Collaboration
In 2025，HainanU-China conducted in-depth exploration focusing on the innovation and social value of synthetic biology, and established cooperative relationships with multiple teams. These collaborations not only provided significant support for the smooth progress of our "Epilepsy Shield" project, but also contributed practical experience to the iGEM community in fields such as popular science education, public welfare health, and cross-regional academic exchanges.
Regarding the cooperative relationships we participated in, we have always adhered to the principle of "Breaking Limitations, Expanding Boundaries, and Achieving Win-Win Outcomes for All Parties". Through collaboration with different teams, we have been able to share interdisciplinary knowledge and learn from innovative design experience and professional skills. This experience has offered new perspectives for solving problems encountered in the project—perspectives that would be difficult to achieve efficiently by our team alone.
1. SUSTech-SynBio First Exchange Conference
On May 10, 2025, our team, along with seven other teams including SUSTechOCEAN, SUSTechMed, SZU-China, NFLSHS-CHINA, and CJUH-JLU-China, participated in a meeting either online or offline. The seven teams took turns presenting content focusing on project design and the implementation of Human Practices (HP) activities. The meeting featured a lively discussion atmosphere: during the Q&A session, all participants engaged actively, conducting in-depth discussions and exchanges on topics such as experimental details, the specific significance of HP work implementation, and the division of labor for HP tasks. To mitigate the potential safety risks of engineered bacteria in the intestinal tract, we have considered a series of strategies, including the design of auxotrophic engineered bacteria, the splitting and modification of genetic elements, and physical isolation. The design of auxotrophic bacteria relies on bacterial metabolic pathways; however, the metabolic pathways of commonly used engineered bacteria have not yet been fully characterized, posing a risk of uncharacterized metabolic pathways compensating for metabolites. Additionally, the intestinal environment is complex with a rich diversity of microorganisms, so this approach was ruled out. The splitting and modification of genetic elements involve genetic engineering and are relatively complex—transferring multiple plasmids increases the metabolic burden on E. coli. In contrast, hydrogels operate on a relatively simple principle with direct effects. Therefore, this project proposes encapsulating engineered bacteria within hydrogels to form a stable physical barrier between the engineered bacteria and the external environment. This not only prevents horizontal gene transfer between the engineered bacteria and other intestinal microorganisms but also leverages the hydrogel’s adhesiveness to facilitate the colonization of engineered bacteria in the intestine.
From this meeting, we gained a key insight: to make our project beneficial to society and the world, we must conduct two-way dialogues with more people and involve more individuals in shaping the development of synthetic biology.
Probiotics typically exert their effects through the digestive system after oral administration, which includes the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum), and large intestine (cecum, colon, and rectum). During this process, the viability of probiotics faces severe challenges from the digestive system, such as gastric acid and digestive enzymes. Beyond the survival rate of probiotics in the external environment, the transit time and physiological conditions of different parts of the digestive tract also determine whether probiotics can successfully reach the colon and maintain their functional activity. Saliva contains mucins, mineral ions, and amylase. After oral administration, probiotics inevitably undergo digestion by saliva, and salivary amylase may impair their survival rate. Approximately 20 seconds after mixing with saliva, probiotics pass through the esophagus (a process taking about 10–14 seconds) and reach the stomach. Probiotics generally thrive in a neutral environment (pH ~6–7), so the high acidity of gastric juice (pH ~1–3.5) significantly impairs their activity. This is because the highly acidic conditions in the stomach lower the cytoplasmic pH of probiotics, leading to increased intracellular hydrogen ion levels and reduced glycolytic enzyme activity. Such changes affect the F1F0-ATPase proton pump, which is closely associated with the survival of probiotics under acidic conditions. Furthermore, probiotics in the stomach are exposed to mechanical churning, high ionic strength, digestive enzymes, and other potentially adverse factors, which cause inactivation or death—these are critical issues that need to be addressed for oral probiotic administration.
