Team:XJTU-China/Human Practices
Silver
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.
Integrated & Gold
Our human practice work is integrated into different stages of the project. To learn about the possibility of D-psicose as a drug for the treatment of diabetes，We had a deep interview with Dr Guo, who is a doctor for diabetes treatment. To collect some information about the current sweetener market, and situation of sugar production, we visit companies related to sugar production. To investigate the public's perception about sweeteners and predict the future market of our products, D-psicose，we have collected over one thousand questionaires.
Public engagement
Public participation is very important given that the IGEM competition is a competition that was born to solve practical problems. We actively joined various communities to involve the public into our project. Social media like Wechat public account, Twitter, and public mailbox are constantly used to communicate with the public and other teams. We also conducted questionnaires for online and offline surveys. In addition, social practice of IGEM competition is including offering lectures on synthetic biology, visiting nursing homes, and handing out health manuals.
Interviews with experts
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
College of Life Science and Technology in Xi’an Jiaotong University
Professor Zhang,a professor in microbiology. She has done some research on the medical mechanism of D-psicose. Ganqiao Ran,a Ph.D. student at Xi'an Jiaotong University.
Keypoints
- In rodents, D-psicose is known to inhibit digestive enzymes, including alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase. D-psicose also inhibits the absorption of glucose from the intestine by competing with glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) on the basolateral membrane of intestinal epithelial cells.
- Rats fed D-psicose had significantly lower serum insulin and leptin levels. The D-D-psicose diet significantly reduced liver enzyme activity involved in adipogenesis, while gene expression of fatty acid oxidative transcriptional regulators was enhanced.
Thanks to them, we collected relevant literature on the medical mechanism of D-psicose.
Prof.Hui Guo
First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University，Xi’an,Shannxi
Mr. Guo is the director of the endocrinology department of the inpatient department. In order to learn about the possibility of D-psicose as a drug for the treatment of diabetes , we interviewed Prof. Guo
Keypoints
- D-psicose is suitable for the treatment of obesity and almost all types of diabetes.
- Testing on animals is not enough, and D-psicose must go through a series of clinical trials.
- D-psicose is multi-site for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, which is very advantageous as a drug.
- D-psicose is multi-site for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, which is very advantageous as a drug.
From Dr. Guo, we learned that D-psicose is likely to be a drug for the treatment of obesity and diabetes, although we need to pass a series of laws and regulations. Dr. Guo helped us to understand more clearly the importance of diet control for the treatment of diabetes, and also confirmed the efficacy of D-psicose as a food, the science of medicine and the vast market.
Dr.Yuanxia sun
Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Bio-Agriculture,Xi’an, Shannxi.
Ms.Sun is a distinguished research fellow at the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.She has been working on rare sugar for a long time and worked at the Japan Sugar Research Center. We conducted an interview on the application and market of D-psicose
Keypoints
- The study of D-psicose is advanced in Japan, and the big company producing D-psicose has the British Taylor group, Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
- D-psicose has been industrialized in Japan, and so far, hundreds of foods have been added to D-psicose without causing a sharp rise on price.
- D-psicose is a perfect substitute for sucrose, not only about taste, sweetness, energy, but also food processing.
- The global sugar market is more than $10 million a year, of which more than 80% is sucrose. In China, the demand for sucrose is large and the yield is insufficient.
- The most similar to D-psicose is tagatose, but it is more expensive,and its comprehensive characteristics are not as good as D-psicose.
Thanks to the information provided by Sun, we understand that D-psicose has an unparalleled advantage !The huge sugar market in the world shows us that D-psicose has broad prospects, and its market in Japan also gives us full confidence!
In addition, Dr.Sun reminded us that D-psicose has been approved by the FDA in 2011, and FDA-related information shows that it is sufficiently safe. This answers the question of the toxicity of psicose proposed by Professor Liu to us!
