In our work of human practices,

we consulted a panel of experts to gain in-depth, filed-specific insights that aligned with the core direction of the project.We fully recognize the value of interdisciplinary expertise, so we proactively sought professional guidance from top scholars, whose research spans tumor biology，molecular metabolism, and related fields. We engaged with experts who are highly accomplished in the fields of human metabolism and cancer research. These discussions allowed us to draw on their practical experience in experimental design, data interpretation, and translational research, providing crucial references for adjusting the project’s direction.

In addition, we highly valued communication with senior clinicians from top-tier hospitals. During these discussions, we systematically introduced the research objectives, technical framework, and specific challenges we aimed to address—all to gain firsthand insights into the current clinical and academic status of our project’s research focus.

To assess public awareness of lactate and gauge the recognition, acceptance, and expectations regarding our “Tumor Microenvironment Lactate Regulation Project,” we designed a comprehensive questionnaire covering multiple dimensions: basic knowledge about lactate, attitudes toward novel cancer-related technologies, and preferred channels for accessing scientific information. We distributed the survey via online platforms, offline community surveys, and questionnaires accompanying science outreach events, targeting diverse public groups with a representative age distribution. This multi-channel strategy ensured a broad, representative sample, yielding over 100 valid responses.

To clarify middle school students’ specific needs for synthetic biology education and their interest level in frontier scientific knowledge, we consulted experienced iGEM judges and high school teachers. Based on their guidance, we designed customized science outreach activities to interact with students—effectively spreading synthetic biology knowledge and core project details while sparking their interest in life sciences.

To explore the project’s practical application prospects in the biopharmaceutical industry, understand market demands and competition, and learn the operational models and technical standards needed to translate academic research into commercial products, we engaged in discussions with entrepreneurs and technical experts from two biopharmaceutical companies. These discussions focused on the project’s technical feasibility, potential scalability, and market positioning. Industry experts provided valuable insights into production processes, regulatory requirements, and market entry strategies—helping us assess the feasibility of project implementation and clarify key steps for future translational work.

• Professor Liang,Long

  School of Life Sciences，Central South University

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Liang has made outstanding achievements in tumor immunology, with a particular focus on optimizing immunotherapy strategies to improve their efficacy against cancer. His research on immune checkpoint regulation and interactions in the tumor immune microenvironment has been published in top academic journals, making him an authority in the field.

  Summary
  Through our discussions with Professor Liang, we gained a deeper understanding of the key role that metabolism plays in tumor progression. He emphasized that metabolic reprogramming not only drives tumor cell proliferation and survival but also significantly affects the effectiveness of tumor therapies. This understanding led us to shift the focus of the project to exploring the relationship between tumor-associated metabolism and the tumor microenvironment.

  

  Key Point
  “The metabolic state of the tumor microenvironment is the key factor that determines tumor growth and the success of immunotherapy.”

• Dr.Peng,Hui

  Clinical Doctor, Xiangya Hospital

  Reason for Consultation
  Dr. Peng has long dedicated herself to endocrinology and metabolic biology, with a particular focus on the mechanisms through which small molecules and metabolites in the tissue microenvironment regulate cellular functions and disease progression. Her research on the relationship between metabolites and cancer (as well as metabolic diseases) offers valuable insights for developing microenvironment-targeted therapies.

  Summary
  Dr. Peng provided a detailed analysis of lactate’s multiple roles in the tumor microenvironment. She explained that excessive lactate production not only acidifies the microenvironment and inhibits immune cell function but also promotes tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. Importantly, she confirmed that sLOX— a substance found in bacteria— is capable of degrading lactate. She further suggested that exploring sLOX’s applications in vivo could be a feasible strategy to regulate lactate levels and restore anti-tumor immune function. Her feedback ultimately validated the scientific soundness of our project’s core concept.

  

  Key Point
  “Lactate in tumors is not just a metabolite—it actively fuels disease progression. sLOX’s ability to degrade lactate offers new opportunities to rebalance the tumor microenvironment.”

• Professor Huang,Hao

  Department of Cell Biology; Curator, Biological Specimen Museum

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Huang has long focused on human metabolic physiology research, and he also focuses on the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis and its impact on health and disease. As Curator of the Biological Specimen Museum, he additionally has extensive experience in designing and running public outreach and education programs—programs that bridge academic research and public engagement.

