From Insight to Integration

Human Practice is the core driving force of our project. It not only guides how we conduct experiments but, more importantly, directs our thinking about why we conduct them. Dewey's wisdom perfectly articulates our philosophy. For us, every experiment, every exchange, every action is a live site where knowledge and experience intertwine; and every reflection, in turn, shapes and reshapes our technologies and decisions.

integrated Human Practice focuses on the dynamic interplay between practice and reflection. This process revolves around two core questions:

How are our technologies understood, applied, and shaped within real-world contexts?
How does practice itself, through continuous experience and feedback, reflectively evaluate and optimize technology during implementation?

To address these questions, we've established a framework grounded in our core belief: “Responsibility by Design.” Responsibility isn't an afterthought—it's the starting point and foundation for every technical decision.

To help you better understand our journey, we'll guide you through our core framework using these five questions:

Next, you will see how this framework unfolds step by step within our integrated Human Practice: from our philosophy and framework (Why & What), to our practice system (Who & Where & How), and finally to our journey and impact (Result).

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Interdisciplinary Students & Women Researchers

Our philosophy and framework

Responsibility by Design

“True innovation is not just about what we can do, but what we ought to do.”
——SZU-China 2025

This is our origin, and our conviction. We are committed to being responsible innovators! This is not just a guide for action, but a declaration of our founding conviction—we innovate not for its own sake, but to create genuine and beneficial value for the world.

Our journey began with observing the land beneath our feet. As students of Shenzhen University, we are located in Guangdong, a key citrus-producing region in China. Here, we have witnessed firsthand how fruit growers have long relied on traditional chemical pesticides to control citrus aphids. This practice has not only led to severe pesticide residues, ecological environmental issues, and increasing pest resistance, but has also persistently troubled the livelihoods and health of the growers themselves.

We identified a tangible "pain point": there is an urgent need for green, safe, and effective new technologies in agricultural production.

Therefore, we asked ourselves: Can we provide a better solution for our community?

But more importantly, technological innovation often comes with complex social implications.

Through reflecting on traditional innovation models, we realized that conventional approaches often treat ethical and social considerations as obstacles rather than as the core compass of innovation.

This deviation has frequently led to a triple dilemma:

The Pitfall of Technological Utopianism:Mistakenly believing that complex socio-ecological issues can be resolved through a single technological solution, while overlooking broader ethical, economic, and systemic impacts.

Loss of Social License: When innovation is imposed in a top-down manner without involving the community, it erodes trust, sparks resistance, and hinders technology adoption.

Wasted Innovation Potential:No matter how advanced technology is, if it fails to align with local contexts, legal frameworks, or cultural practices, it will remain confined to the laboratory, unable to deliver real societal benefits.

Our initial aspiration is not only to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology but, more importantly, to ensure it transitions "responsibly" from the lab to the field, genuinely benefiting every fruit farmer and every piece of land.

This aspiration gave birth to our core philosophy—"Responsibility by Design."

It is not an afterthought or an add-on regulation, but the very starting point and foundational principle of all our technological pathways. For us, "responsibility" is a proactive design principle. From the very beginning of the project, we have consistently challenged ourselves with critical questions:

How will this technology be applied, and who will be affected by it?
How can we maximize its positive impact while anticipating and mitigating potential risks?

This philosophy is not a constraint on creativity but a guiding force that leads us toward more robust, resilient, and sustainable innovation.

TDR (Tiān, Dì, Rén) Compass

"Success in any endeavor requires the alignment of Right Timing (Tiān), Earth's Advantage (Dì), and Human Unity (Rén)."
— Mengzi (Mencius), c. 300 BCE

Exploring the TDR Framework

In the process of putting the "Responsibility by Design" philosophy into practice, we faced a core challenge:

how to transform this concept into a decision-making system that is actionable, guiding, and sustained throughout the entire project.

What we needed was not just a tool to avoid the pitfalls of traditional innovation, but a strategic framework that could lead us toward truly responsible, sustainable, and value-creating innovation.

We found our answer in the ancient philosophical wisdom of China and reinterpreted it as our core strategic tool — the “Tiān–Dì–Rén (TDR) Compass”.

With our original intention set, what we needed next was a compass.Tiān–Dì–Rén teaches us that true success must follow the right timing, stay grounded in reality, and win people’s hearts.

Originating from Chinese philosophy, the concept of “Tiān Shi, Dì Lì, Rén Hé” — the right timing, favorable conditions, and human harmony — emphasizes that the success of any great endeavor relies on the synergy of three essential elements:

Aligning with the times (grasping the trends of the era), leveraging environmental advantages, and uniting people through shared understanding and purpose.

This philosophy reflects the fundamental pursuit of harmony and balance in all things within Chinese thought.

Inspired by this timeless wisdom, we have reinterpreted and modernized it, developing it into a strategic triangular framework for technological innovation. By integrating Eastern holistic thinking with modern systems theory, we have established a unique and profound theoretical foundation for our project. This framework systematically guides our innovation practices:

Aligning with trends of the times (Heaven's Timing)
Adapting to geographical and technological conditions (Earth's Advantage)
Aligning with human values and social acceptance (Human Harmony)

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Tiān Shi: Acting with the Times (Timing & Context)

Focus: External opportunities, threats, and the broader environment.
Core Question: Are we innovating at the right time and within the right context?
- Does our innovation align with the needs of the era? Do we fully understand the policy landscape? Are our directions consistent with market demands and societal expectations?
- This requires foresight, ensuring that our project moves in the right direction.
Goal: We continuously analyze policy trends, market dynamics, and historical opportunities to ensure that our work is not only possible but truly needed and appropriate.

Dì Lì: Grounding in Reality (Grounding & Feasibility)

Focus: Internal strengths, weaknesses, and technological foundations.
Core Question: Is our solution rooted in technical and ecological reality?
- Is our scientific foundation solid? Is it economically viable and environmentally sustainable? Can it be effectively implemented and scaled?
- This requires pragmatism, ensuring that our project stands on a firm foundation.
Goal: We rigorously evaluate each option’s technical feasibility, economic sustainability, and environmental impact to ensure that our solutions are practical and responsible at the systemic level.