Hydrogels have emerged as promising targeted drug delivery systems (TDDS) due to their versatility, including pH sensitivity, biodegradability, thermosensitivity, and mucoadhesive properties. In recent years, hydrogels have been widely used in drug delivery owing to their excellent drug protection capabilities and biocompatibility, with their administration routes evolving from topical dressings and in situ injections to oral delivery. For example, Liu et al. described pharmaceutical formulations based on tough liquid-to-gel in situ forming hydrogels, which solidify directly in the stomach to protect encapsulated drugs, therapeutic enzymes, and beneficial bacteria from gastric acid degradation. Additionally, hydrogels can be used to deliver natural and synthetic cytotoxic drugs in the breast cancer microenvironment, thereby enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents for breast cancer treatment. Engineered E. coli encapsulated in hydrogels have also been employed as non-invasive diagnostic tools to assess the progression of intestinal inflammation.
Sodium alginate is a derivative of alginic acid, a natural polymer composed of β-1,4-D-mannuronic acid (designated as M units) and α-1,4-L-guluronic acid (designated as G units) linked via glycosidic bonds; its chemical structure is shown in Figure 2. The unique spatial conformation of G units endows sodium alginate with strong gelling ability, while the abundance of carboxyl groups on the uronic acid monomer units confers pH sensitivity. Due to its biocompatibility, low toxicity, relatively low cost, and mild gelation induced by the addition of divalent cations (e.g., Ca²⁺), sodium alginate has been extensively studied and applied in numerous biomedical fields.
2. The 9th South China iGEM Exchange Conference
On May 17, 2025, five members of the HainanU-China team traveled to the Lihu Campus of Shenzhen University to participate in the 9th South China iGEM Exchange Conference, hosted by the SZU-China team. A total of 22 iGEM teams from South China gathered here to attend this exchange event.
During the conference, the HainanU-China team actively engaged in interactions:
In the morning, team members carefully listened to presentations by other teams, learned from their strengths, and reflected on aspects that could be referenced for their own project.
In the afternoon, the team shared its project titled "Epilepsy Prevention and Treatment System Replacing Ketogenic Diet Therapy". In a friendly atmosphere, they accepted questions and suggestions from other teams, gaining diverse perspectives to further refine the project.
The team also carefully designed a small game related to genetic circuits, allowing participants to deepen their understanding of the project and genetic terminology while having fun. This activity also served as a platform for academic exchanges, helping the team build friendships with other teams and exchange cultural and creative gifts. Additionally, team members enthusiastically introduced their project design at their booth, receiving valuable advice from visitors. They also visited the exhibition areas of other teams, conducting in-depth discussions on game planning, project progress, and other links, and sparking creative ideas through exchanges. Furthermore, the team met other teams with similarities in their projects and proactively communicated to explore potential future cooperation opportunities.
Through this exchange conference, the HainanU-China team not only gained knowledge and experience and strengthened team cohesion but also established connections with many outstanding iGEM teams, demonstrating the spirit of collaboration and innovation. This laid a solid foundation for the development of the team’s project and for cooperative exchanges within the South China iGEM community.
From July 14 to 25, 2025, some members of HainanU-China traveled to Yunnan to jointly conduct a 12-day field internship with students from the Elite Class of Ecology at Yunnan University. Taking the opportunity of this field internship, the Hainan University iGEM Team systematically shared their project with the students of the Elite Class of Ecology at Yunnan University. They introduced the ketone body expression and regulation mechanism in the wet experiment part of the project, as well as content related to Human Practices. While clearly explaining the core ideas and technical details of the experimental design, they also gave an in-depth explanation of the construction logic, technical principles, and application scenarios of the intelligent epilepsy monitoring system.
The students from Yunnan University showed strong interest in the project, recognized its social significance in caring for epilepsy patients, and put forward specific and practical suggestions on the structure design and content layout of the PPT. Finally, they expressed the hope of continuously following the project progress in the future and working together with the Hainan University team to contribute to caring for epilepsy patients and promoting the development of related fields.
