Human Practices

Overview

Throughout the entire project, we actively incorporated feedback and opinions from the public and relevant stakeholders, which were closely connected to both our project goals and specific design details.

In addition to conducting necessary surveys among professionals and users in related fields, as an iGEM team composed of faculty and students from an art-focused discipline, we also leveraged our artistic strengths to communicate scientific ideas to society through artistic expression.

Our integrated Human Practices are divided into five main sections, each representing a different aspect of engagement: the perspectives of experts and practitioners, the opinions of the general public with relevant needs, the reflections and brainstorming of iGEMers themselves, the feedback of public needs through our project, and the entrepreneurial opportunities and future visions derived from it.

• Interviews with Professionals and Practitioners — Perspectives from experts in related fields
  


• Social Questionnaire Survey — Opinions of the general public with relevant needs
  


• Lectures and Discussions — Reflections and brainstorming from iGEMers
• Exhibition
  


• Children’s Popular Science Book — How we feed the public’s needs back to society through our project
  


• Brand and Entrepreneurship — Entrepreneurial opportunities and future prospects discovered through the project

1 Interviews with Professionals and Practitioners

We interviewed experts from different fields — including design, medicine, and pharmacy — to understand how interdisciplinary thinking informs the future of biodesign, healthcare, and aesthetics. These dialogues provided valuable insights for our project’s conceptual refinement and public communication strategy.

William Myers

External professor of the School of Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts. Representative works include Bio Art and Bio Design,etc.

Q1. Biodesign ——The difference from bionic/green design; How to blur the boundary between nature and artificiality?

Question

In your book, by a design, you describe it as using organisms or ecosystems, as fundamental components of design. In what ways does bio design differ from traditional bio mimicry or green design in its uniqueness? Could you use specific case studies from the book such as self healing, concrete or lg based tableware to illustrate how this form of biological integration dissolves the boundary between the natural and artificial.

Answer

“So in the first part of the question, I think the answer is really good question. So in what ways is by design differ? It's at the start of that code is using organisms. So integration and using directly in the manufacturing or for making or in the actually working functional thing, is how I think of integration. Whereas it's different with bio symmetry, with his bio symmetry is essentially, you study the system, and then you try to copy it with your technology and engineering.

There's still like it's a great approach and you learn what you can make a lot of things. If you learn something about the way a dragon fly flies and you design a better airplane, you're not gonna use the poor dragon flies in the design of the airplane or try to put them inside. But it's very it's very exciting field as well. And it's been around longer with these other terms, like green design. Green design is a term it's been used in overused so many times by marketing, by companies, by advertising provide politicians. It's really lost its meaning. I think it's no longer really useful term because it's been so reduced in its meaning.

Okay. Can you use specific case studies to illustrate how this form of bilateral integration dissolves the boundary between the natural animal? Sure. So a very literal case study that's I like to use it's quite simple to understand for people like I can show it to my brother or into it to my 9 year old daughter. And she would understand it is the worker for demand a little bit, which you find in the bio design book.

He's the one that studied now for, I think the last 15 years, the use of trees to make things like towers and bridges. The trees are still living. The trees are part of the support structure of the architecture. And this is like a very a clear example of how the systems that the natural and the artificial are integrated for the benefit of both.”

Q2. "The First Step of the Sustainable Revolution" : From Harm Reduction to Restoration Policy/Business model

Question

How can bio design help shift the paradigm from simply reducing harm to actively repairing ecosystems? Are there specific policies or business models that could accelerate its adoption at scale?

Answer

“Good question. Fire design helps by slowly changing people's expectation of what design can be for the longest time? We have considered design as the process of making useful stuff, sometimes from nature, sometimes from factory, but we put it in a place and we make an object. The object is deliberately separate from the ecosystem of the natural world like this building. It has windows, but it's a it's one side of the one solid object that is not meant to be integrated with the local ecosystem. And to us that's normal. But if we can show that we can make things better, last longer, more healthy for the environment or integrated to the local ecosystem, even support the local ecosystem. Ii think that that's part of that step towards a revolution in design a revolution in our approach, how we make things and how we manufacture that also connects to this idea of actively repairing.