Rén Hé: Building Harmony and Consensus (Harmony & Consensus)

Focus: Social structures, ethical considerations, and stakeholder relationships.
Core Question: Does our innovation earn social trust and foster harmony?
- Have we built inclusive and mutual relationships with users, communities, and stakeholders? Does our innovation promote fairness and justice? Are we co-creating value with society, not just for society?
- This requires empathy, ensuring that technology serves people and coexists with social values.
Goal: We build sincere relationships with stakeholders, co-design with communities and for communities, ensuring that our technology serves humanity and strengthens social bonds — not disrupts them.

It's more than just a concept, it's a guiding compass

This compass ensures that “Responsibility by Design” is no longer just a checklist, but a shared language integrated into discussions, decisions, and the entire design process.

Serving as a dynamic decision hub, it guides the project throughout its entire lifecycle:

It ensures that every critical decision we make withstands the comprehensive scrutiny of " the right timing (Tiān), favorable conditions (Dì), and human harmony (Rén)," thereby systematically embodying "Responsibility as Innovation."

Ultimately, in the "Our Journey and Impact" section, we will demonstrate the concrete actions taken to achieve our goals and evaluate whether these actions have truly fulfilled the objectives guided by our TDR Compass.

So, how exactly does this compass guide our actions? In the following section, you will see how we apply this framework to analyze the entire ecosystem and initiate crucial dialogues with the world.

Our Practice System

In this section, we reflect on the methodology that our team has progressively developed and refined over the past year, with the aim of providing a reference for future iGEM teams in their Human Practices.

How We Strategized: Stakeholder Landscape Analysis

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” — Peter Drucker

To understand the right timing (Tiān) and favorable conditions (Dì), we must first see the bigger picture. Why start here? Every innovation emerges within a complex ecosystem. Through a four-tier panoramic analysis, we identified key actors and influential forces. Combined with the Mendelow Power-Interest Matrix, we categorized and prioritized stakeholders, providing a comprehensive action guide for subsequent strategy development.

We unfolded the map and marked the key roles in the ecosystem. Who is relevant to us? Who matters most? Who must we prioritize engaging with? This is the world we must confront.

From Micro to Macro

In our integrated Human Practice practice, stakeholder analysis goes beyond merely identifying groups affected by the technology. It aims to understand how technology truly embeds itself into the social fabric—who will perceive it, who will influence it, and who will be transformed by it. To address these questions, we moved beyond simple list-making and adopted an in-depth sociological and anthropological analytical approach. This method systematically maps the project's ecosystem from micro-level experiences to macro-level cultural narratives.

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This four-tier panoramic analysis allows us to comprehensively outline the distribution and relationships of stakeholders, from individual experiences to broader cultural significance. The resulting map not only helps us identify key actors in our project journey but also guides the precise allocation of resources, the design of dialogues, and the formulation of action strategies.

Precision Resource Input

Based on this foundation, we further applied Mendelow's Power-Interest Matrix to categorize these actors into:

Key Players (High Power – High Interest): Deeply participate in project design and decision-making;
Keep Satisfied (High Power – Low Interest): Address concerns to avoid resistance;
Keep Informed (Low Power – High Interest): Maintain support through update and feedback mechanisms;
Minimal Effort (Low Power – Low Interest): Pay moderate attention and intervene only when necessary.

How We Engaged: The Structured LEARN Protocol

How do we achieve true Human Harmony? We go beyond simple "listening" and employ the LEARN protocol (Listen, Explore, Analyze, Reframe, Navigate) to co-create with all parties, transforming dialogue into consensus and challenges into drivers of innovation.

With the map in hand, we set out to engage. LEARN helps us not only to listen but also to challenge and renew ourselves through these exchanges.

In our Human Practices, we realized that merely "gathering feedback" is insufficient to drive genuine social co-creation. Inspired by the concept of Double-loop Learning (Argyris, 1977) in organizational learning theory, we pioneered the five-step LEARN methodology: Listen, Explore, Analyze, Reframe, Navigate.

Unlike single-loop feedback mechanisms, LEARN not only guides us in how to act (How) but also prompts us to reflect on why we are acting (Why).

In single-loop learning, organizations typically only adjust their methods within the existing framework.

In double-loop learning, we go further by questioning whether the objectives and design themselves are justified.

Through the LEARN protocol, we translate this reflection into actionable steps, creating a genuine innovation cycle of "dialogue → reflection → reframing → action."

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How We Integrated: From SWOT to Tiān-Dì-Rén Strategy

Information poured in like a tidal wave. By organizing it through SWOT analysis and filtering it using the TDR Compass, the chaotic fragments gradually formed a clear path.

Identifying the Project's SWOT Elements

First, like any entrepreneurial team, we conducted a standard SWOT analysis of our project's internal and external environment, listing initial strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Want to learn more about our SWOT analysis? Click here to visit the Entrepreneurship page →

From Identification to Action

We integrated the SWOT analysis into our TDR Compass, transforming each strength, weakness, opportunity, and challenge into specific research and action topics, guiding us to engage in deep dialogue with the real world.

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Aligning with Tiān Shi: Positioning within Trends and Regulations

Core Concern: Does our project align with future development directions? How do we navigate an uncertain policy environment?
Our Practice:

To confirm technology trends and cost reductions (O1, O2, O3), we attended the Nanjing Synthetic Biology Industry Expo and engaged with companies like GenScript, which strengthened our confidence in focusing on RNAi technology.
Facing challenges from incomplete regulations (T1), we did not stop at identifying risks. Instead, we proactively consulted pesticide registration expert Ning Xie and Dr. Yuhan Baoand conducted an in-depth comparative law study, ultimately producing the Analysis of China's RNA Pesticide Regulations and the China's RNA Pesticide Industry Development Blue Book providing frontline academic references for future regulation.