This exchange not only enabled students from the two universities to gain a deeper understanding of each other’s research directions and team concepts, but also built a bridge for future cross-field cooperation between the two universities.
4. The 12th Conference of the China iGEMer Communitye
From August 6 to 8, 2025, six members of HainanU-China traveled to the Exhibition Center of Zhongguancun National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone in Beijing to participate in the 12th iGEMer Exchange Conference (CCiC & Synbiopunk 2025). The conference gathered college students from across China with their innovative achievements, jointly creating a feast of knowledge and innovation in the field of synthetic biology.
During the three-day conference, the HainanU-China team actively participated in various core activities:
In the roadshow session, team members gave a detailed introduction to their project "Epilepsy Shield: BHBio & EEGSense", explaining the core idea of using synthetic biology to modify engineered bacteria for ketone body production, thereby replacing the ketogenic diet in epilepsy treatment. Meanwhile, they expanded their cognitive boundaries by learning about the diverse research topics and practices of other teams—covering basic science, food nutrition, disease treatment, space exploration, and other fields—which provided new perspectives for their own project.
In the afternoon, the team shared its project titled "Epilepsy Prevention and Treatment System Replacing Ketogenic Diet Therapy". In a friendly atmosphere, they accepted questions and suggestions from other teams, gaining diverse perspectives to further refine the project.
The team also carefully designed a small game related to genetic circuits, allowing participants to deepen their understanding of the project and genetic terminology while having fun. This activity also served as a platform for academic exchanges, helping the team build friendships with other teams and exchange cultural and creative gifts. Additionally, team members enthusiastically introduced their project design at their booth, receiving valuable advice from visitors. They also visited the exhibition areas of other teams, conducting in-depth discussions on game planning, project progress, and other links, and sparking creative ideas through exchanges. Furthermore, the team met other teams with similarities in their projects and proactively communicated to explore potential future cooperation opportunities.
Through this exchange conference, the HainanU-China team not only gained knowledge and experience and strengthened team cohesion but also established connections with many outstanding iGEM teams, demonstrating the spirit of collaboration and innovation. This laid a solid foundation for the development of the team’s project and for cooperative exchanges within the South China iGEM community.
This conference became an important milestone in the growth of the HainanU-China. Members improved their presentation skills through project reports, enhanced their collaboration and adaptability in cross-team communication, and deepened their understanding of the diversity of synthetic biology after learning about the innovative explorations of teams from all over the country. Additionally, they gained precious friendships and potential cooperation partners.
（1）Safety Roundtable Meeting
On the morning of August 8th during the CCiC, our team jointly organized an iGEM-related exchange meeting focusing on biosafety and ethical issues in collaboration with representatives from CSU-CHINA、NKU-China、Fudan, and other institutions.
During the meeting, we interpreted iGEM’s requirements regarding biosafety and ethics related to social practice, summarized the biosafety work experience of outstanding teams in previous years, and each team separately introduced their projects, raised ethical and biosafety concerns encountered during the competition, and worked together to resolve these issues.
(2) Human Practices (HP) Discussion Meeting
On the morning of August 8, our team also held a special discussion on "Inclusivity and Education" with teams from NKU-China, Fudan University, and HZAU-China. Each team shared the progress of their respective Human Practices (HP) initiatives. During the exchange, the teams also provided each other with feedback on the shortcomings of their HP work and suggestions for innovations. This enriched the thinking on the social value of the projects and laid a solid foundation for HP cooperation between our team and the other participating teams.