So there's an interesting project that's not in the book, but is worth having a look at that on this theme. It's a project that's happening in europe. It's just ending this year. It's called eco lopes. And that iii to best answer the question like it. It's good for you to be able to look it up… It's a project that brings together people from All kinds of expertise, from biochemistry, to urban design, to data science, user interface design… what they tried to do… is make a tool for architects so that they design buildings in a different way so that the roof, the facades of the walls outside the windows and everything is is made with consideration to how it can support the outside nature… sometimes that those decisions can help actually repair local ecosystems by giving a place for some of those things to live.

This one, this you added another part, specific policies. I'll just give one… If you make design or you produce something, and let's say you have a company that grows oysters… it produces a value for the ecosystem in this measurable way. Then somehow you get a reward for this, or like you don't pay taxes or so that you encourage the making of these products or types of practices that encourage the flourishing of natural systems.”

Q3. The power relationship between artists and scientists and the risk of instrumentalization

Question

How would you assess the power, dynamic dynamics between artist and scientist? Is there a risk of one party being is to learn to live?

Answer

“That's another good question. Yes, there are risks on both sides, I think. If the the artists and scientists have good communication, they set out some ground rules and boundaries before they work together. That seems to be the best. There are a few particular ways that those collaborations face difficulty, like with the language differences.

And I don't mean french and spanish, I differences in language like a scientist will call the meaning of words is a little different. Like the word organic, for example, these different things to the public or to artist than it does to a scientist. If the communication is good, it could be very healthy. And sometimes the artist learns a lot and engages with the scientist has a greater respect for the processes of and the rigor of the scientific process. And other ways that it's good is that for the scientist, they they learn a bit more about how to engage the public. For example, if they work with an artist and the work is shown in a gallery or museum, then the scientist gets a view into like how the public reacts to a part of the science. This is healthy in part, because scientists tend to be the walled off in there, laboratories or their schools, and they don't have a lot of public engagement.”

Q4. Unmainstream trends: biofilms, epigenetics, seaweeds

Question

Are there any emerging trends in by fire design that haven't yet entered the mainstream, but which you are particularly expecting about all would encourage students to explore.

Answer

“There are a few. Ii think that are pretty exciting. One is in a biotechnology field called bio films… it can create substances where you can create molecules that are very useful. And scientists have learned ways to alter the bio films as if they're little factories… Applications for things like medicines and materials are very promising…

Another area… is the field of epigenetic… it looks at the ways in which gene expression happens between generations and generational experiences. In other words, your diet that you have might affect the gene expression of your grandchildren… It's interesting… it challenges the way that we usually understand dna… it's really much more complex.

…for design… the west a has a lot to learn from china about species of algae and help. And so there's this great design potential in using basically seaweed to synthesize materials for building, for industrial design. And it's holds all kinds of benefits because it is absorbing carbon. It's good for the sea, and it grows without using land.”

Q5. Suggestions on resources and paths for iGEM

Answer

“Writing on the internet by a very talented designer artist named daisy ginsburg… She had a winning project… She reflected a lot on that experience… This is, I think, inspirational…

…the work of drew andy. He was one of the founders of the iGEM competition. He wrote a number of books…

…rob carlson… the one that he's most famous for is called biology is technology…

…have a look at the bio design challenge… with iGEM is working at the scale of the molecule. And with by a design challenge, it's working at the scale of the material… I do like a compare and… contrast.”

Q6. How can complex life technologies be "visualized" and not just remain at the level of style

Question

From your curatorial experience, how can come a complex biological technologies be effectively visualized? How can you young teams avoid remaining at the level of mere aesthetic styling?

Answer

“…It's really impressive that you can read these sort of questions in english… Complex. Biological technologies are very tough to visualize. There have been, there have been some good ones. This is an example… look at the work of drew barry… He builds this a custom software to make animations that very sharp and bright and compelling…

…There is a good source for some good visualization. It's from an organization called the peace institute. They're based in boston as well… they put out great graphics and visuals that help explain some bio technologies…

…There's an exhibition at the mit museum… it contained a work of dance… by this artist gabriel lamb… to visualize some of the processes in the crisper cast nine… She proposed to make a dance based on the language of that, that biotechnology… This was a very powerful approach… to visualize biotechnology, because… she used the bodies of like ten dancers to do it.”