Grounding in Dì Lì: Validating and Optimizing in Real-World Scenarios

Core Concern: Is our solution effective and feasible in real application contexts?
Our Practice:

To turn the advantage of “collaborative resources (S3)” into practical impact and systematically address the core bottleneck of “lack of natural validation (W2),” we established solid partnerships with the Citrus Research Institute of China and Longhua Bio-Industry Innovation Institute. Under strict adherence to iGEM biosafety guidelines and relevant Chinese regulations, we plan, when conditions permit, to systematically assess the environmental behavior and stability of dsRNA formulations using their standardized experimental fields and controlled environment facilities in the project’s subsequent stages.
Through ongoing communication with the Agricultural and Rural Service Center and spray service companies, we found that a narrow range of effect (W1) is viewed in practice as “precision” rather than a flaw. This field insight prompted us to focus on optimizing citrus aphid control and integrating it with existing management strategies, rather than blindly expanding target pests.

Fostering Rén Hé: Building Trust and Consensus through Dialogue

Core Concern: Is our work understood and accepted? Are we creating shared value for society?
Our Practice:

We treated insufficient public education and outreach (T2) as a problem that must be solved through dialogue. To address this, we organized year-round science outreach, from classrooms at Taiziwan Primary School and Shenshan Cooperation Zone Central Primary School to booths at Pingshan Community and our campus, transforming RNAi science into engaging stories and experiments to build social trust.
We fully leveraged direct user feedback channels (S4) by inviting fruit growers and distributors to participate in discussions on formulation and application methods, optimizing product design. Their demand fo “ease of use and timely alerts” was transformed into the CitrusShield smart monitoring platform: monitoring pest signals via sensor networks and pushing alerts through a WeChat mini-program. This digital tool provides a key solution to the challenge of insufficient technology adoption (T3).

Roadmap Planning

The strategic thinking of Heaven's Timing, Earth's Advantage, and Human Harmony has been translated into a clear roadmap. With time as the axis, we have phased and parallelized research, development, social dialogue, and entrepreneurial initiatives, forming a dynamic chain that integrates scientific exploration, societal engagement, and industrial application.

How We Iterated: The KNOT Cycle Engine

How do we ensure the framework remains effective? Through the KNOT loop — Knit, Navigate, Operate, Tie — we embed learning and iteration into every stage of the project lifecycle, ensuring that our innovation stays aligned with a constantly changing world.

We activate the engine. The KNOT cycle enables us to weave relationships, navigate direction, execute plans, and continuously gather feedback throughout implementation.

To ensure that our responsible innovation is not a one-time activity but a continuously evolving and dynamically adaptive process, we introduced the KNOT loop as our core execution engine.

Imagine you’re holding a rope and start weaving a Chinese knot: the first loop passes through, the second loops back, and each interweaving continues from the previous loop while leaving room for the next. The pattern grows increasingly complex, and the rope seems to have no true end. Each knot is both an extension of the one before it and the starting point for the next.

In our project, we use the Chinese knot as a metaphor for the decision-making cycle: each action, observation, and reflection is like a strand of rope interweaving, forming a continuously iterating loop. This emphasizes the continuity and flexibility of the process — it is not a simple linear sequence, but a dynamic system that absorbs feedback, constantly optimizes, and interacts with both the environment and stakeholders.

Loop to Loop

The end of one knot is the starting point of the next.

In our project, each cycle deepens understanding, refines design, and strengthens action.

From “problem → reflection → practice → review” and onward, the project grows continuously through iterative loops, each connected to the next.

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Each cycle is arranged according to project decision-making and iteration logic: the outcomes of one loop trigger the actions of the next, rather than following a simple chronological order.

In the "Our Journey and Impact" chapter, you can see our complete storyline! There, every key iteration, dialogue, and decision-making moment is recorded in detail.

Our Journey and Impact

Our journey has been recorded one by one. From conversations to decisions, from iterations to breakthroughs, every moment has left its mark. The timeline is our logbook, and it is also the evidence that we have truly undertaken this journey.

Timeline: The Story of Us

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Time Axis

Main storyline

From a Single Bag of Sugar Oranges

In southern China, Shatangju (Citrus reticulata 'Shiyue Ju' , a sweet, seedless orange) is an important fruit crop in winter, and its yield and price directly affect the income of local farmers. During the Spring Festival, the price of Shatangju fluctuates significantly, which has attracted our attention. By reviewing literature, we learned that summer and autumn are the peak periods for citrus aphids. These pests feed on citrus flowers and leaves and transmit viruses, which not only affect the growth of citrus plants but also lead to reduced fruit yield. The decline in winter yield further causes price fluctuations, suggesting that the pest infestation may be an overlooked key factor behind the industry's volatility.

Learn more in the "Description" section →

Choosing Among Possibilities

On February 22, 2025, we participated in the 4th iGEM Community Day. During the event, we not only learned a great deal of knowledge related to iGEM project operation and Human Practices but also realized that Human Practices play an irreplaceable and vital role in the overall design of a project and its social impact. The idea of establishing our own Human Practices framework emerged spontaneously; however, we also clearly recognized that our understanding of the citrus industry chain and the actual harm caused by aphids was still quite limited.

Thus, on February 24, we had a conversation with Zejia Wei , this year’s iGEM Asia-Pacific Ambassador. She advised us to conduct on-site research first to understand practical problems and user needs, thereby making the Human Practices framework more in line with reality.

To verify the universality of the aphid problem, we relied on the school’s "Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand Project" initiative and went to Shanwei, a major citrus-producing area in Guangdong Province, for research on March 9. When we saw the withered leaves and clusters of aphids in the orchards, we truly felt the pressure that pest infestations bring to fruit farmers. Through discussions with the base manager and several fruit farmers, we learned that chemical pesticides are costly and lead to severe pesticide resistance, while biological control methods take effect slowly and are difficult to cope with the rapid reproduction of aphids. This prompted us to think: Is it possible to find a pest control method that is both safe and efficient?