  Summary
  Professor Huang expressed strong support for our project’s goal of regulating lactate in the tumor microenvironment, and he believes this work addresses a key unmet need in cancer therapy. However, he emphasized a critical safety concern: maintaining normal lactate levels in healthy tissues is essential for proper physiological functions (such as muscle metabolism and pH balance). For this reason, he recommended adding a precise feedback system to our design—one that controls sLOX release. This would ensure sLOX is only activated in the tumor microenvironment, without disrupting the body’s overall metabolic balance. Furthermore, he shared practical ideas for our public outreach efforts, such as hosting interactive exhibitions at the Biological Specimen Museum. These exhibitions would help the public see how metabolism and cancer are connected.

  

  Key Point
  "Targeting tumor lactate has significant potential, but we must not overlook systemic metabolic balance. Adding a feedback mechanism to control sLOX release is critical for safety. What’s more, we can use the specimen museum to help the public intuitively grasp this scientific concept!"

• Professor Li,Jiada

  Dean, School of Life Sciences, Central South University

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Li is an outstanding scholar with expertise spanning genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology—these are fundamental disciplines that lay the groundwork for our project’s technical design. He also has extensive experience mentoring undergraduate teams to succeed in iGEM, along with valuable insights into turning academic concepts into innovative project solutions.

  Summary
  With Professor Li’s guidance, we carried out a comprehensive literature review to make sure our project is built on the latest scientific advancements. Through in-depth discussions, we polished our technical plan and finally developed a prototype of the lactate-responsive sLOX delivery system (LACMA). Professor Li was instrumental in optimizing the system’s core mechanism: he proposed using the “LIDR-TEV” fusion protein as a lactate-responsive switch to regulate the translocation of GV particles into the cell nucleus. This design ensures GV only moves to the cell nucleus when lactate levels are high—triggering sLOX gene expression and the subsequent secretion of sLOX. In this way, we achieve enzyme-targeted, environment-dependent delivery.

  

  Key Point
  “The LACMA system’s success hinges on its specificity: using ‘LIDR-TEV’ as a lactate-responsive switch to regulate GV translocation into the nucleus is a smart approach to ensuring sLOX acts only where it is needed.”

• Professor Liu,Huadie

  University of South China

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Liu is a leading expert in enzyme engineering and synthetic biology, with rich experience addressing technical challenges in protein function and system optimization. Throughout our experimental process, she offered invaluable guidance—especially when we ran into unexpected issues with enzyme activity.

  Summary
  During the experiment, we faced a key problem: the TEV enzyme, which was meant to be inactive at low lactate concentrations, unexpectedly stayed active. This posed a risk of unintended non-target lactate degradation. We consulted Professor Liu right away, and she helped us systematically analyze potential causes—including protein folding, domain interactions, and environmental factors. Through our collaboration, we pinpointed the root cause: when the TEV enzyme was in its inactive state, the close proximity of its domains kept it active. Taking Professor Liu’s suggestion, we adjusted the design by splitting LldR and TEV into two parts and cross-linking these two parts. This change increased the spatial distance between the TEV domains when the enzyme was inactive, effectively eliminating non-target activity and solving the problem.

  

  Key Point
  “The unexpected activity of the TEV enzyme was likely caused by the close proximity of its domains—by splitting LldR and TEV into two parts and cross-linking these parts, we created enough space between the domains. This way, the enzyme is deactivated when lactate levels are low.”

• Professor Fan,Liangliang

  Department of Cell Biology，Central South University

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Fan’s research focuses on the role of organelles in disease pathogenesis. He uses multi-scale models—including human and mouse models, Caenorhabditis elegans, and cell models—to study cellular functions. His expertise in laboratory techniques and rigorous experimental approach made him the perfect consultant to help refine our experimental plan.

  Summary
  During our meeting with Professor Fan, we walked him through our experimental process in detail, covering cell culture methods, enzyme activity assays, and instrument operation steps. Professor Fan reviewed our plan thoroughly and identified several areas where we could optimize our work. He also stressed that laboratory safety is critical—especially when working with sLOX and other biological reagents. He urged us to update our safety protocols, such as regular equipment calibration and proper waste disposal. These suggestions greatly improved the reliability of our experiments and made sure we follow best practices.

  

  Key Point
  “Before you start any experiments, always keep in mind that laboratory safety comes first. Stick to all safety protocols—this way, you can avoid accidents and keep yourself and others safe.”