Dr.Shangwei Lu
Xi’an Jiaotong University
Teacher Lu is an expert in the transformation of basic achievements. We have jointly explored the possibility of the industrialization of D-psicose to the market as sweetener.
Keypoints
- The complete process of the laboratory is the basis of industrialization.
- The production technology of naloxone involves property rights issues.There are many ways to cooperate with companies.
- If you decide to start a business, in addition to technology you also need to consider funds, employees, supplies, etc.
- When it comes to the cost and price of D-psicose,the product itself and the market both need to be considered.
From Teacher Lu, we have learned that there is still a long way to go to industrialization of D-psicose, which requires a lot of effort and cooperation. He also proposed several methods for investigating the market, which pointed out the direction for us to study the existing market for D-psicose and other sugars.
Terry Johnson
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
This summer, some of the team members participated in the summer exchange program at the University of California at Berkeley. We had the privilege of meeting Terry Johnson, a bioengineering professor who was a judge of IGEM and we exchanged some thoughts about IGEM.
He first introduced the University of California, Berkeley's 2012, 2013 project to us, one of which was the bio-manufacturing of blue fuel, starting with the massive demand for blue dyes in jeans. This tells us how to tell the project as a good story. He then introduced us to the techniques of presentation, such as being fun, engaging, confident, enthusiastic, and logical. Most importantly, we must make judges with different backgrounds understand and not so bored.
Thanks to Professor Terry, he told us that it is a very important ability to tell our project in a short time, which makes us attach great importance to the training of expression!
Company visits
Our product, D-psicose, as a sweetener, has the advantages of high sweetness and low calorie. To collect some information about the current sweetener market, and situation of sugar production, we visit companies related to sugar production. We learned the market demand of sweeteners and transformation of lab-scale achievements to market, and collected professional insights and suggestions on our IGEM project, to better understand the important value and development prospects of D-psicose.
Global Horticulture(Xi’an)Limited, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China
A company that produces and sales kiwi-containing beverage.
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Key points of discussion with Director Tan:
- D-psicose is advantageous over other sugar substitutes especially in terms of calorie and taste.
- If we want to commercialize our D-psicose in China, the acceptable price is ~20,000 RMB/ton, which means the price of one bottle of D-psicose-containing beverage is ~10 RMB. The visit allows us to better understand market demand and acceptance of D-psicose, which will better improve our products and project.
This activity allows us to better understand the needs of the market, which will better improve our products.
Xinsheng Jixang Biological Company, Weinan, Shaanxi Province, China
The company mainly produces enzymatic sugar-containing food products
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Key points of discussion with Director Tan:
- D-psicose is advantageous over other sugar substitutes especially in terms of calorie and taste.
- If we want to commercialize our D-psicose in China, the acceptable price is ~20,000 RMB/ton, which means the price of one bottle of D-psicose-containing beverage is ~10 RMB. The visit allows us to better understand market demand and acceptance of D-psicose, which will better improve our products and project.
This activity allows us to better understand the needs of the market, which will better improve our products.
Yesherb company, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China
Yesherb, Xi'an
A company produces oligomannose-containing prebiotic products.
Key suggestions about how to transform scientific research into products to market:
- Ideas goes first before experiment and production.
- Refine lab-scale techniques for large-scale production.
- Think more about the market of your products, your advantages and disadvantages
- inally, the operation of the entire production, marketing, sales etc.
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Benefit the old diabetics
Abstract
There are 425 million diabetics all over the world with continuous increasing. What can our project do for the people with diabetes? D-psicose is reported to control blood sugar level which is beneficial for diabetics. Therefore, 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. Our visits and activities will bring warmness to the elders, and also provide some advice that can effectively solve their problems. We also designed and handed out brochures for diabetics after communication with them, to make them have clearer insight into scientific and healthy eating habit. Our projects will benefit and help people who are in need.
Jinqiu Nursing Home and community
Xi’an Jiaotong University community and hospital, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
Keypoints：- Most of the elders in the nursing home have diabetes.