Subsequently, we visited the Ketang Town Agricultural and Rural Service Center and had a discussion with Director Xuehui Wu . Director Wu introduced the current situation of local disease and pest control and mentioned that the state has relevant policy support for biopesticide-based control. This led us to begin considering biological control as a feasible direction.

After returning to the laboratory, we conducted literature research and consulted Professor Beixin Mo , while comparing various control methods. Through discussions, we recognized the advantages of RNAi technology in terms of precision, safety, and ecological friendliness. This enabled the team to reach a basic consensus: RNA-based pesticides might serve as a breakthrough to solve the problem.

On March 29, we attended the Nanjing Synthetic Biology Industry Expo to gain a deeper understanding of the industrial development of RNAi-based pesticides. Through exchanges with enterprises and experts, we obtained practical information regarding production methods, costs, and market promotion. We also learned about the practices and potential of Zhishengyougu Company in the field of RNA-based biopesticides, which gave us a clearer understanding of future application prospects and entrepreneurial directions. This experience sparked our interest in entrepreneurship and inspired us to explore related ideas. At the same time, we realized that the relevant domestic regulations are still incomplete. This prompted us to decide to conduct further research on legal policies to ensure that the technology can be implemented feasibly and in compliance with regulations.

On March 30, we attended the Human Practice Salon of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where we shared our project with other teams and received positive feedback. Finally, at the full-team meeting held on March 31, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of multiple alternative projects and unanimously decided to take "citrus aphid control" as our final project.

Visiting Direct Stakeholders

Survey of Individual Growers and Small-Scale Agricultural Supply Stores – April 5, 2025, Taohe Town, Haifeng County, Shanwei City, Guangdong Province

We visited Mr. Jinggui Liu, an individual citrus grower, in Taohe Town. He manages a citrus orchard covering approximately 15 mu .The survey showed that pest outbreaks are sudden and difficult to completely eradicate. Each year, the grower invests over 20,000 RMB in pesticides and fertilizers, yet the orchard’s yield still shows a declining trend. Meanwhile, we observed that when spraying pesticides, Mr. Liu only wears a hat and a mask, with no other protective measures in place. He also told us that he is not familiar with pesticide proportioning himself and mainly relies on guidance from the owner of the local agricultural supply store.

Mr. Chen, the owner of a local agricultural supply store, mentioned that small-scale farmers mainly rely on recommendations from agricultural supply stores when choosing pesticides, focusing on price and effectiveness. They generally use manual spraying with only simple protective measures.Based on this, we realized that when designing new RNA-based pesticides, we must balance low cost and high cost-effectiveness, ensure that the application method is compatible with existing operational habits, and at the same time extend the pest control period and reduce pesticide residues—only then can we improve farmers’ acceptance.

This survey made us realize that education on safe pesticide application and scientific pest control is equally important. In addition to developing low-cost, cost-effective RNA-based pesticides, we also hope to help farmers deal with pests more safely and efficiently during use through science popularization.

At the same time, we also found that there is a clear disconnect between pesticide Research and Development and field needs. Many farmers lack the ability to identify diseases and pests and can only rely on experience or others’ advice. This prompted us to start thinking about how to build a bridge between technology and users—by developing pest identification and decision-support tools to help farmers identify and address pests more scientifically.

In response to the regularity and suddenness of aphid outbreaks, we decided to build a model based on survey data to analyze the conditions and timing of aphid outbreaks , thereby optimizing the timing of pesticide application and pest control strategies. The modeling work provides data support for subsequent product design and promotion, making the use of RNA-based pesticides more targeted and efficient, and also enhancing the operability and reliability of the technology in real field environments.

Survey of Deep Processing Enterprises – April 12, 2025

We visited local citrus deep processing enterprises and learned that the quality of raw materials directly affects processing quality and costs. Mr. He, the enterprise manager, pointed out that poor raw material quality leads to reduced processing quality and increased usage of additives; meanwhile, excessive pesticide residues require additional processing steps, which further drive up costs.Based on this feedback, we realized that the application of RNA-based pesticides not only affects field yield but also directly relates to the efficiency of subsequent processing links and product safety.

Therefore, we have decided to place greater emphasis on pesticide residue control and the stability of pest control efficacy in our project design, so as to ensure that citrus meets quality requirements when entering the deep processing stage.Furthermore, the enterprises’ focus on the stability of raw materials has also inspired us to consider orchard management and harvest cycles in our modeling and pesticide application strategies. This enables us to achieve overall optimization from the field to the processing stage, ensuring the implementability and application value of the technology across the entire industrial chain.

Survey of Agricultural Cooperatives – April 19, 2025

We visited Suili Agricultural Professional Cooperative in Shanwei City to gain a deeper understanding of the cooperative’s operation model and its role in agricultural production. The survey showed that as an important form of China’s agricultural collective economy, the cooperative achieves cost control and policy implementation at the grassroots level by organizing collective procurement, standardizing unified pesticide application, and sharing risks. We realized that any new pesticide technology would be difficult to achieve practical application among large-scale farmers if it cannot be promoted through cooperatives.

We learned that the problems of "worm-eaten fruits" and pesticide residues caused by traditional chemical pesticides have limited the market value of citrus. If these issues can be resolved, the selling price of citrus will increase significantly. This feedback prompted us to take reducing pesticide residues and improving crop quality as key goals in our project design.

Regarding the product form, we collected the following feedback: The first-generation bead form lacked flexibility, making it difficult to adapt to citrus orchards of different scales and various pesticide application equipment; its price was still relatively high for farmers hoping to reduce plant protection costs; during storage, it was prone to aging or sticking due to the influence of temperature and humidity, which reduced RNA activity and affected the pesticide application effect. Based on these problems, we iterated the product into a solution form containing RNAi components to improve the flexibility of application and product stability.

