Team:iBowu-China/Human Practices
While our project design and experimental part are being done in the lab, the HP team aims to put scientific research results into practice and translate them into productivity, bring the final product to the general public and facilitate the benign economic chain between the potato famers and the consumers. The last part of this project is what we focus on. By collecting their feedbacks, we are then able to modify our project design based on the general opinions and acceptance rate of the public. This is being constantly done in every stage of our project, thus enabling us to create a real-world solution to soft rot disease.
With the project divided into three stages (pre-project research, project modification, and interview with investors), the human practice team targeted specific events in each stage. During different stages, the team focused on various potato related issues that affects both the society and farming industry. Each stage is closely linked to the idea of ‘Future farming’, with which we aim to establish sustainable farming methods capable of operating at optimum efficiency. In order to achieve it, we actively communicated and interacted with different stakeholders by seminars, interviews with experts, general public as well as potato farmers. We believe that our solution is capable of not only bringing significant benefits to the community, but also resolve wide-spread issues perceived throughout the developmental stages of our final product.
As we all know, potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a globally important high-yield crop that produces nutrient-rich tubers. This non-grain crop is the third most important food crop, after wheat and rice (Patil et al.2017). One of the major threats to potato production is soft rot disease caused by Erwinia bacteria, which generally occur during cultivation, harvesting or transportation and storage of farm produce, resulting in considerable yield reduction, poor quality of produce, and economic loss. In Kenya, it causes up to 50% total crop loss (Onkendi and Moleleki 2014; Muturi et al.2018).
Different approaches to soft rot disease control have been developed and applied. The effectiveness of the phages in preventing infection of potato tubers by P. carotovorum was tested in laboratory experiments The management of potato diseases is based on a massive use of chemical pesticides, causing environmental pollution and ecological destruction. Although some researches about environmental-friendly pest management approaches have been reported, there are still many problems in effect and safety aspects.
We then recognized an absence in both detection and treatment of Soft Rot Disease. Therefore, we understood the importance of a bio-control solution that is not only effective but also environmentally-friendly. Based on knowledge of the field of synthetic biology, we started to come up with different approaches to soft rot detection and treatment.
We have finished a literature review. In this review, we firstly organized the current information and research results related to our initial idea, and then we identified the bactericide molecule mechanisms we chose to use and tested whether it would function scientifically and specifically. Therefore, it comes to our awareness that it is increasingly important to effectively solve this problem using an environmentally friendly bio-control method.
The literature research allowed us to draft our initial idea: detection of Erwina bacteria in potato plants through quorum sensing; suppression of bacterial growth using aiia and antimicrobial peptides.
We met with senior staffs of the potato center Asia-Pacific Headquarter to learn about the current detection and treatments of potato diseases. We then visited their workplace, which accounted for a large proportion of the current potato-agricultural development. We presented our initial concept to the experts (including the chairman of the potato center, Mr. Lu) and audited a group meeting on agricultural pharmacology. Through the discussions with them, we became more aware of the consequences of Soft Rot disease and the importance of creating an effective bio-control solution.
According to their feedbacks and constructive suggestions, we have modified our initial project design based on the current availability of resources and the existing bio-control methods of soft rot disease. We then estimated the potential impacts of our project on the society through the primary industry of potato agriculture.
To find out the needs of consumers, we conducted a market research focusing on the statistics of potato consumption. Research done by the San Diego Academic Press estimated post-harvest bacterial Soft Rot losses to be verying between 15-30% of all harvested crops (Agrios, 2006). Although exact values are not available, the economic impact of Soft Rot Disease may be up to $50 to 10^8 annually on a worldwide basis. The extent of these losses varies from country to country and is influenced by climate, conditions of growth, and storage. (Perombelon and Kelman, 1980)
Judging by these to data, the harm of soft rot disease is enormous. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that soft rot disease is becoming an increasingly impactful problem to farmers, therefore, our solution could make a huge contribution to the society through the supply chain.
From the data presented above, we can reasonably conclude that Soft Rot disease has been a significant problem to farmers. Therefore, our solution has the potential to meaningfully contribute to society through the supply chain.
Syn-bio approaches allowed a high flexibility in the final product and give us a possibility to provide a general solution for multiple diseases. More and more biological pathway and molecules that have potential in agriculture are found. With the help of these discoveries, much more diseases can be cured in a synthetic biological way. Therefore, we came up with our initial idea of using engineered E.coli with two gene circuits based on quorum sensing and antimicrobial peptide. One is to detect OHHL (quorum sensing signal molecular) of E.carotovora; the other is to express the hydrolase aiiA and the antibacterial peptides which could degrade OHHL and generally kill bacteria separately.
The diagram above shows the concept plan of our first generation product.
At this stage, we have successfully collected the background information relating to our project. We now are able to form a first-generation product based on our initial hypothesis, developed through writing a literature review, discussing with senior staff members in the potato center Asia-Pacific headquarter, and conducting research of the market. However, the theories along are not strong enough to support the development of our framework. To modify our product, we then gathered feedback and opinions from different stakeholders.