Q7. How does a "dialogic museum" change the relationship between the public and design

Question

…How do you in interpret the concept of a dialogue based museum? And how does it change the relationship between the public and design?

Answer

“The concept of a dialogue based museum is a is still a developing practice or notion… we emphasize programming engagement, we emphasize the interactions with objects… instead of putting this, like design object in under glass, people walk by… is to sit people down and have them touch it, have them talk about it.

…We bring people together… show them objects and ask them to imagine how would the design be different in 100 years…

…Because we, after all, face these urgent problems of climate crisis and ecological collapse, and how we design things is so important. So it should be debated. It should be discussed and especially design that has helpful impact or is helping repair the environment or is helping society…

…if we were to fast forward ourselves to 100 years, and we walked into a design museum, what we would see is not, it's not gonna do this. Is that gonna be a phone? It will be some inventions perhaps that still have yet to be made…These are miraculous designs that help with social cohesion or social engagement.”

Hongyu Yin

Attending doctor, Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Beijing Shijitan Hospital. Ph.D. in Plastic Surgery.

Q1：In your opinion, how does our project concept resonate with plastic surgery?

A: I believe that medical aesthetics is essentially a design that "builds together with life". In the past, we used medical devices to fulfill people's pursuit of beauty. Nowadays, more research is focused on how to keep the skin vibrant, how to avoid uniformity, and how to enable everyone to have their own attitude towards medical aesthetics. Biological design enables medicine not only to repair defects but also to participate in the process of life's self-renewal.

Q2：How do you see the changing boundary between the natural and the artificial in modern medicine?

A: We used to fear the “artificial,” but now we pursue an artificial that feels natural. Cutting-edge medicine seeks harmony between biological and psychological systems.

Q3：Do you think that our current project, which advocates a relaxed and healthy form of medical aesthetics through the "microneedle patch" design, has practical significance for the industry?

A: Of course. Technology will keep advancing, but ethics is the steering wheel. This is a major trend.

Yaqin Yun

National Licensed Pharmacist.

Q1：From a pharmaceutical perspective, can the degree to which the human body accepts a drug under comfortable conditions be used as a criterion for measuring a drug?

A: Yes.Future medicine will no longer act one-way; it will form a feedback ecosystem with the body. Biodesign turns drugs into symbiotic agents rather than external substances.

Q2: Can the popularization of biodesign change how the public perceives the boundary between treatment and care?

A: Yes. Treatment is evolving from post-crisis repair to continuous co-living management. We’re moving from curing illness to co-designing life.

2 Social Questionnaire Survey

Synthetic Landscapes is not a simple display of works; it is an artistic experiment centered on synthetic biology.

Through interactive installations and artworks, visitors confront the translation of bodily data, the re-presentation of living matter, and the potential social impacts of science.

2.1 Fusion peptide sequence

To investigate public demand for skincare, we designed a questionnaire focusing on skincare and medical aesthetic products, and conducted a small-scale survey within the community that included participants from various age groups. According to our social research, 62.5% and 58.33% of respondents expect the core functions of collagen peptide products to be brightening and anti-aging/firming, respectively. Additionally, 59.12% of participants reported that products currently on the market often show slow results, while 50.83% consider market products to be expensive (with 23.76% even finding the prices unacceptably high). Moreover, 43.65% are unsure whether the pricing is reasonable. Finally, 63.89% and 66.67% of respondents expressed a desire for improved absorption efficiency and multi-functional benefits, respectively.

In response, we have effectively designed a multi-functional sequence targeting both melanin inhibition and collagen promotion, enabling full expression within a single plasmid. This approach reduces production costs and contributes to making skincare products more affordable.

*Selected questionnaire items (The questionnaire was administered in Chinese as the survey was conducted in China to accommodate the language proficiency of the majority of respondents).

2.2 Microneedle-based Delivery System

Our social research revealed that 37.5% of respondents require portability in products, while 43.06% prioritize ease of operation. In response to public demand, we have designed a microneedle delivery system that is not only portable but also user-friendly and simple to operate.