Through this survey, we recognized that product design must balance technical operability, economy, and practical implementability, while taking into account the management and usage habits of cooperatives and farmers. This will enhance the promotion and application effect of the new RNA-based pesticides across the entire industrial chain.

Survey of Enterprises – May 4, 2025

We visited Shanwei Fengze High-Tech Agricultural Company, Limited. (Chikeng Town) and held discussions with Guo Xu , the company’s person in charge, and Jiantao Wei , a First-Class Section Member of the Public Service Office of Chikeng Town, Haifeng County.The survey showed that large-scale citrus-growing enterprises usually entrust pest and disease control to professional spraying service companies, improving efficiency through specialized operations and unified management. Meanwhile, Section Member Wei mentioned that local governments have support policies for green agriculture and eco-friendly pest and disease control, including promotion guidance and financial subsidies for the application of biopesticides, encouraging enterprises to adopt low-pesticide-residue and sustainable control methods. This policy context provides a more favorable environment for the application of RNA-based pesticides in large enterprises and also offers support for the promotion and demonstration of our technology.

Guo Xu told us that as direct large-scale users, enterprises have strict requirements for product quality, price, and after-sales service. This feedback from enterprises made us realize that products must maintain stability and operability in large-scale application scenarios, and that professional guidance and support should be provided during the promotion and trial phases.

In addition, we recognized that cooperation with large-scale planting bases allows direct access to feedback data, which is of great significance for optimizing product performance, adjusting pesticide application plans, and guiding subsequent promotion strategies. This survey prompted us to consider the differences in needs among users of different scales in our project design, so as to ensure the implementability and sustainability of RNA-based pesticides in multi-level production environments.

Survey of Professional Spraying Service Companies – May 10, 2025

We visited DJI and Shanwei Tianwei Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., aiming to gain an in-depth understanding of the practical application of professional spraying services and large-scale management. The survey showed that approximately 50% to 60% of planting areas in the current South China production region use drones for pesticide spraying , which places higher requirements on the fluidity and dispersibility of pesticide formulations.

We realized that in the context of drone pesticide application, the product must maintain uniform dispersion, be easy to spray, and be able to release active ingredients stably across different equipment and operating environments.The feedback from enterprises prompted us to place greater emphasis on fluidity, stability, and application compatibility in the formulation design and optimization of our RNA-based pesticide. This ensures that the technology can adapt to large-scale, mechanized production models and enhances the operability and promotion value in practical applications.

Survey of Large-Scale Pesticide Suppliers – May 11, 2025

We conducted a survey at the Shanwei Pesticide Procurement Center and held discussions with Mr. Wang, who is responsible for the unified distribution of pesticides and pesticide application consulting.We found that such suppliers focus more on the cost-effectiveness of new pesticides and have well-established distribution networks, with relatively stable channels for product sales and application. Additionally, they emphasized that customers will only accept new products if they can see tangible results.

From this, we realized that when promoting the new RNA-based pesticides in the project, we not only need to optimize the pesticide efficacy and price, but also must provide clear application demonstrations and efficacy verification to enhance the trust and acceptance of downstream customers.This insight prompted us to add visual efficacy evaluation and on-site demonstration sessions to our subsequent experimental design and promotion plans, ensuring that the technology promotion can be effectively implemented and gain market recognition.

Survey of Fresh Fruit Purchasers – May 16, 2025

We conducted an on-site visit to the largest local fresh fruit purchaser and held a discussion with Mr. Lisheng Chen , the purchasing supervisor.The survey showed that the pest problems encountered by farmers and cooperatives in the field directly affect the quality and yield of citrus fruits. If the pesticide residues in citrus exceed the standard or the fruit appearance is poor, the products will be unable to enter large-scale supermarkets or export markets, resulting in a significant decline in profits.

This finding made us realize that aphid control is not only related to the production e fficiency of individual farmers, but also a key link in the entire industrial chain —especially for market competitiveness and foreign trade.Based on this, we clearly defined the core goal of the project: to develop an RNA-based pesticide that can not only kill pests efficiently but also maintain low pesticide residues. This will improve citrus quality and yield, increase farmers’ income, and at the same time enhance the overall added value of the industrial chain.The results of this survey prompted us to focus on balancing field pest control with the needs of the industrial chain in subsequent product iterations and market promotion strategies, ensuring the sustainability of technology implementation.

Turning Ideas into Evidence

Model Construction – April 13 to May 2, 2025

We completed the construction of the entire modeling framework and finished the development of Model 1 on May 2. The model shows that aphids have distinct growth periods and outbreak periods. This finding provides a scientific basis for our subsequent RNA-based pesticide application strategies, enabling the team to optimize the timing of pesticide deployment according to the pest development cycle. This not only improves the pest control effect but also reduces the amount of pesticide used, thereby better meeting farmers’ needs for low cost, high cost-effectiveness, and an extended pest control period.

Pest Control Strategy Decision – Trunk Injection and Metarhizium Spraying

Through field surveys conducted from April to May, we obtained several key findings from multi-level investigations covering Taohe Town, small-scale farmers, cooperatives, and large enterprises. First, aphids have distinct growth and outbreak periods; pest outbreaks are sudden and difficult to completely eradicate, and farmers are highly sensitive to the efficacy and cost of pesticides (Mr. Jinggui Liu). Second, farmers mainly rely on manual spraying for pesticide application. With poor protective equipment—pesticides are applied frequently but with limited effectiveness; cooperatives and large enterprises emphasize unified standards and risk-sharing , yet still depend on standardized, easy-to-operate pesticide application methods (Suili Agricultural Cooperative, Fengze High-Tech Agricultural Co., Ltd.). The surveys also revealed that drone-based pesticide spraying has been promoted in some areas, but it has higher requirements for the fluidity and dispersibility of pesticides (DJI, Tianwei Technology). Additionally, deep processing enterprises and fresh fruit purchasers pointed out that fruit quality and pesticide residue levels directly affect citrus selling prices and market access, which underscores the importance of low pesticide residues and precise pest control.

