Overview

Fungal infections are an increasing public health concern with common infections growing increasingly resistant to treatment. Everyone is a potential stakeholder, yet immuno-compromised individuals and rare disease patients bear a disproportionate risk.

We identified the long-term social, economic, and environmental implications of fungal resistance and reshaped our actions based on continuous dialogue with multiple stakeholders. With the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as our guiding framework, we aligned our project to SDG, meaning that we:

• Safeguard health and well-being (SDG 3) through new models to study anti-fungal resistance and by amplifying vulnerable voices
• Deliver quality education (SDG 4) through playful, practice-based, and production-oriented activities reaching diverse communities
• Grow partnerships for the goals (SDG 17) across borders, collaborating with universities, NGOs, and civil society to build open resources and lasting impact

Safeguard

SDG 3: GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Fungal infections are a growing global health threat. Our project seeks to reduce the health burden of fungal resistance through creating a new platform for anti-fungal resistance study and by amplifying the voices of vulnerable groups, building an inclusive community for those related.

Problem Identification

Problem 1 – Marginalized voices in healthcare Patients with Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) and other rare conditions frequently suffer fungal infections, yet their lived experiences are rarely integrated into biomedical research or treatment design due to insufficient data and high costs.

Problem 2 – Psychosocial and economic burdens Beyond the physical disease, patients encounter stigma, emotional isolation, and heavy financial costs, which remain under-addressed in healthcare systems.

Our Actions and Solutions

Solution to Problem 1 – Visibility

To address the absence of patient perspectives in biomedical research, we created platforms that repositioned EB patients and families from “subjects” to “co-creators”. Through participatory mapping, patients, elderly participants, and transplant recipients used drawings, colors, and metaphors to articulate challenges such as hospital stigma, difficulties in drug administration, and diagnostic delays. These lived insights were not left as anecdotes but directly fed back into our yeast-based antifungal resistance research, ensuring that scientific priorities reflected the realities of those most affected. Similarly, the PhotoVoice and Science of Healing exhibition enabled patients, doctors, and scientists to share stories and simulate barriers—such as restricted mobility during pipetting—bridging the gap between clinical research and patient experience.

Solution to Problem 2 – Diverse Engagement

To confront the stigma, emotional isolation, and financial strain faced by EB families, we facilitated creative, community-driven engagements. At a charity art fair (Figure 1), patients contributed handmade artworks and crafts, raising over 500 RMB while transforming their role from “patients” into “creators.” This act of visibility not only generated modest economic support but also fostered dignity and recognition within society. The PhotoVoice narratives and interactive exhibitions further helped dismantle stigma by making hidden struggles visible to broader audiences, while participatory mapping created safe spaces for expression. Together, these initiatives addressed the psychosocial dimensions of EB, offering families both material support and the affirmation that their voices matter in shaping healthcare solutions.

Figure 1. The Charity Fair where handmade artworks are contributed by EB patients

For more information, please check our Inclusivity page.

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Long-term Positive Impacts

• Social: Reduced stigma by amplifying patient voices and normalizing open conversations around fungal infections
• Economic: Highlighted antifungal drug cost barriers, promoting awareness of the need for more affordable solutions
• Scientific: Patient feedback reshaped our synthetic biology design, ensuring that future antifungal tools align with real-world needs

Possible Negative Impacts

• Without long-term institutional support, patient engagement may risk tokenization
• Visibility campaigns alone may raise awareness but not guarantee improved treatment access
• Managing sensitive narratives (rare disease, children) requires strong ethical safeguards

Stakeholders Feedback

Participants affirmed the value of our sensory-friendly research methods. They noted that the use of colors allowed them to “express more precisely”, and articulate aspects of their illness that were previously “hard to put into words”. Building on this feedback, we developed a Sensory-Friendly Research Toolkit, designed to make such participatory approaches replicable in broader contexts.

Deliver

SDG 4: QUALITY EDUCATION

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Fungal infections and synthetic biology are both areas where public awareness remains limited. To achieve sustainable health solutions, it is essential not only to advance science in the lab, but also to foster a society that understands, values, and engages with these innovations.

Problem Identification

Problem 1 – Limited understanding of fungal threats Most people are unaware of the severity of fungal infections or anti-fungal resistance, leaving prevention and early intervention underdeveloped.

Problem 2 – Unequal access to synthetic biology education Knowledge of synthetic biology is concentrated in elite institutions. Primary and secondary school students, as well as non-academic communities, often lack accessible learning materials.

Problem 3 – Low engagement formats Traditional lectures and texts fail to engage young learners or general audiences, creating barriers to effective science communication.

Our Actions and Solutions

Solution to Problem 1 – Spreading knowledge to every age group

To address the inadequate knowledge of fungal threats, we developed innovative educational tools tailored to different age groups. Together with AFMU-China, we co-created a children's picture book My Microbial Friend, which personifies microbes such as yeast, E. coli, and viruses to make microbiology approachable for young readers. Through these activities, we aim to bring scientific dialogues into daily lives while young readers actively involve their parents and friends in the learning process. In parallel, we designed “Rumor Stopping” workshops for seniors, and in collaboration with Jilin University, produced a science handbook to help the public recognize and debunk misinformation about biotechnology.