*Selected questionnaire items

2.3 Public Awareness and Demands

The survey results show that 80.67% of the public's understanding of the scientific principles of collagen peptides will affect their trust in the product, and they will feel more at ease after understanding it. Among them, 21.55% of people believe that the degree of understanding of protein peptides has a significant impact on trust, and the clearer the understanding, the more trust. This data is astonishing. Perhaps before this, few related brands were aware of such a demand. For this purpose, we have prepared popular science discussion lectures and art exhibitions. We use warm art forms to enable the public to come into contact with and understand biotechnology.

*Selected questionnaire items

3 Lectures and Discussions

— Reflections and brainstorming from iGEMers

3.1 Beijing iGEM Salon Recap: A Cross-Disciplinary Dialogue Between Biotechnology and Art

On September 21, 2025, an academic salon focusing on bio-art and synthetic biology was held in Beijing. Organized by the CAFA-BEIJING team and hosted at a design-forward aesthetic lifestyle space, the event broke away from the formal atmosphere of traditional academic conferences, creating a relaxed yet professional platform for cross-university exchange. Participating teams were all active forces in the iGEM field, including past and current iGEM team members from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, and Lanzhou University. The participants engaged in in-depth sharing and intellectual exchange centered on two core themes: "Innovation in Biotechnology" and "Cross-Disciplinary Integration."

3.2 Core Salon Content: Multi-University Project Sharing Showcasing Diverse Explorations in Biotechnology

The core segment of the salon involved project presentations from the iGEM teams of various universities. Each team, based on their respective research directions, provided a comprehensive presentation of cutting-edge explorations in the field of biotechnology, covering technical principles, practical results, and application value. The presentations included both hardcore technological breakthroughs and highly creative cross-disciplinary attempts.

(I) CAFA-BEIJING Team: R&D and Science Communication on Recombinant Collagen Peptides

As the initiator of the salon, the CAFA-BEIJING team led with a thematic presentation on the "Research, Development, and Application of Recombinant Collagen Peptides." The content was structured around the project's entire workflow, presented with clear logic and accessibility, allowing even audience members without a biology background to quickly grasp the core concepts.

In the section on project background and significance, the team pointed out that with the growing public demand for skin health and anti-aging, collagen peptides have become a popular ingredient in skincare and medical aesthetics. However, traditional collagen peptides face issues such as high extraction costs, insufficient purity, and low absorption efficiency. Recombinant collagen peptides, synthesized artificially through genetic engineering techniques, can not only address the pain points of traditional extraction but also allow for customized peptide chain structures tailored to different application scenarios, possessing both scientific research value and market potential.

During the segment on technological innovation and breakthroughs, the team highlighted key techniques in gene cloning and protein expression. By optimizing the vector construction scheme, they successfully introduced the target collagen gene into engineering bacteria, achieving high-efficiency protein expression.

In the experimental process and results section, the team used clear charts to demonstrate the complete experimental workflow—from gene amplification and engineering bacteria construction to protein induction expression, purification, and detection—and presented key data. Cell experiments showed that this recombinant collagen peptide could significantly promote the proliferation of skin fibroblasts, laying a solid foundation for subsequent applications.

Furthermore, the team specifically included a science communication segment on "Collagen Peptide Absorption Methods." By comparing the absorption differences between "large-molecule collagen" and "small-molecule collagen peptides," they explained in accessible language "why small-molecule peptides are more easily absorbed and utilized by the human body." This helped attendees and audience members establish a scientific understanding and avoid being misled by market misconceptions.

(II) University of Science and Technology Beijing Team: The "Visualization Revolution" of Nucleic Acid Sequences

The presentation by the iGEM team from the University of Science and Technology Beijing focused on their "Nucleic Acid Sequence Visualization" project. This project breaks through the limitations of biomolecules being "invisible and difficult to perceive," perfectly integrating rigorous genetic science with artistic design to deliver highly impactful innovative results.

The team first explained the core concept: gene sequences are composed of the four bases A, T, C, and G. Traditional sequence presentation methods involve monotonous character strings, making it difficult to intuitively reveal their inherent patterns and differences. By using programming techniques, they transformed base sequences into visual images and further applied these to physical product designs, bringing "genes" from the laboratory into daily life.