- More than half of them usually eat more vegetables and eat less sugar-containing food，pay attention to the level of their blood sugar.
- With the improvement of living conditions, people's concern about health is increasing.
- Most of people support our project about D-psicose and have a positive attitude towards this healthy sweetener, and willing to buy if it is commercialized.
- We got a deeper understanding of the real needs of the elders.
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Brochure
- Based on the literature, we summarize the clinical manifestations and hazards of diabetes and provide eight healthy eating habits.
- Based on the current lifestyle of elders and diabetics, we proposed correct dietary recommendations.
- Reasonable dietary advice for other geriatric diseases such as hypertension are also included in out brochure.
- Advantage and value of D-psicose are also introduced in this brochure.
- The distribution of the brochure makes people have a better understanding of healthy diet and makes more people benefit from our projects
Questionnaire about sweeteners
Online questionnaire was used to investigate the public's perception about sweeteners and predict the future market of our products, D-psicose.
The pie chart below is the analysis result about some of the questions in the questionnaire.
1. Here are some sweeteners, which are you familiar with?
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2. Will you notice the sweetener marked on the package, when you buy food?
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3. Do you know any alternatives to sucrose？
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4. Would you mind adding sweeteners to the food?
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5. D-psicose is a nature sugar with low energy and good taste. Would you like to add it into your food or drink?
For this part，We received a total of 1121 questionnaires.
After analysis, we found that everyone buys things subjectively without choosing sweeteners, and more than half said they would mind the use of sweeteners. However, they all want their food to have sugar and low energy.
D-psicose is a kind of natural sugar, but less person knows this sugar. This sugar with a sweetness of 70%-80% of sucrose, has very low energy and a good effect on diabetes. So, when we ask, if D-psicose is added to the food, do you want to try. More than half of them choose "Yes". Therefore, we believe that the outlook for D-psicose in food will be very good.
Meetups with other iGEM teams
Hefei meetup
Location: School of life science in USTC, Hefei; Teams: XJTU-China, USTC, BNU, Jilin-China
Some of our team members were invited to participate in a student academy communication meeting in USTC, Hefei. We contact with Jilin-China, USTC, BNU igem teams to hold a meeting in School of life science in USTC. Each team presented their ideas and we discussed about them later. Then we talked about competition details and how to collaborate with each other. From this meeting, we know how to prepare our project and how to present our ideas.
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CCiC
Location: Shanghai; Teams: More than 60 Chinese teams
CCiC(the Conference of China iGEMer Community)is a seminar attended by China's iGEM teams. As a communication platform for Chinese synthetic biology enthusiasts, CCiC develops in reform and innovation during 5 years. The 5th CCiC was hosted by ShanghaiTech University. There are more than 60 teams participated in the conference, with several more than 500 people. During the five-day meeting, we met and communicated with other iGEMers, exchanging our knowledge and experience. Meanwhile, some seniors in synthetic biology such as Dr. Haoqian Zhang provided us valuable advice. We experienced a grand feast of thinking.
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Xi'an meetup
Location: in NPU, Shannxi; Teams: XJTU-China, NPU-China and NWU-China.
This summer, three teams in Shaanxi came together and shared their thoughts in the first stage of the iGEM season. It was a great chance for us to share the sparks we had in brainstorming and the obstacles we met during lab (especially in InterLab, by then), to share the resources we have, and to talk about the experiences we had in building up the team and managing all the experiments
During the meetup, we all shared our conceptions of iGEM projects. After it, NPU and NWU teams have shared their experiences in attending the Giant Jamboree. We have learned some very useful tips in Boston. At last, we shared our thoughts about how to pass our knowledge to younger iGEMers, and how to involve them in our current labs, so that they will be familiar to the protocols when building up a team of themselves.
In summary, it is very important to get in touch with the teams nearby, solve the problems together and share wonderful ideas.
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