• Professor Hu,Jingping

  Molecular Biology Research Center

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Hu is a renowned researcher in hematology and stem cell biology. Her work focuses on red blood cell development, stem cell differentiation into red blood cell lineages, and the treatment of hematologic malignancies. Additionally, her research on immune cell interactions in the tumor microenvironment offers insights that align with our project’s goals.

  Summary
  Our discussion with Professor Hu focused on the translational potential of our project—especially in the context of immunotherapy. She pointed out that while immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment, its effectiveness is often held back by the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment, with lactate buildup being one of the key factors. She broke down why this matters: immune cells lose their anti-tumor activity in acidic, high-lactate environments, making it hard for them to clear cancer cells. Building on this, we discussed a specific way to apply the project: integrating the lactate-regulating sLOX module into immune cells. Professor Hu suggested this “combined strategy” could let immune cells do two things: directly attack tumors, and regulate the microenvironment by lowering lactate levels. This would create better conditions for sustained anti-tumor immunity. This insight expanded the translational scope of our project.

  

  Key Point
  “Many cancer patients don’t respond to immunotherapy, and one key reason is that lactate impairs immune cell function. By integrating your sLOX system into immune cells, you can reduce the immune suppression caused by too much lactate in the tumor microenvironment.”

• Professor Li,Chiyu

  School of Life Sciences, Central South University

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Li combines academic research with science education experience. He has served as an iGEM judge multiple times, and he has a strong grasp of how to communicate complex synthetic biology concepts to different audiences. He currently teaches in the international department of a high school, where he designs science curricula for young students. We consulted him to help optimize the design and implementation of our Human Practices (HP) educational activities.

  Summary
  Professor Li shared valuable insights about the learning preferences and needs of middle school students. He pointed out that students are interested in content that connects abstract science to real-world issues, but they often find it hard to follow overly technical jargon. He also emphasized the importance of inclusivity in educational activities—which means ensuring that students with different levels of scientific knowledge can participate equally. For example, this can be done by simplifying complex concepts through hands-on experiments and visual aids. Moreover, he advised us to align our content with national science education standards, so that our educational outreach would be more relevant to students’ coursework. Based on this guidance, we redesigned our educational workshops, adding interactive demonstrations and simplifying how we explain sLOX and lactate to make the content more accessible and engaging.

  

  Key Point
  “Students like science that addresses real-world problems. Use animations or games to explain sLOX and lactate instead of only using slides. Make sure every student can take part, so no one feels left out because of technical jargon.”

• Questionnaire survey for the public

  Reason for Consultation
  To make sure our project responds to public concerns and meets societal needs, we conducted a large-scale survey. The goal of the survey was to assess two key areas: the public’s awareness of and misunderstandings about lactate, and their attitudes toward emerging cancer-related technologies. This data helped us identify knowledge gaps and create targeted initiatives.

  Summary
  The survey results revealed several key trends. First, when it comes to cancer awareness, the public showed a pattern of “low awareness but high demand”: most respondents were concerned about cancer and eager to learn more about prevention and treatment, but their understanding was limited. Specifically, they were mostly interested in topics like cancer causes, early screening methods, and family prevention measures. Secondly, Most people lack an understanding of lactate’s role in tumor development; however, they have a desire to learn about knowledge in this field. Thirdly, while public awareness of advanced cancer treatments like CAR-T was low, acceptance was quite high—60% said they would consider it if needed. This points to a big gap in science communication. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted public outreach: we should focus on explaining how lactate relates to cancer and demystifying new cancer treatment technologies to build public trust.

  

  Key Point
  (Representative Public Feedback) “I know cancer is scary, and I want to prevent it, but I’ve never heard that lactate has anything to do with cancer. I’d love to learn more—maybe through short videos, since I don’t have time to read long articles.”

• Dr.Cai,Changjing

  MD, Xiangya Hospital

  Reason for Consultation
  Dr. Cai is an oncologist at Xiangya Hospital with extensive experience treating late-stage cancer patients. His clinical insights are key to helping us understand how our project can solve real-world challenges in cancer treatment—since he often sees the shortcomings of existing therapies firsthand.

