1. Background

Synthetic biology endows us with a powerful ability to design and modify living organisms to solve real-world problems. However, this ability also comes with corresponding responsibilities. For our team, biosafety is not merely a clause in the competition rules (iGEM competition requirements), but rather an unbreakable core principle and ethical bottom line in our project design, experimental operations, and future applications. We are deeply aware that responsible innovation is the prerequisite for science to benefit humanity rather than pose potential risks.

The rapid development of technologies such as gene editing and gene synthesis has made the modification of microorganisms more efficient and convenient than ever before. This not only brings huge opportunities to solve environmental, medical and energy problems, but also raises global concerns about misuse, abuse or accidental release.

At present, the international scientific community has generally agreed that the development of technology must proceed in tandem with the assessment and management of its potential impact. Biosafety is precisely the specific practice of the RRI framework in the field of synthetic biology, which requires researchers to proactively consider and avoid risks at the very beginning of their projects.

Meanwhile, the public's acceptance of emerging technologies is based on trust. Only through open, transparent and strict safety management can the public's doubts about "artificial life" or "genetically modified organisms" be dispelled, and social approval be won for the healthy development of technology.

2. Project Integration

2.1 Biological Switch

When drawing up the blueprint for our engineered life forms, we have always regarded Biosafety as an unbreachable bottom line. This is not only a technical requirement, but also a solemn commitment we have made to the natural ecology. For this purpose, our team has meticulously designed and implanted a highly reliable "Kill Switch", whose core is a "self-sacrifice" mechanism based on the hokD gene.

Our design philosophy is to endow bacteria with the ability to "gracefully exit" under specific conditions. The ingenuity of this system lies in its Two-tier regulation: The expression of the hokD gene is placed under the strict control of the T3 promoter, while the synthesis of the T3 RNA polymerase required to activate this "death command" itself is precisely regulated by the pBad promoter. In a working environment rich in glucose, the AraC repressor protein effectively inhibits the entire system, ensuring that bacteria can perform their beneficial functions with peace of mind.

The fundamental purpose of this design is to achieve a perfect closed loop from "Biocontainment" to "environmental response". When our engineered bacteria complete their task or accidentally leak into the natural environment (marked by glucose deficiency), the inhibitory effect of AraC will be lifted. The T3 polymerase /hokD expression pathway triggered subsequently will act as if an irreversible "life timer" has been activated, guiding the bacteria towards programmed self-destruction by disrupting the integrity of the cell membrane.

This is not merely a molecular-level switch; it is also a manifestation of our team's sense of responsibility. We firmly believe that Responsible Innovation means that the living beings we create must "live safely and die safely". This fatal switch is precisely the key guarantee for us to ensure that synthetic biology technology benefits humanity while proactively avoiding potential environmental risks, making the ideal of harmonious coexistence between technology and nature possible.

3. Education and Popular Science

3.1 Science Popularization Class

Figure 1: Team members pose for a group photo with first-year high school students from the Experimental Middle School of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Figure 2: Team members educate high school freshmen on the dangers of plastic waste

Figure 3: High school classmates actively answered questions in the science education class

On the night of September 25th, filled with excitement and anticipation, we stepped into the classrooms of the Experimental Middle School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and met a group of outstanding and energetic high school students. This is not a one-way transfer of knowledge, but a sincere dialogue about the future, responsibility and possibility.

We further explained to the students that biosafety is never merely a rule in the laboratory, but a wisdom of coexistence between humans and technology. It is a philosophy of prevention: just like installing a "suicide switch" on engineered bacteria, we should also preset the end point of every technology before it is born. It is the training of responsibility: scientists are not only discoverers but also guardians. We should not only be able to "create", but also to "preserve". It is a dialogue of civilizations: technology has no good or evil, but the people who use it do. We need law, ethics and education to jointly build a "humanistic safety net".

The cutting-edge technological means that students have learned in our science popularization class and all the knowledge they will acquire in their high school biology textbooks will help them understand and master the powerful force of synthetic biology, enabling them to one day sit in front of a computer to write an "operation manual" for cells and incubate engineering bacteria with magical abilities in the laboratory, using them to change the world.

Thank you to the students of the Experimental Middle School of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. Their dedication and enthusiasm make us firmly believe that science needs to be listened to and communicated with in this way. True popular science is not about lowering the height of science, but about setting up a ladder for every thinker to climb. Instead of unidirectionally imparting knowledge, we have built a stage, inviting everyone - regardless of their previous biological knowledge - to think together, discuss together, and create together. From plastic to resources, from the classroom to the world - this is a relay of youth about responsibility, innovation and hope!

4. Conclusion

Our emphasis on biosafety stems from an attitude of being responsible for science, society and the future. It is not a shackle that restricts innovation, but a cornerstone that ensures the safe, reliable and sustainable application of innovation achievements in reality. By deeply integrating the concept of safety into every aspect of the project design, we aim not only to win MEDALS in the iGEM competition, but also to earn the respect of the scientific community and the trust of the public, showcasing the outstanding image of Chinese young researchers who are rigorous and responsible.