Based on the above findings and multiple meeting discussions, we decided to adopt a combined strategy of trunk injection and Metarhizium spraying in the project: Trunk injection can act directly on the interior of citrus trees during the aphid growth period, improving the precision and durability of pesticide efficacy , and meeting farmers’ needs for low pesticide residues and an extended pest control period; Metarhizium spraying is suitable for the outbreak period, balancing large-area coverage and ecological safety while reducing the use of chemical pesticides. Combined with the pest detection module , we can monitor the quantity and distribution of aphids in real time, making the timing and dosage of pesticide application more scientific and controllable. This not only improves pest control effectiveness and optimizes costs but also ensures the operability of the new RNA-based pesticides in real-world production environments.

Iterating Towards the Field

Throughout the project advancement process, we continuously optimized the product form, RNAi technology, and application strategies based on ongoing field surveys and feedback from the industrial chain, gradually aligning the design with the needs of actual production environments.

Product Form Iteration

In the early stage of product design, inspired by the bead product developed by the 2023 iGEM SZU team, we conceived the idea of encapsulating RNA into beads. We aimed to use this "protective shell" to maintain RNA stability during transportation, while also adapting to mechanized operations to save labor costs. On April 19, after presenting this concept to Suili Agricultural Cooperative, Xiaojun Liu , the person in charge, provided feedback pointing out limitations of the beads in application flexibility, storage stability, and cost— they struggled to meet the needs of citrus orchards of different scales and existing pesticide application equipment. This made us realize that theoretical advantages do not equate to practical applicability.

Subsequently, through surveys at Fengze High-Tech Agricultural Co., Ltd. and Shanwei Tianwei Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd., we found that farmers and professional spraying service companies preferred directly sprayable formulations. The solution form allows for easy concentration adjustment, adapts to mechanical spraying, and can be mixed with other pesticides. Based on this insight, we iterated the product into a solution form to improve application convenience.

However, during our survey at the Chaozhou Railway Freight Yard, we learned that the transportation of solutions requires cold chain support, which incurs high costs and limits promotion to a certain extent. Later, a survey at Lihong Agricultural Materials Business Department in Jinshi Town, Chaozhou, revealed that the best-selling pesticides on the market are mostly in dry powder form. Synthesizing feedback from all parties, on June 21 at the Chaozhou Agricultural Science and Technology Development Center, we presented the dry powder formulation to Director Liao of the Agricultural Science Institute, who expressed approval of this solution. Finally, we finalized the product as a dry powder form, which balances application convenience, cost controllability, and storage stability, making it more suitable for the diverse needs of small-scale farmers and cooperatives.

Iteration of RNAi Technology

In the early stage of the project, through field surveys and communications with farmers and cooperatives, we identified three key concerns of farmers in citrus aphid control: whether the pesticide efficacy is stable, whether costs are controllable, and whether operation is convenient.

In the first round of single-target dsRNA design, we selected three key target genes—CHS, CYP450, and CP19—and conducted in vitro plant experiments. However, the results showed that the mortality rate induced by single-target dsRNA was only about 30%. Upon learning that Ruoyu Chen had worked on an RNAi-related project in 2023, we contacted her. During discussions with Dr. Ruoyu Chen , we learned that the synergistic effect of multiple targets could break through the bottleneck of single-gene silencing efficiency. Inspired by this insight, we proposed dual-fusion and triple-fusion dsRNA design schemes.

In subsequent experiments, we found that naked dsRNA was easily degraded by environmental RNases. In early August, through communications with expert Xuedong Liu from the Citrus Research Institute, we learned that the stability of RNA could be improved by using multi-tandem shRNA or MS2 virus-like particles (VLP). We decided to simultaneously explore two optimization paths: "enhancing RNA stability via multi-tandem RNA" and "protecting RNA with MS2 virus-like particles (VLPs)".

On August 7, we presented the VLP-related design to Yan Huang and Chen Ruiyue, experts in the virology field. Yan Huang affirmed our approach but pointed out that the nucleic acid encapsulated by MS2 would form endosomes after being phagocytosed, and VLPs had weak endosomal escape capability. Chen Ruiyue reminded us that unmodified VLP-RNAi was randomly distributed in aphids, and most RNAi molecules could hardly be effectively taken up. Therefore, after reviewing relevant literature, we decided to add a cell-penetrating peptide (TAT) to the VLP surface—a modification approved by our senior colleague and also incorporated an aphid-targeting peptide (GBP3.1). Finally, we combined VLPs with the penetrating peptide and targeting peptide, which not only improved the delivery efficiency of RNA in aphids but also ensured ecological safety, achieving a balance between high efficiency and safety.

Although multi-tandem shRNA and VLP technologies have improved stability and targeting, their effectiveness remains limited. When Chuming Chen , the team leader of hubu-china2024, visited Shenzhen University last year, he pointed out that shRNA might not be efficiently processed by the endogenous RNAi proteins of certain insects. Inspired by this insight, we reviewed relevant literature and referred to his experience, then decided to adopt artificial amiRNA. Through screening in the miRBase database, we ultimately selected the aphid endogenous api-mir-71 and api-mir-3017a as backbones. Their seed sequences perfectly match those of CHS and CYP450, and their GC content is moderate, balancing high efficiency and stability. Combining previous survey findings and experimental data, amiRNA was established as the core strategy, achieving an aphid mortality rate of 60.2% while ensuring molecular stability—better aligning with the practical needs of field application.

Optimization of Application Strategy

Through continuous field surveys and communications with farmers, cooperatives, and large enterprises, we gradually refined the application strategy for the RNA-based pesticide. During the survey in Taohe Town on April 5, Mr. Jinggui Liu mentioned that aphid outbreaks are sudden, and small-scale farmers usually rely on manual spraying with poor protective equipment. This made us realize that the product needs to have efficient and long-lasting protective capabilities. After communicating with Xiaojun Liu , the person in charge of the cooperative, on April 19, we recognized that collective pesticide application and unified standards are crucial for large-scale management; meanwhile, cooperatives also focus on cost and operational convenience. This prompted the team to ensure that the designed application plan can accommodate application scenarios of different scales.

