In order to improve our projects, we have several interviews with experts in Microbiology, Medicine and Food, to collect information about diabetes, sweeteners, advantage of D-psicose as well as market and possible commercialization of D-psicose. Additionally,we visited the elders and patients in Xi'an Jinqiu Nursing Home, Xi’an Jiaotong University community and hospital, to collect their problems on medical treatment and daily diet, as well as to popularize our projects about healthy sugar substitutes D-psicose. In our WeChat public account, we not only introduce and promote the IGEM competition concept and our project, we also regularly post scientific articles in synthetic biology to gradually walk the public into life sciences.

Abstract

In order to better improve our projects, we communicate with experts in different fields. We introduced them to directed evolution and psicose, accepted experts’ advice , and let us have a deeper understanding of our projects in different aspects from the conversations.

Prof.Jiankang Liu, Prof.Jianggang Long

Center for Mitochondria Biology and Medicine in Xi’an Jiaotong University

Professor Liu and Professor Long have long been engaged in the regulation of nutrition on aging, metabolic syndrome and other molecular and biological levels. In order to seek professional opinion on D-psicose and directed evolution, we interviewed them.

Keypoints

• At present, there is no way to overcome diabetes with a kind of food such as D-psicose.
• Increasing the activity of the enzyme is an important task. In the case where the crystal structure of the DTE enzyme is known, it can be considered to study its coenzyme, or cofactor (Mn2+).
• At present, biosensor technology is still immature, but it has great poten tial for development.

Professor Liu suggested that we need to know more about the toxicity of D-psicose.How about the safety of D-psicose as a food? What is the basis for the safety of D-psicose?

Professor Long proposed to clarify the mechanism of action of D-psicose on diabetes and obesity; we need to consider the market limitations of D-psicose: Can it be used as a medicine or just as a sweetener?

Let us find the answers in the following human practice!

Prof. Yali Zhang,Dr.Ganqiao Ran

Huanqiu Yuanyi, Yang ling

General Manager Zhao

To understand more about the application of sweeteners in the market, we visited Huanqiu Yuanyi Company, a company that mainly deals with kiwi processes and sales.

We interviewed manager Zhao, and then visited the workshop and laboratory.

Keypoints

• The potential market of D-psicose is vast. Potential groups:
  • people with diabetic go out, or travel
  • People in the gym pay more attention to the healthy diet of people.
  • people in First-tier cities prefer to purchase D-psicose than others.
• Sweeteners are a kind of food additives, which are misunderstood by Chinese public, which is a potential obstacle for the promotion of D-psicose. The reasons:
  • Different food standards between Europe, America and China;
  • The state deliberately pursues perfection;
  • The state deliberately pursues perfection;

  During this visit, we learned about current sweetener applications and people's perceptions of it. Besides, we listened to market professionals' thoughts on our IGEM projects.

Xinsheng Jixang, Weinan, Shaanxi Province China

General Manager Tan

Our products, D-psicose, as sweeteners, have advantage of high sweetness and low calorie.

To better understand the current sweetener market, we visited Xinsheng Jixiang Biological Company, interviewed Director Tan to exchange enzymes and D-psicose and visited the factory. The company's main produce enzyme-based fermented food and manufacture products.

Keypoints:

• In the hearts of the public, the recognition of sugar is higher than recognition of sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. People know sucrose is extracted from sugar cane, so it's safe for them.
• About quality: It is important to ensure that the public recognizes the taste of the food made by D- psicose.
• About the price: The price of D-psicose in China, the market can accept, is about 20,000 yuan/ton. If you use D-psicose as a bottled beverage, the price of one bottle is about 10 yuan.

This activity allows us to better understand the needs of the market, which will better improve our products.

After learning about the market of D-psicose as a sweetener, how to bring D-psicose to the market?

Yesherb, Xi'an

Xi'an Shaanxi Province, China

How to promote the products in the lab to the market, so that more people can benefit from the IGEM project. For this reason, we visited Yesherb, a prebiotic development company that successfully transformed the lab's oligomannose into a terminal product in market.

• It is important to have a viable new idea. After the argument and repeated modification, the idea begins to enter the experimental stage.
• With the laboratory data, we need seek technology that can transform laboratory data into mass production.
• After having the product, we begin to think about the form in market, advantages of our products and other products the market have.
• Finally, the operation of the entire market.

Visiting Yesherb lets us know how to turn scientific research into products to market, which is very necessary for our product development in the future.

Contact with the Old

Abstract

D-psicose has a certain role in controlling blood sugar and the metabolism of fat. Therefore, we organized activities in Xi'an Jinqiu Nursing Home, community and hospital. we visited elders, and patients to introduce scientific and reasonable eating habits.

In this activity, we not only let the elderly and patients feel the kindness, but also give them advice, which make them have some insight into scientific and reasonable eating habits. In spite of the fact that they may not understand what synthetic biology is, they can benefit from our IGEM project. From this perspective, our activities are very important and necessary. In these activities, we not only understood the problems they face and listened to their thoughts about our projects, but also tried our best to provide some advice that can effectively solve some problem they face

Jinqiu Nursing Home and community

Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China

When people become older, diabetes have become common diseases. What we can do for all the people with diabetes? After community and Jinqiu Nursing Home interview, we got a deeper understanding of the real needs of the elder. Finally, we provided brochures written by our team, which covers the problems faced by them.

• In the activities, most of the elderly we meted have diabetes.
• With the improvement of living conditions, people's concern for physical health is increasing.
• The reasonable diet is important. More than half of the elderly say that they usually eat more vegetables and eat less sugar food，and are very focused on the stability of their blood sugar.
• Most of people support our project about D-psicose and have a positive attitude. Old people show interest in D-psicose, even support research and development, willing to buy,