1．Joint Primary School Students' Picture Book Series by Four Universities
We have carried out innovative cooperation in the field of synthetic biology popular science education. The HainanU-China team, together with the ZQT-Nanjing, Nanjing-China, and SUCT-China-L teams, has jointly launched the picture book He Xiaocheng’s Fantastic Journey for primary school students, integrating cutting-edge synthetic biology knowledge into narratives from a child’s perspective. In the picture book, the protagonist "He Xiaocheng" passes through various stages related to synthetic biology, vividly explaining the application principles of synthetic biology in different fields. In the chapter we created, He Xiaocheng starts an adventure on the "Neuron Continent", acquires the "plasmid power", forms a team with E. coli, and introduces the plasmid carrying the BHB synthase gene into E. coli to produce the therapeutic ketone body BHB, successfully defeating the "Electric Demon" that embodies epilepsy.
From story conception to character design, we have worked closely with each team. With the joint efforts of all parties, the picture book combines scientific accuracy with fun, allowing primary school students to easily understand synthetic biology. Together, we contribute to fostering teenagers’ interest and curiosity in cutting-edge science.
2. Joint Aerobics Program by Five Universities
have collaborated in the field of public health, working together with four teams—ZQT-Nanjing, Nanjing-China, CJUH-JLU-China, and MammothEdu-South—to complete the filming of an aerobics program for colorectal cancer prevention. The collaborating team ZQT-Nanjing focused on the prevention of colorectal cancer, a highly prevalent malignant tumor. This effort was driven by the public’s lack of awareness about its risk factors: surveys show that only 20% of people know that exercise can reduce the risk of developing this cancer by 30%. With the core goal of reducing the pain and mortality caused by colorectal cancer, ZQT-Nanjing innovatively designed a 3-minute cancer-prevention aerobics routine that integrates movements from Wuqinxi (Five-Animal Frolics). Our team took the initiative to join the collaboration and jointly participated in the filming of the aerobics program. This cooperation combines traditional health preservation with modern health concepts, contributing to enhancing the public’s health awareness and reducing the risk of disease onset.
3. Cross-Regional Popular Science Live Broadcast by Three Universities
On September 12, 2025, Jiangnan-China, NEFU-China, and our team jointly hosted an online live broadcast themed "Exploring the Wonderful World of Synthetic Biology". The live broadcast lasted 90 minutes and drew a total of 12,722 viewers. Through the collaborative efforts of the three universities, the event popularized synthetic biology knowledge and showcased the achievements of iGEM projects.
During the live broadcast, the three university teams focused on three key areas: "knowledge popularization, project sharing, and interactive Q&A". Our team provided an in-depth introduction to the "epilepsy prevention and treatment system that replaces ketogenic diet therapy", supplemented details about "intelligent hydrogel encapsulation technology for enhancing the safety and colonization effect of engineered bacteria", and further refined the technical logic of the project. Additionally, the live broadcast featured a dedicated interactive Q&A segment. Addressing questions such as "What is iGEM?", "What professional background is required to participate?", "How to build a team?", and "What are the career directions in synthetic biology?", team members from the three universities offered detailed answers based on their own experiences. During the event, Jiangnan University defined iGEM as a "growth platform transforming students into innovators", conveying the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and attracting more people to join the broader iGEM community.
This joint live broadcast not only facilitated the wide dissemination of the iGEM project achievements of the three universities, helping more people understand the application potential of synthetic biology, but also strengthened the bond of inter-university collaboration, laying a foundation for future academic exchanges and project cooperation. Meanwhile, through accessible popular science content and interactive Q&A, it attracted potential followers to the iGEM community and promoted the popularization of knowledge in the field of synthetic biology
4.Joint University Initiative Launch by Four Universities
On September 13, 2025, four universities—Jilin-China、HZAU-China、NUDT-CHINA、HainanU-China—joined hands to form the iGEM 2025 Joint Team and jointly released the Joint University Initiative: "From Static Treatment to Dynamic Regulation". This initiative aims to break through the current bottlenecks in the development of precision medicine and promote the practical implementation of "dynamic precision regulation therapy" in the field of synthetic biology.