The questionnaire was sent through the Wechat program ‘WenJuanXing’ with a valid response timeof 2 weeks during the earlier stages. We collected 181 participants in total, consisting of both potato farmers and non-potato farmers. We divided the survey into two parts. The first part was for everyone to answer, so that we could get an overview of the general opinion and a rough estimate of potato daily consumption values. The second part was designed specifically for people experienced with (or currently working on) large scale potatoes cultivation. To ensure the validity of the responses collected, the second part was only accessable if the participant chose the options‘I am currently working as a large-scale potato farmer’ or ‘I have worked as a large-scale potato farmer’ in question 5 of part 1. Thus, the number of respondents for the second part decreased significantly and we only collected 14 responses for the second part.
From the responses, we were able to conclude that
1. Potatoes play an important role in people’s diet but most people are not aware of the concept of soft rot disease.
2. The general public have a negative opinion towards potatoes treated with bacteriophage.
3. According to the responses from some large-scale potato farmers, the current drugs for soft rot treatment are not effective enough or have certain defects.
4. Soft rot is not a very large problem in potato farming.
The questionnaire had allowed us to plan the next step for our project accordingly, which should with raising people’s awareness of soft rot disease and the consequences of its occurrence. We might as well need to focus on and research about the link between soft rot and blackleg or other bacterial disease if possible.
A supermarket interview was carried out on potato sales questions, conducted at Carrefour and BHG supermarkets in Beijing. Data from both the regular supermarket (Carrefour) and high-end supermarket (BHG) were collected and analyzed. The price of potato in Carrefour fluctuates around 2 RMB per half kilogram. In BHG, however, potatoes are sold in packs, 9RMB per pack, with each pack being about 0.7 kilogram in mass. Leftovers are typically sold with a reduction in price. The reasons for leftover potatoes are usually related to bad appearance. More information on this interview could be viewed from our Supermarket interview report. From the interview, we once again confirmed the importance of eliminating Soft Rot disease by identifying its negative economic impacts.
One of our team members, Holly Zhuang had a trip to Peru Potato center this Summer and learned about the current detection and treatments of soft rot.
Through interviews with farmers and field research, she was able to conclude that:
1. The current prevention methods of soft-rot disease includes choosing high-quality potato seeds and high-quality pesticides
2. Leaves of potatoes are then observed to identify if symptoms are shown
3. Comprehensive drug control is then carried out once leaves wilt or insect bites are found.
From these conclusions, our team developed a more wholistic perspective of potato diseases, having learned about the more traditional cultivation methods of potatoes. From the field research, we compared the different ways of potato diseases detection and treatments and analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of our product. In addition, we were able to observe the soil quality in different regions and how the soil affects potato growth at different climates. This observation helped us ensure that our final product will work in different climates and soil contents.
Our team had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Flemming Bensenbacher on 5th July 2019. Dr. Bensenbacer is an academician of the Royal Danish academy of Sciences and President of Carlsberg Foundation. He shared his journey in scientific research with us and the problems he encountered and tackled. We presented our project to him and hosted an interview with questions relating to the application of synthetic biology. This opportunity was crucial to us as we gained from it a valuable depth of knowledge in the potential future pathways of our product development.
Two of our team members, Jiayi Li and Ian Liu, were invited to the 2019 IEEE International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing and Measurement on the Nanoscale, held in ZhenJiang, China in August. This was a great opportunity for us to dive deeper into synthetic biology through listening to numerous lectures in experimental operations on the nano-scale, including synthetic biology. We presented our approach to soft rot detection and treatment with cell-free system, as well as the concept of ‘Future Farming’ to scholars and professors, from whom we obtained feedback. Many of the scholars recognized the validity of our methods and provided us with constructive suggestions in increasing efficiency and lowering cost.
Feedback from two of the researchers receiving our presentation was especially useful in our modification of the project design. Dr. Yaroslav Filinchuk, who works at the institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), introduced to us the concept of ‘genetic nanoscience’ in the application of synthetic biology, proposing a possible pathway for our experimental approach. His suggestions were followed up by Dr. Mingdong Dong, the host of the conference and Principal Researcher at University of Aarhus. He used a previous example of a research scientist he worked with to illustrate how the concept of nanobiology and nanochemistry could be integrated into the design of pesticides. These conversations allowed us to focus on developing one aspect of our product: the combination of our bio-engineered system and operations on nanoscale.
To ensure that our approach to soft rot disease treatment meets the legal requirements of China, we arranged an interview with Mr. Haiyong Wang. Mr. Haiyong Wang serves as the deputy director of the Health Risk Assessment and Control Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association and the Director of the Public Relations Department of the Beijing Municipal Medical Examination Center. The main purpose of this interview was to discuss the health value of potato instead of polished grains and the significance of potatoes being staple foods.
