dispensers and aerators have lifespans of 3–5 and 2–3 years, respectively.
In Hong Kong, expired supermarket food cannot be resold but may be repurposed as fish feed. The farm emphasizes branding as a key differentiator, akin to Coca-Cola’s market presence. Since launching its branded fish in 2005, daily sales have grown from 30–100 to 600–1,000 fish, driven by word-of-mouth. Although exports to mainland China are not yet underway, the farm is preparing for expansion.
To counter challenges from zero-tariff imports, the farm is investing in automation, value-added processing, and recreational services to enhance competitiveness and ensure year-round supply.
The farm fully transitioned to artificial feed in 1992, marking a significant step toward modern, sustainable aquaculture.
By Maggie Chen
To connect with other groups, learn from their past experience, and broaden our understanding of iGEM, we invited members of two other teams—Squirrel Guangzhou (participated in 2023) and Squirrel Shenzhen (participated in 2024), both of which achieved high awards in the iGEM competition in previous years.
Phoebe Zhang, representing Squirrel Guangzhou, introduced their project, which focused on targeting obesity by producing a sugar substitute. She explained the significance of this project: a survey they did revealed the lack of awareness from the general public concerning this topic, underscoring a greater need for greater education alongside the potential economic benefits. She then headed into explaining the wet lab part of iGEM, where she described the excited feelings she felt when she first entered a formal lab. Regarding the jamboree, she offered key advice: socializing with other groups to network and gain insightful knowledge that can pave the path for future developments. As for the judging session, she advised us to keep calm and speak articulately.
Jessica Liang, who came from Squirrel Shenzhen, introduced their project on biosensors and the detection of copper ions in soil. She showed their project video to us and shared with us her experiences in iGEM: the same excited feelings felt when entering a lab with a variety of different laboratory instruments, the realization of the critical importance of teamwork in both the lab and in the judging sessions. Furthermore, Jessica gave us more tips on the competition, and highlighted the importance of the two blocks of integrated human practices and education.
This exchange not only enhances our understanding and preparedness for the project, but it also fostered a spirit of cooperation and learning, aligning with the iGEM’s core value of building upon past experiences.
By Alice Li
As it is the first time our school is having an iGEM team, we signed up for the iGEM mentor programme. We then arranged an online meeting with our GEM mentor, Mr. Sun JiCheng, so we could get to know each other and to learn from his 2 years' experience in iGEM teams.
After icebreaking, Mr. Sun started by introducing his iGEM team’s process. Firstly, he shared his experiences & techniques on Lab work with his groupmates. Secondly, he gave some suggestions on teamwork and lastly explained the awards of the competition.
We did receive some valuable insight from Mr. Sun Jicheng , considering we only used 50 minutes to cover the topics just mentioned.
However, we were unable to contact Mr. Sun Jicheng again after our initial meeting and was informed by iGEM that he had stepped down from his role as mentor. We were promised that another mentor would be assigned to our team, but none was.
By Fantasia Tan
Our iGEM team had the incredible opportunity to participate in face-to-face workshops with distinguished scientists and lecturers. Among these inspiring figures was Dr. Jijie Chai, a moment that left a lasting impression on our team.
Dr. Chai, Chair Professor of Plant Immunology at the College of Life Sciences, Westlake University, is a globally recognized structural biologist and Alexander von Humboldt Professor. He leads the Laboratory of Plant Immune Signaling, where his groundbreaking research on receptor-like kinases (RLKs), NOD-like receptors (NLRs), and NLR resistosomes has revolutionized our understanding of plant innate immunity and paved the way for developing disease-resistant crops.
During our conversation with Dr. Chai, he generously shared insights on a wide range of topics—from the personal motivations behind his journey in science, to the future of scientific research and the challenges of a research career. His thoughtful answers not only deepened our understanding of plant immunology but also sparked meaningful reflections on our own scientific paths.
Dr. Chai’s passion, perseverance, and clarity of thought were deeply inspiring. His words encouraged us to think critically, embrace challenges, and remain curious—values that are now at the heart of our iGEM project. This encounter reminded us that science is not just about experiments and data, but also about vision, resilience, and the drive to make a difference.
By Carson Wan
The iGEM team of BBSG hosted a scientific research story - sharing session, where Dr. Zhao Bingran presented his research insights and Academician Yuan Longping's tales. This session deepened our understanding of the research journey's challenges and glories, inspiring our team's research.
Dr. Zhao Bingran is a researcher at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Center. He has been engaged in rice molecular genetic breeding research since 1992 and worked closely with Academician Yuan Longping, known as the "Father of Hybrid Rice," who is a Chinese agronomist. In the 1970s, he developed the world's first high-yielding hybrid rice strain, dramatically boosting rice production and helping China achieve self-sufficiency in rice. His work benefited millions in food-insecure regions globally.
Dr. Zhao Bingran recounted how Academician Yuan Longping, over decades on the front lines of research, braved difficulties and continuously explored and innovated to realize his "dream of enjoying the cool under the grass" and "dream of hybrid rice covering the world". His story highlights the responsibility, dedication of researchers, and the great impact of research on society. This motivates us to focus on solving practical problems in our projects and strive for a positive societal impact.
We've gained much from this session. Drawing spiritual strength from Dr. Zhao Bingran and Academician Yuan Longping's stories, we are inspired to approach our iGEM project with more enthusiasm and a rigorous attitude.
By Cecily Yang
To improve our ability to communicate our science better, our team has started a Toastmasters club in school where we meet on a weekly basis to practice both giving prepared speeches as well as impromptu speeches called table topics.
We were invited to attend a toastmasters session held by the ‘Panju No.1 Toastmaster Club’, the largest toastmasters club in all of Guangzhou. We participated in the session as attendees, taking on their table topics and enjoying the prepared speech given by the president of the club.
We learnt many valuable insights such as how to organise more timely-compacted sessions, how to give systematic evaluations and what components a meeting should consist of. This experience helped immensely in planning and organizing our own Toastmasters practice sessions.
By Louis Wan