Combined with the results of Model 1 completed on May 2, we identified two key stages of aphids: the incubation period and the outbreak period. Survey feedback indicated that aphids during the incubation period are difficult to detect with conventional spraying, while the outbreak period requires rapid coverage of large-scale planting areas. Synthesizing this information, we proposed a staged prevention and control strategy of "trunk injection during the incubation period + spraying during the outbreak period": During the incubation period, RNAi is delivered into the interior of plants via trunk injection to achieve early intervention and reduce the growth of aphid populations; during the outbreak period, RNAi complexes are sprayed onto leaf surfaces (combined with drone or manual spraying) to quickly suppress a large number of adult aphids. This strategy addresses farmers’ demands for stable efficacy and operational convenience, while also meeting the large-scale management needs of cooperatives and enterprises, providing a feasible path for the on-site implementation of the technology.

In addition, we plan to integrate a pest detection module to achieve real-time monitoring and intelligent application decision-making, making the strategy more scientific and operable.

Beyond Science, Into Society

Policy and Regulation Research

During the project implementation, we realized that scientific R&D alone is not sufficient to ensure technology implementation; social perception, policies and regulations, and consumer demands are also key factors. When participating in the Nanjing Synthetic Biology Industry Expo on March 29, we found that domestic regulations related to RNA-based pesticides were still incomplete. This made the team recognize that technology design must take both compliance and future market access conditionsinto account.

Subsequently, on June 13, we consulted Ning Xie , an expert from the Pesticide Registration Review Committee, and clarified that pesticide registration is a prerequisite for product launch—a point that directly influenced our decisions in formulation optimization and experimental program design. At the same time, we began compiling Analysis of China's RNA Pesticide Regulations to sort out the existing regulatory framework.

Through background research, we learned that SZU-China had compiled the Proposal for China’s RNA Pesticide Industry Standards in 2023; however, no RNA-based pesticides had been launched in any country at that time. This year, several RNA-based pesticide products have been successfully launched, and we aim to build on this progress. Therefore, we took the opportunity of the CCiC to communicate with Dr. Yuhan Bao, hoping to obtain more specific suggestions.Dr. Bao reminded us that we should not only analyze considerations at the scientific level but also pay greater attention to decisions at the social level—namely, the costs and risks that different stakeholders are willing to bear. Our conversation with Dr. Bao was highly insightful! It made us realize that we need to consider the conditions for technology implementation from a more macroscopic perspective.

Based on previous research, expert consultations, and social insights, we finally decided to compile China's RNA Pesticide Industry Development Blue Book: Analysis of International RNA Pesticide Regulations and Reflections Based on China's National Conditions. This book will not only provide policy references for the project but also aim to offer decision-making guidance for the sustainable development of the industry.

Public Perception and Science Popularization Practices

Meanwhile, we distributed questionnaires to gain a deeper understanding of the public’s and consumers’ attitudes toward biopesticides. The "Deep Blue Charity Sale" on April 26 helped us recognize the level of attention consumers pay to "low-pesticide-residue" products, which led the team to consider both safety and acceptability when designing RNAi products.On May 21, June 8, and July 27, we carried out science popularization education activities at Taiziwan Primary School, Shenshan Cooperation Zone Central Primary School, and Pingshan Community respectively. Through face-to-face interactions, we collected the public’s perceptions and concerns about synthetic biology technology, organized the social feedback, and used this to optimize our information dissemination strategy. On September 1, we participated in the collaborative compilation of the popular science manual Dispelling Myths About Synthetic Biology . Through more systematic science communication, we aimed to enhance the public’s understanding of synthetic biology technology and further create social recognition for the implementation of the project.

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Farmer Training and Usage Habits

During the survey in Taohe Town on April 5, we observed that Mr. Jinggui Liu, a farmer, only wore a hat and a mask when applying pesticides. He was not familiar with pesticide mixing ratios and mainly relied on guidance from the agricultural supplies store owner. Mr. Chen, the owner of the agricultural supplies store, pointed out that small-scale farmers mainly focus on price and efficacy when choosing pesticides, and lack systematic awareness of safe and scientific pesticide application.

In the early stage of the project, we attempted to popularize knowledge about pesticide safety and scientific application through offline lectures and agricultural seminars. However, Liu Xiaojun, the person in charge of Suili Agricultural Cooperative, told us that many farmers could hardly attend offline training due to busy farming schedules or long distances, and the coverage of traditional lecture models was limited. On May 4, during a communication with Guo Xu , the person in charge of Fengze High-Tech Agricultural Co., Ltd., we learned that farmers generally stated that their main channels for obtaining pesticide information were phone recommendations from pesticide suppliers or short video platforms (such as Douyin/TikTok).

Therefore, we produced Douyin short videos, using plain language to explain pest issues to farmers. At the same time, we designed a farmer pesticide usage manual to help farmers systematically understand the application process. However, during the follow-up visit to individual growers on September 6, Aunt Guifang Zhang , a farmer, provided feedback indicating that the manual content was too professional and text-dense, making it difficult to understand. Based on this, we further optimized the manual: we visualized the content, contextualized it, and presented it step-by-step, converting complex concepts into intuitive operation guidelines to help farmers of different age groups quickly grasp the information.

Supporting storyline

Appendix: Additional Threads (Further Reading)

Software Development Details: Pest Identification App, RNA Design Assistant Tool.

Lab Stories & Failure Log: Repeated failures in dsRNA synthesis, team sought support from domestic and international resources.

Extended Modeling: Incorporated temperature and humidity parameters from different regions to enhance prediction accuracy.

Entrepreneurship: See Entrepreneurship's Daily Book.

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Impact Assessment

We return to the starting point and raise the compass once more. But this time, it is to assess the results.

