Team:Yonsei Korea/Human Practices
Human Practices
Centered On:
Connection
Community
Cooperation
Around 3.5 billion people, or half the world’s population rely on rice for at least 20% of their caloric intake. This high dependence on rice plants both worldwide and in our home country of Korea was the motivation for our research. Rice production accounts for a large portion of Korea’s agriculture and is therefore a large economic factor in our society as well. The biggest threat rice farmers face according to our background research was Magnaporthe grisea, more commonly known as the rice blast disease. We discovered local agricultural organizations were tirelessly working with farmers every year in battling rice blast as Korea’s monsoon season made it particularly susceptible to this fungal infection. Yet, despite their best efforts farmers were still facing a 10-30% loss in production annually. In severe cases, fields infected with Rice Blast were forced to eradicate 100% of their yields, devastating affected farmers and communities.
The key problem in dealing with Rice Blast was not a lack of effort but rather the lack of effective technologies. Preventative measures such as spraying fungicides could be taken, but this came at the cost of the environment and also risks to human health. Another approach was implementing early detection methods so the infection could be contained. However, the current detection methods for rice blast and other crop diseases require laboratory PCR testing which not only takes vast amounts of time but also is relatively inaccessible to regular farmers. The farmers we personally interviewed in Gimje were unable to use this PCR testing method and merely relied on visual identification by observing their crops. However, by the time these visual signs appear it is often too late to contain the infection and the crops are lost. An up-and-coming method of detection uses artificial intelligence and drone images to detect rice blast in crops at an efficient and accessible rate. Unfortunately, this method is also at fault because the visual detection of Rice Blast occurs only after the infection is widespread.
Thus, we strived to create an alternative method, a scientific mechanism using synthetic biology that was both effective and easy-to-access for farmers. We were able to achieve this by combining synthetic biology with nanotechnology that helped visualize the detection using color change. This visualisation using color change would allow farmers to detect the presence of diseases without the interference of laboratories, speeding up the process.
Whilst designing our research, we made sure to consider the social impacts as well using a method of responsibility, responsiveness and reflection. By developing readily available detection kits for Rice Blast, we hope to help farmers avoid devastating crop loss and thus contribute to food safety in communities that are highly dependent on rice as a source of caloric intake. Even in the 21rst century, there are millions worldwide that face hunger and food insecurity. By ensuring more reliable crop production, we can help tackle the food security problem. The farmers’ economic situations will also be more secure and stable as the risk from plant diseases diminishes. This will contribute to bettering the quality of life for both these farmers and the socio-economic communities surrounding them.
In terms of environmental influence, we made sure our detection methods were not invasive to the surrounding ecosystem and posed no harm to humans who would eventually consume the crops. This was a key concern of ours as our interviews with farmers revealed that there is heavy ongoing use of fungicides that pose risks to the environment and humans alike.
In conclusion, we strived to consider the environmental, ethical, and socio-economic impacts of our research in the design and application of our research.
Yonsei_Korea is a convergent team of students based in Seoul, South Korea striving to create meaningful change utilizing synthtic biology in the iGEM 2021 Competition.