In the technical principles section, the presenter detailed the core algorithm for sequence conversion: Firstly, through "digital mapping" technology, the four bases A, T, C, and G are assigned corresponding numerical values. Then, based on the GC content differences in the gene sequence and combined with different initial offset values, base images for the RGB color channels are generated. Finally, the three color channel images are merged using the `Image.merge` technique to produce the final composite color image. The team specifically pointed out that since G/C base pairs form three hydrogen bonds, making them more stable than A/T base pairs (which form two hydrogen bonds), GC-rich regions generate "higher values" across multiple channels after encoding and conversion. Consequently, these regions appear as bright colors or even white in the final composite image. This characteristic not only enhances the image's distinctiveness but also subtly reflects the structural rules of the gene sequence.

During the results showcase, the team presented eye-catching physical products – scarves printed with colorful patterns derived from personal nucleic acid sequences (such as fragments of a participant's mitochondrial gene). Each scarf's pattern originates from a unique gene sequence, resulting in rich, layered colors that maintain scientific rigor while possessing high artistic and aesthetic value. The presenter indicated that such "bio-art derivatives" can not only serve as personalized accessories but also be applied in scientific research and teaching, helping students intuitively understand gene sequence differences and contributing to science communication, truly achieving the goal of integrating "research, teaching, and science outreach."

Furthermore, the team highlighted an innovation in sequencing technology: by optimizing sequencing primer design and signal detection methods, they can obtain gene sequence information more rapidly and accurately, providing high-quality data support for the subsequent visualization conversion. Their technical efficiency is approximately 30% higher compared to traditional sequencing methods, further underscoring the project's scientific and practical value.

(III) Lanzhou University Team: The Vision of Integrating AI and Biotechnology

Members of LZU-Medicine-China, drawing on their learning experience at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, used the theme "AI Empowering Biotechnology" to depict a future vision of interdisciplinary integration, offering teams present new technical perspectives and potential avenues for collaboration.

LZU-Medicine-China first pointed out that the current field of biotechnology faces challenges such as "large data volumes, complex analysis, and lengthy experimental cycles." For instance, gene sequencing generates massive amounts of data, making it difficult for traditional analysis methods to quickly extract key information. In drug development, screening candidate compounds requires repeated experiments, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. AI technologies (such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing) possess inherent advantages in data processing, model prediction, and process optimization. The integration of AI with biotechnology is poised to significantly enhance the efficiency and precision of biological research.

In the section on specific AI application scenarios, the presenter elaborated through multiple cases: In genetic research, AI can analyze vast genomic datasets to rapidly identify gene mutation sites associated with diseases, providing a basis for precision medicine. In the field of protein structure prediction, AI models can predict the three-dimensional structure of a protein based on its amino acid sequence, addressing the high cost and long duration associated with traditional experimental methods. During the experimental design phase, AI can simulate experimental processes and predict outcomes, helping researchers optimize their plans and reduce futile attempts.

LZU-Medicine-China also shared practical experience from a project they participated in, illustrating the integration of AI and biotechnology: The team used a deep learning model to perform correlation analysis between collagen peptide sequences and their functions, successfully predicting peptide chain structures with higher activity. This increased the efficiency of the experimental screening process by over 50%. This case study allowed the attending teams to appreciate the tangible value of interdisciplinary integration and provided a concrete direction for future collaboration.

3.3 Brainstorming: Building a Cross-University Alliance to Chart a Blueprint for Biotechnology Development

Following the project presentations from each team, all participants engaged in a lively discussion centered on the core topic of "establishing an interdisciplinary, cross-university iGEM alliance." Building on their respective strengths and needs, they ultimately formulated a preliminary framework and development plan for the alliance.

During the discussion, members unanimously agreed that the core objectives of the cross-university alliance should focus on **"resource integration" and "capability complementarity."** On one hand, each university possesses distinct advantages in areas such as biological laboratory equipment, scientific research data, and technical talent. The alliance could establish a shared resource platform to avoid redundant investments and improve resource utilization efficiency. On the other hand, the alliance could promote collaboration between teams from different universities, integrating multidisciplinary expertise for complex biological projects to achieve a synergistic effect greater than the sum of its parts.