The following is the interview content:
Q: Risk assessment of human digestive system caused by potato diseases such as soft rot, black shank and late blight
A: Frequent or large doses can cause irritation to the gastrointestinal tract, with mild abdominal pain and diarrhea and severe life-threatening symptoms such as shock. If one used for a long period of time, there is a risk of carcinogenicity.
2. Comparison of nutritional value and composition of potatoes and other staple food crops
Potato has a good effect on the treatment of diabetes. Potatoes are also high-nutrient, low-energy foods that are good for weight loss.
3. What are the main ways in which Chinese potatoes are now found in people's meals (eg potato, french fries, potato noodles)
Three fresh (Di San Xian), hot and sour potato, mainly in the form of vegetables.
4. What are the benefits of using potatoes as a staple food?
Potatoes can be used to alter sub-health, such as diabetes, by diet.
5. What do you think of China's prospects for future non-biological preparations as a large agricultural country?
The potato production is very large, and the per capita consumption of Chinese potatoes has increased significantly in recent years, from 14 kg to the current 31 kg. People's awareness of potatoes has improved, unlike the previous treatment of potatoes as a vegetable. But many people don't know that potatoes can prevent diabetes or are good for health, so this is a good direction to popularize the benefits of potatoes.
6. What are the potential impacts of innovation, improvement, and planting industry technology upgrades on the medical health sector?
It has a great impact. Health China 2030 plans to put stomach disease first. Stomach disease requires non-medical intervention. The main purpose is to reduce medical expenses and prevent it in advance. That would be a good direction if the potatoes were used as a meal. Non-medical interventions include exercise, nutrition, psychology, and diet. Diet will be a major means of non-medical intervention, and the prospects are very broad.
7. What is currently the largest issue relating to food security?
Food safety is extremely important. Even the slightest possibility of causing food safety problems should be eliminated. That is why genetically modified products and engineered bacteria in the laboratory are forbidden to be used in biological pesticides. If your project uses modified engineered bacteria as pesticides, it is almost impossible to pass laws and regulations at present.
After the interview, our team realized the significance of having a way of soft rot treatment that would maintain treatment effectiveness without using engineered bacteria. Therefore, we prompted the concept of a ‘cell free system’ to produce the desired peptides and proteins. This concept would allow us to mitigate the biological safety concerns as it would avoid any unwanted contamination of hazardous biological materials.
As we realized after interviews with different parties, traditional synbio approach, using engineered bacteria became the barrier to practical use of syn-bio systems in actual farmland. The foreign genes carried by engineered bacteria is considered to damage the local gene diversity wherever they are put into. With concerns of this bio-safety problems that may cause by the engineered bacteria, laws were made to forbid the use of engineering bacteria in farmland.
To mitigate the biological safety concerns of the entire project, we have opted to produce the gene circuits with cell free technology to avoid any unwanted leakage of hazardous biological materials, which allows gene circuits to function without a living cell. This allows us to put syn-bio into practical bio-control of crop diseases.
Chengmin Liu was former Senior Executive Vice President in a Chinese internet company, Tencent. Mr. Liu is currently a investor, mainly investing high-tech companies in both China and the United States.
Our team hosted an interview with Chengmin Liu on August 2019. We aimed to ask for his opinions toward the marketing strategies and the potential consumptions of our product. Mr. Liu pointed out that although many bio-control products are not popular on the market because of expensive prices and immatured production processes, synthetic biology is indeed a potential direction that might replace other chemical products. As many people can see, most chemicals are not environmentally friendly, while bio-control products are more coherent to the general public's thoughts on environment protection of pesticides and herbicides. Mr. Liu encouraged us to keep improving our products by lowering prices and establishing a smooth production process.
Li Li is a well-known angel investor in the Chinese market and a founding partner of Next Capital. Li li has more than 8 years of experience in the venture capital industry and has led over 50 Startups in lexin (nasdaq: LX), tuanche (nasdaq: TC), tiger securities (nasdaq: TIGR) and other Startups in the us. Before joining the investment industry, Li Li had 10 years of experience as an editor of business reporting media, including an exclusive interview with amazon founder bezos in the United States. Li li's 2009 book, light company, was a best-seller for business books on amazon.com China.
Our team hosted an interview with Ms. Li, which was aimed to collect opinions relating to the potential consumptions of our product. According to her, compared with the existing plant disease bio-control schemes in the market, the cost of our products has increased despite being more environmentally friendly, which could beneficial in one aspect, but will require economic sacrifice. She looked forward to our team to promote and implement this the cell-free system detection and treatment tool-kit as soon as possible, and thus to benefit from reduced costs at a large-scale production.
Taking other external factors such as cost into consideration after interviews with several investors, the design of our product was updated into the third generation. Two prototypes of test papers are made and when in use, simply apply the sample with water onto the test paper, the cell-free system will revive and start to function as it was designed. The test papers are economically efficient, each would cost less than 3$ to produce, by using certain plasmids, the paper-based system is allowed to produce Antimicrobial Peptides (AMP) or AiiA protein outside the lab, which conserves the transportation and storage costs.