The four university teams reached a consensus on the current state of clinical medicine: while precision medicine aspires to "customize treatment plans for individuals", it is limited by three core challenges: "one-size-fits-all drug administration", "static and delayed individualized trials", and "difficulty in popularizing high-cost technologies". A single team cannot meet the technical demands across multiple fields such as synthetic biology, clinical medicine, and biomaterials. Therefore, they decided to integrate advantageous resources across universities and jointly explore solutions. We proposed a new therapeutic paradigm of "dynamic precision regulation therapy", clarifying that by constructing regulatory systems responsive to specific signals (e.g., post-translational regulation mediated by protein structures, small molecule sensing systems) and matching them with engineered cell/bacterial chassis and precision delivery technologies (e.g., vesicle anchoring, hydrogel capsules), on-demand production and release of therapeutic molecules can be achieved. This will drive the transformation of treatment models from "fixed-time, fixed-dose drug administration" to "real-time responsive drug administration".
Centered on this vision, we also issued targeted appeals to all sectors of society, including academia, the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities, the education sector, and the public and patients. Meanwhile, the four university teams, as a joint entity, made a solemn commitment: to adhere to a "patient-centered" approach, integrating clinical needs and patient demands throughout the research process; to uphold the spirit of open cooperation, promote cross-university and cross-field exchanges and collaboration, and build a cross-boundary platform; to prioritize ethics and safety, strictly abide by laws and regulations, and ensure research compliance and privacy security. We hope that through this joint initiative, we can pool the efforts of all sectors of society, break the limitations of traditional medical models, turn precision medicine from a vision into clinical practice, and contribute the strength of universities to the cause of human health.
E&C5. ICII Synthetic Biology Education and Cultural Dialogue
To promote in-depth dialogue and collaborative co-creation between synthetic biology and traditional culture across multiple universities, the Hainan University iGEM Team actively responded to the ICII (Into China, Into iGEM) educational initiative launched by NAU-CHINA, and participated in the 2025 themed exhibition and exchange event titled "A Dialogue Across Millennia: The Modern Silk Road of Synthetic Biology". Through visualized posters, interactive webpages, and open forums, the event enabled multi-university teams and the public to jointly shape the narrative of synthetic biology.
Focusing on our own project, we extracted alignments between traditional Chinese medical concepts—such as "food and medicine sharing the same origin" and "superior physicians prevent disease"—and the design principles of modern synthetic biology. These connections were systematically presented through project and team introductions, discussions on links to traditional culture, and poster designs. During the cross-university exchange session, we engaged actively through interactive sections, forum comments, and other formats. In this process, we not only showcased the cultural context behind our project but also carefully learned how other teams drew inspiration from traditional culture.
Through the open platform of ICII, our team not only clearly presented the technical highlights of the engineered bacteria therapy and intelligent monitoring system but also conveyed how Eastern wisdom—such as "reducing toxicity while enhancing efficacy" and "preventing disease"—has inspired scientific research. This effort gained attention and recognition from multiple university teams and participants. As the project webpage remains open for continuous interaction, more new participants have begun to join the discussions. This has not only achieved bidirectional knowledge flow across teams and fields but also realized the concept of "synthetic biology being shaped by more people" within the context of multi-university cooperation. URL：http://www.icii-nau.cn/
The professionalism, innovative awareness, and humanistic care demonstrated by all partners have always been the core driving force for deepening cooperation. This has not only enhanced the integrity and scientific rigor of our project, but also fully reflected the influence and resonance of collaboration in the field of synthetic biology. These cooperative practices have led us to a profound realization: the value of synthetic biology lies not only in technological breakthroughs, but more importantly in transforming scientific research achievements into a force for serving society through cross-team and cross-field cooperation.
We are deeply proud to work alongside these teams that possess both professional competence and social responsibility—their passion and support have been crucial guarantees for the breakthroughs achieved in our project. Looking ahead, we plan to continue deepening collaboration with universities and public welfare teams, and persist in exploring areas such as synthetic biology-based disease prevention and treatment, engaging popular science, and health support for special groups. We strive to contribute more to the inclusive development of the iGEM community and the social application of synthetic biology.