1. First, describe a biological engineering application or tool you want to develop and why. This could be inspired by an idea for your HTGAA class project and/or something for which you are already doing in your research, or something you are just curious about.

In my home country, Ecuador, a majority of the population relies on agricuture as a main source of income. There is a great variety of crops comercialized in Ecuador and the type of produce cultivated varies according to the region. In order to combat pests that could potentially harm the crops, farmers rely on chemical pesticides, which is the cheapest form of pest control. However, the overuse of pesticides has led to high levels of these compounds being detected in the produce acquired by the consumer, which is a potential hazard to their health.

During an internship in the AgroBiotech Lab at USFQ, I assisted a PhD student in her investigation about how certain bacteria and oomycets present in the microbiome of a variety of Andean potato have an antagonistic effect over common phytopathogens found in this crop. The goal of this investigation was to identify these microorganisms so they could be used as a biological control for the potato pathogen. This type of pest control is more beneficial than chemical pesticides, to the environment and to human health.

For my proposal, I want to be able to standarize a methology to analyze the microbiome of different crops essential to the Ecuadorian agriculture and identify potential microorganisms that could antagonize phytopathogens, or even promote plant growth.

1. Next, describe one or more governance/policy goals related to ensuring that this application or tool contributes to an "ethical" future, like ensuring non-malfeasance (preventing harm). Break big goals down into two or more specific sub-goals. Below is one example framework (developed in the context of synthetic genomics) you can choose to use or adapt, or you can develop your own. The example was developed to consider policy goals of ensuring safety and security, alongside other goals, like promoting constructive uses, but you could propose other goals for example, those relating to equity or autonomy.

A governance goal that should be develop alongside my biological engineering proposal would be the development an education campain aimed at farmers about the use of different types of pesticides in their crops. The main reason behind the overuse of chemical pesticides in agriculture is the lack of knowledge regarding the effect of these compounds on humans. In Ecuador, a large proportion of farmers have not taken courses to learn about agriculture; it is mainly a practice that has been passed down by generations and the knowledge is acquired through word-of-mouth. I believe that educating the farmers about the effects of chemical pesticides and introducing the biological control of pests as a viable alternative, it can have a positive impact on the way farmers use these compound on their crops. This ensures an appropriate use of the microorganism augmentation technique developed.

1. Next, describe at least three different potential governance "actions" by considering the four aspects below (Purpose, Design, Assumptions, Risks of Failure & “Success”). Try to outline a mix of actions (e.g. a new requirement/rule, incentive, or technical strategy) pursued by different "actors" (e.g. academic researchers, companies, federal regulators, law enforcement, etc). Draw upon your existing knowledge and a little additional digging, and feel free to use analogies to other domains (e.g. 3D printing, drones, financial systems, etc.).
   • Purpose: What is done now and what changes are you proposing?
   • Design: What is needed to make it “work”? (including the actor(s) involved - who must opt-in, fund, approve, or implement, etc)
   • Assumptions: What could you have wrong (incorrect assumptions, uncertainties)?
   • Risks of Failure & “Success”: How might this fail, including any unintended consequences of the “success” of your proposed actions?

The first governance action could be related to the purpose of this development. Currently, ecuadorian farmers overuse chemical pesticides and fungicides, which has a longterm harmful effect on the consumer’s health. A shift towards biological agents for pest and fungi control would lead to reducing the presence of harmful compounds in produce. The governance action would be government investment in education campains for people who work in agriculture, including better practices that could result in the improvement of crop, consumer and environment health.

Another governance action that can be taken to ensure the success of this development could be related to the design. In order for this to work, there needs to be an investment of capital and workforce towards investigation. I consider that allocating government funds towards scientific research is crucial for progress. In Ecuador, there is little investment in science overall, so changing the policies to support different research could help projects that have the country’s best interest in mind. However, an increase in government funding has to be accompanied by more manpower to carry out this research. The people need to be trained on proper biosafety measures and laboratory techniques, so agreements could be made between the government and universities to provide trained professionals to do the research.

The final governance action is related to the handling of the outcomes of the development of a method of microbiome analysis. This project is being developed under the assumption that all crops have associated microorganisms that help combat infections; however, that might not be true for all cases. Some plants could have intrinsic factors that protect it from infections or pests, like their own inmune system. In these cases, the original objective of determining which microorganisms are antagonistic towards phytopathogens cannot be fullfilled. Nonetheless, the screenings made of the microbial composition can be utilized for other purposes, aimed at finding ways to benefit the crops without the use of compounds that harm the consumer and the environment. Therefore, the action would be creating databanks of the microbiome composition of important crops in ecuadorian agriculture, which could be used by future research groups to research about.

1. Next, score (from 1-3 with, 1 as the best, or n/a) each of your governance actions against your rubric of policy goals. The following is one framework but feel free to make your own:

1. Last, drawing upon this scoring, describe which governance option, or combination of options, you would prioritize, and why. Outline any trade-offs you considered as well as assumptions and uncertainties. For this, you can choose one or more relevant audiences for your recommendation, which could range from the very local (e.g. to MIT leadership or Cambridge Mayoral Office) to the national (e.g. to President Biden or the head of a Federal Agency) to the international (e.g. to the United Nations Office of the Secretary-General, or the leadership of a multinational firm or industry consortia). These could also be one of the “actor” groups in your matrix.

Taking into consideration the scores assigned to the governance action matrix, I would prioritize government funding in both education and scientific research in order for this project to work. Despite the action of making agreements between universities and the government had a high score in most categories, the project cannot be applied on a national scale without funding and education. We can determine the microorganisms that can antagonize phytopathogens and a way to augment them to provide benefits to the crops, but if the farmers do not shift practices towards a biological control for diseases and pests, the project will not achieve its goal. Additionally, there already are trained proffesionals graduating for universities in Ecuador who could do this research, but without government investment in research centers, there is no budget to add new projects and researchers to the team. Overall, a change in government policies that contribute to a shift in agricultural practices and more investment towards scientific development will make projects like this one and others more feasible.