  Summary
  Our discussion with Dr. Cai focused on how our project applies to real clinical settings. He walked us through the current state of immunotherapy in clinics, pointing out that while immunotherapy has improved outcomes for some patients, many still don’t respond—and the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment is to blame. He emphasized that lactate is now widely seen as a major barrier to effective immunotherapy, but clinical treatments that target lactate are still in the early phases. Dr. Cai expressed strong support for our design, saying the sLOX-based targeting system could fill an important gap in today’s cancer therapies. He also gave practical clinical advice, like suggesting we improve intravenous delivery systems and combine our approach with traditional treatments such as chemotherapy. These insights helped align our project more closely with what’s actually needed in clinical practice.

  

  Key Point
  “We see a lot of patients who don’t respond to immunotherapy—and lactate is a big reason why. But right now, there are no effective targeted treatments for this issue. Your sLOX system could change that—but make sure it works for intravenous delivery and can work well with our current immunotherapy approaches.”

• Professor Huang,Yan

  Chief Physician, Xiangya Hospital

  Reason for Consultation
  Professor Huang is a senior physician in the Department of Endocrinology at Xiangya Hospital, with extensive clinical experience. Her work often involves managing complex chronic diseases, which has given her a deep understanding of patients’ experiences and the practical challenges of moving therapies from the lab to real clinical use.

  Summary
  To make sure our project puts patient welfare first—a core principle of translational research—we talked to Professor Huang to learn about the practical challenges cancer patients face during treatment. She emphasized that besides being effective, clinical therapies must consider three key factors: whether patients accept the treatment, reducing treatment-related discomfort, and ensuring long-term safety. For our project specifically, she recommended doing early safety studies to check for potential side effects of sLOX. She also warned us to keep an eye on long-term metabolic effects—like unexpected changes in blood lactate levels. Her advice helped us add patient-focused design to our project’s development plan.

  

  Key Point
  “No matter how well a therapy works, if it makes patients feel uncomfortable or scared, they won’t accept it. Focus first on methods patients are comfortable with, and test for side effects early. Safety and comfort matter just as much as how well the therapy works.”

• iGEM Team Exchange Meeting

  Reason for Consultation
  As iGEM participants, we don’t just see other iGEM teams as competitors—we see them as partners in advancing synthetic biology and solving global challenges together. We actively take part in iGEM exchange meetings to discuss ideas, share experiences, and learn from peers working on similar or complementary projects.

  Summary
  Our exchanges with other iGEM teams were highly productive. We had in-depth discussions with teams from universities worldwide about project design, troubleshooting methods, and human practices (HP) strategies. For example, one team gave feedback on our questionnaire design, suggesting practical ways to make questions clearer and reduce response bias. In return, we shared our insights on lactate detection techniques and science outreach efforts. By learning from their successful experiences and how they addressed challenges, we refined our project’s technical design and HP initiatives—making our overall project approach stronger. These interactions showed just how valuable the iGEM collaborative community is for driving innovation.

  

  Key Point
  “Several iGEM teams were interested in the mechanism behind how high lactate levels inhibit immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. We explained this mechanism in detail and also had in-depth discussions with many teams about safety concerns related to the project.”

• Biotechnology Company Visit and Interview

  Reason for Consultation
  To assess our project’s commercial feasibility and translational potential, we spoke with entrepreneurs and technical experts from two Chinese biopharmaceutical companies—Jindao Bio and Fulin Pharma. These experts have rich experience in commercializing academic research, tackling challenges in production processes, regulatory requirements, and market dynamics—areas where our team has limited expertise.

  Summary
  Our discussions with the biopharmaceutical experts focused on three key areas: production feasibility, market conditions, and implementation strategies. When it comes to market trends, the entrepreneurs shared data on the growing demand for tumor microenvironment-targeted therapies, and pointed out that while the market is competitive, there’s still room for innovative, safe, and cost-effective solutions. They also highlighted regulatory challenges—such as the extensive preclinical and clinical trials that are required to get approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Additionally, they offered guidance on building industry-academia-research collaborations, and suggested we look into testing our system’s scalability through joint pilot projects. Overall, these insights helped us create a more realistic roadmap for the project, guiding it from the laboratory to commercial application.

  

  Key Point
  “Our company focuses on innovation, R&D, and strict quality control. To stay on top of market trends, we keep a close eye on unmet patient needs, analyze competitor strategies, and adjust to regulatory changes—all to ensure we grow sustainably.”