Figure 2. Showing the children's picture book *My Microbial Friend* to young kids and discussing the content

Solution to Problem 2 – Equal and accessible education

To overcome limited access to synthetic biology education, we reached out to underprivileged communities that are often excluded from advanced science education. Partnering with the Sunflower Education Center, we designed two hands-on classes for migrant children — one on genes and proteins, and another on fermentation—delivered through storytelling, simple experiments, and games. We brought synthetic biology classes to remote rural schools, directly addressing the education gap faced by students in under-resourced areas. By lowering entry barriers and ensuring inclusivity, we helped empower children who rarely have the chance to encounter synthetic biology in their regular curriculum.

Figure 3. Partnering with Sunflower education to deliver science through storytelling, simple experiments, and games

Solution to Problem 3 – Interactive Engagement

To tackle the issue of low attractiveness of traditional education formats, we transformed learning into interactive experiences. We created games such as “Microbial Squat”, adapted from a popular children's activity, to help students internalize microbial diversity through movement, and role-playing exercises to demonstrate how genes become proteins. Together with ShanghaiTech and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, we launched SynbioSH, a city-wide orienteering game in which participants solved biology puzzles at urban landmarks, turning the city into a living classroom. Additionally, through the Torch Plan, we partnered with education students to co-develop interactive slide decks for young learners, translating complex topics like anti-fungal resistance into playful and accessible formats. These approaches significantly enhanced engagement, transforming abstract knowledge into memorable experiences.

Figure 4. Participants engaging in the Torch Run while exploring formats to enhance awareness of anti-fungal resistance

For more information, please check our Education page.

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Long-term Positive Impacts

• Social: Normalizes conversations about fungi and rare diseases among children and youth, reducing stigma and misinformation
• Educational: Provides novel, creative learning tools (illustrative storybooks, games, workshops) that can be adopted by schools and iGEM teams globally
• Global: Strengthens cross-border science communication and nurtures a generation of students who see biology as collaborative and socially embedded

Possible Negative Impacts

• Without institutional uptake, materials risk being one-time interventions rather than sustainable curriculum
• Games and books, if not updated, may lag behind scientific advances and inadvertently spread outdated concepts
• Language barriers may limit accessibility across non-English-speaking communities

Stakeholders Feedback

Teachers (n=12) noted that interactive formats (story + play) significantly improved student engagement compared to standard lectures. Students (surveyed n=103) reported that the board game helped them “feel” the struggle of antifungal resistance, making abstract concepts tangible. International partners encouraged us to document and share all materials openly, leading us to publish both the book and board game instructions online.

Grow

SDG 17: PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Our project has long realized that addressing global challenges requires strong partnerships across borders, disciplines, and sectors. Therefore, we positioned partnership not as an auxiliary activity, but as a central methodology, to ensure that fungal health research is inclusive, trans-disciplinary, and socially embedded.

Problem Identification

Problem 1 – Marginalized communities excluded Rare-disease groups such as EB families are often treated as beneficiaries, not co-creators, in scientific projects.

Problem 2 – Limited cross-sector dialogue Academic teams frequently miss the chance to partner with civil society, educators, and artists who could help transform complex science into inclusive narratives.

Our Actions and Partnerships

Solution to Problem 1 – Partnerships with Rare Disease Communities

Through our Intersectional Echoes framework, we worked closely with EB patients and families. These partnerships were bidirectional: patients shared lived experiences (treatment pain points, stigma, economic barriers), while we co-developed participatory mapping and PhotoVoice toolkits that gave their voices scientific and social visibility.

Solution to Problem 2 – Cross-sector Collaborations

Our project partnered with artists, social workers, and educators to co-create activities such as art charity fairs, the Science of Healing exhibition, and interactive toolkits. We also collaborated with Georgia Institute of Technology in the outreach education of multicellular yeast growth and the usage of yeasts in our daily life. These collaborations allowed synthetic biology to intersect with art, education, and advocacy, ensuring that knowledge circulates outside the lab and reaches wider publics.

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Long-term Positive Impacts

• Scientific: International and local iGEM partnerships enriched the design of our multicellular yeast model by situating it in a well-discussed research atmosphere
• Social: By involving EB communities as partners, not subjects, we developed sustainable practices for inclusive science
• Educational: Cross-sector collaborations produced open-access storybooks, games, and participatory toolkits that can be reused by future iGEM teams and NGOs

Stakeholders Feedback

EB families affirmed that our participatory mapping toolkit captured subtle struggles often invisible in standard surveys, validating the value of co-creation. Collaboration partners highlighted that our yeast chassis could serve both as a research tool and as an educational case, encouraging us to share documentation openly. Educators stressed that creative formats (PhotoVoice, exhibitions) enabled broader audiences to understand fungal health, shaping how we designed future outreach.

Conclusion

Our project demonstrates that fighting anti-fungal resistance requires more than science alone. It demands empathy, education, and broad cooperation. By safeguarding health, delivering education, and growing partnerships, SDG from DR.sTraTeGY embodies iGEM's responsibility to help achieve the SDGs—creating not only innovative tools but also inclusive and lasting impact. With SDGs in mind, we believe that the science community will always be endeavoring on the journey of building bridges from the lab to lives, from classrooms to communities, and from local to global.