Through collective brainstorming, the following anticipated outcomes were planned for the future:

• Short-term: Initiate 1-2 cross-university pilot collaboration projects to yield initial cooperative results; host 2-3 offline salons to expand the alliance's influence within the iGEM community and attract more university teams to join.
• Medium-term: Facilitate the implementation of collaborative projects, leading to developable technological outcomes; organize joint participation in the iGEM competition by cross-university teams, leveraging multidisciplinary advantages to compete for awards; establish partnerships with enterprises and research institutions to promote the industrial application of scientific achievements, realizing integrated "industry-university-research" development.

The ultimate vision is to establish the alliance as a leading interdisciplinary biotechnology collaboration platform within China. It would not only serve iGEM teams but also provide support for university research and industry innovation, fostering the deep integration of biotechnology with fields such as art, AI, and healthcare, thereby contributing to the advancement of the industry.

3.4 Salon Summary: Embarking on a New Journey through Cross-Disciplinary Integration, Fostering Development via Collaboration and Win-Win Outcomes

This Beijing iGEM Salon has injected new momentum into the subsequent development of the various university iGEM teams.

Firstly, the CAFA-BEIJING team's recombinant collagen peptide project demonstrated the application value of biotechnology. The University of Science and Technology Beijing's nucleic acid sequence visualization project broke down the boundaries between science and art. The sharing by Lanzhou University's LZU-Medicine-China on the integration of AI and biotechnology opened up imaginative space for cross-disciplinary collaboration. While the three projects had different focuses, they all pointed towards the core theme of "innovation and popularization of biotechnology," allowing attendees to experience the vitality of diverse explorations within the field.

Secondly, the prototype for a cross-university alliance formed during the brainstorming session is a key outcome of this salon. It not only integrates the resources and strengths of various universities but also establishes a long-term platform for exchange and cooperation, providing a new pathway for addressing complex challenges in the biotechnology field. In the future, as the alliance gradually takes shape, the teams will transition from "independent exploration" to "collaborative innovation," achieving breakthroughs across multiple dimensions including scientific research, teaching, and science communication.

The successful hosting of this salon also provides a new paradigm for academic exchange within the iGEM field—stepping beyond the confines of traditional laboratories and meeting rooms, and instead facilitating dialogue between science and art and fostering connections between universities within a creative and comfortable space like an aesthetic lifestyle venue. This "relaxed yet professional, cross-disciplinary" mode of exchange not only enhanced participant engagement but also stimulated innovative thinking, injecting greater potential into the development of the biotechnology sector.

4.Exhibition Overview

Exhibition Title: Synthetic Landscapes

Curated by the CAFA-AFAC iGEM team, this exhibition is hosted in a hybrid venue that blends an art space with a café. With the theme “Synthetic Biology and Perception,” it uses installations and cross-media works to explore the relationships among body, data, and image. The core work is the team’s interactive installation Perception Loop, and invited groups contribute pieces related to synthetic biology, creating a multi-dimensional dialogue. Visitors are not only observers but active participants—their biometric data, perceptions, and feedback become part of the exhibition itself.

4.1 Exhibition Introduction

Synthetic Landscapes is not a simple display of works; it is an artistic experiment centered on synthetic biology.

Through interactive installations and artworks, visitors confront the translation of bodily data, the re-presentation of living matter, and the potential social impacts of science.

4.2 Our Installation (Core Work: Perception Loop)

The installation treats skin as a mediating interface: it is both the body’s boundary and an entry point for information into technical systems.

Interaction Logic

• The sensing system continuously captures skin data in real time;
• Data are visualized on screens and via projection;
• Visitors may lie beneath the fabric surface to feel light directly on the body;
• The installation renders three flowing materials symbolizing internal circulation and metabolism.

4.3 Interaction Logic

1. The detection system collects skin data in real time.
2. Data are visualized on screens and projections.
3. Viewers may lie beneath a fabric surface, feeling the direct effects of light and shadow on their bodies.
4. The installation constructs three fluid materials, symbolizing internal bodily circulation and metabolism.

In doing so, the installation not only externalizes physiological data but also poses a critical question: When the body becomes a writable medium, how should we rethink the interplay of “vision” and “touch”?

