Our project recognizes that true innovation must include those often left behind. In rural China, we partnered with elderly women farmers—the backbone of agriculture—to co-design a straw recycling system that turns waste into wages and dignity. Simultaneously, we brought hands-on synthetic biology into underserved schools, planting seeds of scientific curiosity in regions where science education is scarce. By listening to rural communities and adapting our work to their needs, we've woven inclusion into every stage of our project—proving that synthetic biology can be a powerful force for equity, education, and economic empowerment.

The Invisible Dilemma of Rural China

In the fields of Fengkai County, we met women in their sixties who form the backbone of Chinese agriculture. "My children work in big cities far away," one farmer explained. "At our age, we can't migrate for work – farming is our only option. After each harvest, we're left with straw that piles up everywhere. If we don't burn it, the piles attract pests that threaten our crops." Her words revealed a deeper truth: what appears as environmental disregard is actually survival logic born from limited choices.

Yet, across rural China, elderly women like her face what researchers term "non-income multidimensional poverty" – challenges that go beyond financial hardship to include limited healthcare access, social isolation, and digital exclusion[1]. It reflects the current status that over 1.12 billion female migrant workers form the backbone of China's agricultural and urban workforce[2]. These women, often farming well into their later years, rely on self-supported retirement with little safety net beyond what the land can provide.

Partnering with Rural Farmers

We chose to walk alongside these farmers as partners, not view them as research subjects. In Fengkai, we co-designed solutions based on their lived experience: establishing village collection points that eliminated transportation barriers and offering 15 RMB per 50 kg of straw – creating immediate economic value from what was once waste. When we asked if they'd consider working in local recycling facilities, the response was overwhelmingly positive. "Around 3,000 RMB a month would make a real difference," one woman shared, highlighting how local employment could help them stay connected to their communities while earning stable income.

A Generation Left Out of Science

In the same regions where these women farm, we discovered another form of exclusion: science education scarcity. Local primary schools often lack dedicated science programs, focusing instead on core subjects like Chinese, Math, and English. This early gap in scientific exposure creates barriers to engaging with fields like synthetic biology later in life.

This isn't isolated to one region. In rural Chongqing, studies confirm that science classes are often treated as "non-mainstream" supplementary lessons, suffering from low investment, low student engagement, and low parental expectation – a phenomenon described as the "Three Lows and Three Lacks"[3]. This gap in science education is particularly acute for a technology that 66.21% of the broader public admits they "lack understanding" of, according to a national survey on synthetic biology[4].

Planting Seeds of Scientific Curiosity

We collaborated with other iGEM teams to bring "Synbio in Daily Life" workshops to community centers, demonstrating how synthetic biology intersects with the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the warm homes we live in, and how we travel. Through hands-on activities like feeling E. coli produced fibers and observing microbes(edible lactobacillus), we made complex concepts tangible for young minds.

Building on this foundation, we brought a synthetic biology lecture to a high school in Shiyan, Hubei – reaching students in remote mountain regions who rarely encounter cutting-edge science-SynBio. These sessions weren't just lectures; they were conversations about future possibilities, potentially influencing career choices and major selections for a new generation of scientists.

Our journey has taught us that genuine inclusion starts with listening. By centering the voices of rural women, we transformed our project from a purely technical solution into a meaningful community partnership. By addressing gaps in science education, we planted seeds of curiosity that may one day grow into future scientific paths.

Through building a sustainable value chain—converting straw that grows alongside crops into high-value textile fibers—we have bridged the urban-rural divide in science access and created economic opportunities rooted in local context. In doing so, we have shown that synthetic biology can be a powerful force for connection: not only does it solve tangible problems, but it also builds meaningful bridges across generations and geographies.

[1] Zhou, Y., & Li, M. (2022). Identification and Mobility of 'Income-Oriented' Multidimensional Poverty: An Investigation Based on CFPS Survey Data from Rural Samples. Journal of Economics and Development Studies, *10*(3), 45-60. Retrieved from http://kdd.epsnet.com.cn/documentDetail?aId=1238431

[2] National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2025, April 30). Statistical Communiqué of the People's Republic of China on the 2024 National Economic and Social Development. Retrieved from https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202504/t20250430_1959523.html

[3] Wang, J. (2022, April 27). New Policy Support for Rural Revitalization. Shaanxi Science and Technology News, p. 1. Retrieved from https://szb.snkjb.com/sxkjb/20220427/html/page_01_content_001.htm

[4] Chen, X. (2023). Digital Economy Empowers Agricultural Modernization. DoNews. Retrieved May 20, 2024, from https://www.donews.com/news/detail/1/3429470.html