Team:UM Macau/Integrated
Integrated Human Practice
Overview
Our human practice work is responsive, complete, and closed-loop. During our design and implementation of the project, our interaction with the local brewery in Macau helped shape our project and we also gave responses to the brewery. In terms of the improvement of the project, the questionnaire and interview also provided references for us, and we also carried out corresponding work according to these feedbacks.
Design
When we first set up our project, we noticed that some of our peers were already suffering from gout, and drinking too much beer is a factor in gout because beer has a higher purine content than other alcohol. Therefore, we first confirmed reducing purine content in beer as our project goal. We wanted to further solve more problems related to beer, so we came up with ideas such as improving the flavor of beer and extending the shelf life of beer. To verify whether our ideas can really solve the problems in actual beer production, we contacted the local brewery Funny Eye Brewing in Macau. During the discussion with the technical staff of the brewery, they explained to us that oxidation is indeed a problem in actual beer production. Oxidation can affect the storage of beer, which is inconvenient for the brewery's sales and could bring bad experiences for consumers. After our first interaction with the brewery, we established our second project goal to solve the beer oxidation problem.
After confirming the goal, we searched the literature and determined to use purine nucleoside phosphorylase 1 (PNP1) to reduce purine in beer, Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and chitooligosaccharide (COS) were used to solve the problem of beer oxidation. At this stage, we contacted the brewery again. After introducing our project design to them, they thought that our project would have practical significance if it was successful. Low purines could be a selling point for beer, offering consumers a healthier option. Antioxidants help preserve flavor and prolong beer shelf-life, which benefits breweries and consumers. With the affirmation of stakeholders, we started the experiment. In a nutshell, our human practice work at this stage helped to shape the original design of our project.
Progress
During our experiment, the Macau Funny Eye Brewing provided us with samples of beer with oxidation problems that they have kept in the real production. We analyzed these samples and gave the brewery feedback about the substance in these samples. Through analyzing these samples, we had a deeper understanding of beer oxidation, which helped us shape our function assay design.
Photo of beer in the Funny Eye Brewing
At the early stage of our modeling work, our idea was to build a model that predicted the distribution of yeast in the fermenter. We visited the brewery for some real-production data, but find that the yeast will go through a continuous stirring process after being put into the fermenter, so the establishment of such a model can not play a good auxiliary role in the actual production. Then the brewery technical staff showed us the equipment used in beer production step by step. After further discussion, we finally set up the goal of predicting the shelf life of beer. Our human practice work in this stage shaped our modeling, avoiding us from making predictions that lack practical significance.
IT members visit local Brewing
Improvement
Questionnaire
Through the analysis of the results of the questionnaire, we learned about the awareness and attitudes of different age groups towards alcohol and genetic modification. These analysis data are consistent with our preliminary judgment results for consumers, proving that our research and product improvement are meaningful and necessary.
We analyzed these valuable social survey data and draw up a business proposal. This proposal is a transformation of customers’ opinions to the business consideration, therefore, it is a connection we built between customers and the stakeholders. We communicated the business proposal with the brewery and designed a late-stage product planning. We reached a consensus and finally reached a cooperative relationship after the communication.
Please click the link to see the complete proposal
https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/7/77/T--UM_Macau--BusinessProposal.pdf
Interview
We interviewed Macau DSEDT director Dai Jinyip for the future development of our project. Our interview focused on discussing the matters that we should be paid attention to in the transformation of research into industry. Director. Dai’s answer included several aspects, such as industry standards, patent layout, and public acceptance. First, we should have a comprehensive understanding of the general industry standards, and then establish our own standards on the basis of it to maintain the high quality of our product. In addition, we should also learn about food safety laws in different places, especially the control of genetically modified food. Secondly, we should also pay attention to patent applications in the process of transformation. Understand our target market as early as possible to establish the patent layout, that we will have a timely assurance for the technology we developed. Before entering the market, we should also consider the consumers’ attitude from the perspective of sociology, including their acceptance of GMO food and consumption concept of targeted emerging products. Finally, Director. Dai reminded us that we should think of why branded brewers such as Budweiser and Tsingtao are not currently using genetic modification to improve the quality of beer.
Director. Dai’s suggestion provided us with an effective reference for our future transformation to the industry. We searched and learned about the industry standards, especially the standards of the branded company which are always ahead of the industry. We also learned about information related to the patent application, for example, we need professionals with patent agent certificates to assist us in the application. His attitude of GMO food as a consumer triggered our deep concern about humanity, which will be a spotlight for us beyond technology henceforth.
Photo taken after the interview
Diagram
Diagram of our integrated human practice (Click to get the full image)