4.4 Collaborating Works

4.5 Exhibition Documentation

• Exhibition brochure and curatorial text;
• Promotional poster and one-pager;
• On-site footage (short video or GIF).

These documents not only present the curatorial rationale but also help visitors continue to understand and share the content after the exhibition.

4.6 Audience Engagement & Feedback

• Visitor comment book and testimonials;
• Survey data;
• Real-time feedback collected during exhibition dialogues.

5 Children's Popular Science Book

CAFA-Beijing cooperated with the National University of Defense Technology to launch a picture book for children's biological knowledge popular science education.

We are committed to lowering children's cognitive threshold and improving knowledge acceptance in the form of picture books. It is difficult for children to understand abstract biological concepts. The drawing that Central America is responsible for can transform complex knowledge into intuitive and vivid images, which conforms to children's cognitive characteristics of "visual priority", makes the originally obscure content easy to understand and interesting, and truly realizes the "downward infiltration" of science education.

At the same time, this form is an innovation in the form of popular science education and expands the boundary of iGEM education. Traditional iGEM science popularization is mainly in the form of lectures, handbooks and so on. This cooperation integrates "artistic creation" into science education, explores a new model of "professional drawing+precise knowledge" for children's science popularization, breaks the formula of "science popularization = pure rational expression", and provides a richer formal reference for the educational practice of iGEM Human Practice.

For the CAFA-Beijing, it is necessary to complete the whole process of "dismantling professional knowledge → transforming children's perspective → meeting drawing needs" in cooperation. We should not only accurately refine the core logic of biological knowledge, but also consider children's understanding boundaries. This process can significantly enhance the team's ability to "transform cutting-edge science into understandable content for the public, especially for young people" and truly achieve the educational goal of iGEM's "serving the society with science and promoting the popularization of science".

This cooperation has broken through the barrier of the spread of biological knowledge such as synthetic biology to children, made the frontier science education more accessible and attractive, and deepened the iGEM team's practical ability of popular science and social education responsibility.

6 Brand & Entrepreneurship

Positioning: “Hard Tech × Soft Art.” In response to the scarcity of multidisciplinary talent and educational silos, we offer Bio × Art study programs, cross-disciplinary project/competition mentorship, and visual design support—forming a loop “from inspiration to capability building.”

6.1 Market & Competition

• Trends: The AI era reshapes talent structures—creativity, narrative, and collaboration matter more—while education lags behind industry.
• Pain points: Most “cross-disciplinary” activities stop at talks/tours; they lack deep collaboration grounded in technical essence and deliverables that transfer across contexts.
• Target users: Creatives, life-science professionals, and lifelong learners transitioning careers (pragmatic idealists).

6.2 Value Proposition & Moat

• Academic endorsement: Built jointly by CAFA and leading 985/211 universities; cutting edge yet rigorous; mentors with frontline experience.
• Course philosophy: “Integration of thinking” rather than “patchwork of forms,” employing methods across bionics/ecological synergy × narrative/metaphor/criticality.
• High-stickiness community: Immersive, project-based offline format + a high-caliber network bridging academia, industry, and the creative sector.

6.3 Business Model

A “knowledge sharing + paid knowledge” funnel: open high-quality content → convert to systematic paid services; extend to derivatives and bespoke consulting.

6.4 Products & Services

• Study modules (5 tracks): PCR-based creation; WB/SDS-PAGE; culture art (blue–white screening); microscopic exploration; centrifugation & the aesthetics of organelles.
• Bio-art products: “Weather Memory” necklace; biosensing fragrances/beer and other interactive olfactory experiences.
• Visual design support: Full-stack iGEM visuals; pitch/PPT/infographics; brand key visuals and web UI.

6.5 Roadmap

• Years 1–2: Standardize curricula and pilots; build community and product prototypes; serve 5–10 competition teams.
• Years 3–5: Add course tracks; expand consumer product lines and channels; undertake government–enterprise projects; upgrade the digital platform and innovation fund.
• 5+ years: International workshops and publications; establish a “Bio-Art Innovation Lab”; form an ecosystem loop of “content—courses—products—community—incubation.”