Revisiting the TDR Compass

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Tiān Shi: Acting with the Times (Timing & Context)

From the dimension of Tiān Shi (Acting with the Times), we assess whether the project aligns with the policy environment, market trends, and historical opportunities.

First, regarding the policy environment, by compiling Analysis of China’s RNA-Based Pesticide Regulations and International RNA Pesticide Regulations Blue Book, we systematically organized relevant domestic and international regulations as well as policy orientations. This provided a law-abiding and compliant roadmap reference for the R&D and application of RNA-based pesticides, ensuring the project’s implementation does not cross policy red lines.

In terms of market trends, we gained a comprehensive grasp of the actual demand for green pest control methods in the citrus industrial chain through farmer surveys (covering cooperatives in Shanwei, Taohe Town, and Raoping County), visits to deep-processing enterprises, communications with fresh fruit purchasers, and retail market research. This verified the potential application value of RNAi technology in the real market.

Finally, by sorting out domestic and international RNA-based pesticide development cases and the experience of alternative projects selected during the iGEM Community Day, we learned about the paths of successful practices and potential challenges. This provided historical references for our project design, ensuring our innovation not only meets current needs but also possesses forward-looking prospects.

Dì Lì: Grounding in Reality (Grounding & Feasibility)

The Dì Lì (Grounding in Reality) dimension focuses on the internal technical foundation and implementability.

In terms of technical foundation, we gradually consolidated scientific support through multiple rounds of experiments and technical communications: from the aphid rearing experiment (launched on May 11) to the four-generation RNAi in-vivo aphid experiments (completed on October 3), each step verified the feasibility of RNAi technology in aphid control. Meanwhile, technical exchanges with institutions such as GenScript Biotech Corporation, the Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, and the Chaozhou Agricultural Science and Technology Development Center provided professional support for the experiments, ensuring the scientific soundness and stability of the technical route.

In terms of economic and environmental sustainability, we designed feasible solutions suitable for local agricultural practices by integrating farmers’ actual operation conditions and logistics research. This ensures the solutions are promotable and operable, with their effectiveness verified in both experiments and field practices. Through a comprehensive assessment of technical and environmental conditions, we guarantee that the project is not only theoretically feasible but also has the capability for practical implementation.

Rén Hé: Building Harmony and Consensus (Harmony & Consensus)

The Rén Hé (Building Harmony and Consensus) dimension focuses on social acceptance and stakeholder relationships.

During the project implementation, we proactively carried out multi-level interactions with communities, schools, scientific research institutions, and industry teams: these included science popularization activities at Taiziwan Primary School, the "Little Migrant Bird" Summer Camp, and Shenshan Cooperation Zone Central Primary School; in-depth surveys and technical communications with farmers, agricultural material companies, enterprises, and research institutions; as well as university campus lectures, international collaborations (with teams from India and ASU), and public media interviews.

These initiatives enhanced stakeholders’ understanding and recognition of RNAi technology and the concept of green pest control, establishing mutual trust and cooperative relationships. Meanwhile, we always considered equity and social value in project design and promotion, ensuring the application of the technology can truly serve communities, improve public awareness, and promote sustainable social development.

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Towards a Distant Future

Facing Limitations with Integrity

Throughout the project, we maintained a clear understanding of our capabilities and the scope of our work, focusing on feasible and socially acceptable technical solutions. Based on SWOT analysis and ethical assessment, we chose to concentrate on RNAi-based control of citrus aphids and abandoned higher-risk approaches.

We defined the applicable range of our technology, starting with field validation in Guangdong’s main production areas. We developed a dry, fast-dissolving formulation suited to farmers’ practices, avoiding unnecessary expansion and resource waste. We transparently communicate the limitations of our technology, share field data, and address ethical concerns by creating small-dose products for home or small-scale use and committing to full compensation for any losses caused by our products.

We prioritize targeted improvement over “all-in-one” solutions, focusing resources on aphid control and cost reduction. Through collaboration and iterative development, we lower adoption barriers. Once the core technology matures, we plan to extend it modularly to other crop pests. Our approach ensures that innovation is practical, socially aligned, and grounded in real-world needs

Anticipating Both Positive and Negative Impacts

We have always approached technological innovation from a bidirectional perspective. As a novel biopesticide, RNAi offers clear advantages — precise, efficient, and biodegradable — yet it also carries potential risks. We systematically assessed its possible social and ecological impacts: positive effects include reducing traditional chemical pesticide use, lowering environmental burden, and supporting sustainable agriculture; potential risks involve unintended effects on non-target organisms or ethical and social controversies if regulatory oversight lags.

To address these risks, we implemented multiple measures early in the project: we consulted pesticide registration experts and prepared regulatory analysis reports to clarify compliance, and we enhanced public awareness through multi-level science outreach, strengthening the risk management system. We also considered the possibility of secondary misuse, such as RNA sequences being repurposed for non-agricultural applications, and therefore established technical safeguards and promoted industry regulatory standards. Through technical protection, standardized training, regulatory collaboration, and multi-stakeholder ethical assessment, we proactively mitigated risks, ensuring the technology is safe, reliable, and capable of delivering real-world value.

A Moment of Gratitude

We are not on this journey alone. The support from our mentors, allies, and partners has made everything possible. Now is a moment for gratitude and celebration.

Looking back on this year’s iGEM journey — from field research in orchards to heartfelt community outreach, from campus-based science education to cross-border collaborations — every moment of listening and feedback brought our project closer to real-world needs.

We are grateful for our mentors’ guidance, the dedication and perseverance of every team member, and the trust and support of partners and participants, which allowed our innovation to extend beyond the lab and into society. In every discussion, ideas collided; in every visit, we felt the pulse of the community; in every interaction, we witnessed responsibility — all of which made us truly appreciate the power and value carried by Human Practices.

This is an expression of gratitude, but not a final conclusion. SZU-China remains firmly on the path ahead…