Judging

Bronze

• Completed the following mandatory competition deliverables: Wiki, Presentation Video, Judging Form, and Judging Session on time and well.
• Described what work our team members did, as well as what other people did for our project, using the standardized Project Attributions Form. Filled the form out accurately and honestly.
• Documented our contribution and explained why our effort is a contribution to fellow iGEMers. And expressed gratitude for others’ contribution, giving us opportunities to learn and to build upon it.

Silver

• Demonstrated and documented engineering success in a technical aspect of our project by going through multiple iterations of the engineering cycle.
• Documented personal reflections, background research, and engagement with communities relevant to our project.

Gold

• Demonstrated success in both General Biological Engineering, Measurement Special Prize, and in two Specializations, Integrated Human Practices and Education Special Prizes.

1. General Biological Engineering — Measurement

During the project, we created VeriFied, a novel on-site measurement for the age of bloodstains intended for forensic use.
The measurement was designed based on previous work in the field and input from experts.
The measurement, a homogenous enzyme fragment complementation assay (EFCA) was tested on differently aged bloodstains and it showed promising preliminary results correlating with bloodstain age.
The measurement was validated by measuring the background signal produced by all the separate components of the assay, which showed a signal that was orders of magnitude lower than the actual test.
Testing of the measurement was done carefully with adequate technical replicates and well documented protocols to ensure reliability and repeatability.
A more thorough breakdown of the work done to validate and test the performance of VeriFied can be found here.

• We have developed a brand new measurement approach.
• We presented that our data is well documented, repeatable and useful.
• We practiced activities that exemplify good measurement.
• The measurements can be repeated by other iGEM teams.
• The protocols are well described and are useful to other projects.
• We appropriately used controls to validate the measurement process and calibrate units.
• We took the time to understand what methods came before and to think about what can be done to improve upon existing methods. This background information is clearly stated on our wiki, and we presented what we did due diligence when considering their measurement approach.

2. Specialization — Integrated Human Practices

Our project reflects strong Human Practices because stakeholder feedback actively shaped its purpose, design, and execution.
Early talks with forensic scientists, police officers, synthetic biologists, ethical and legal experts showed that our tool was long awaited for and that it had to be non-destructive, easy-to-use, and deliver clear results.
Legal advice shifted our focus from courtroom evidence to supporting on-site investigations.
Rather than building a tool without real use, we worked toward an accessible, efficient, and reliable tool suited to actual forensic needs.
By including diverse perspectives and adapting to critical feedback, we ensured VeriFied is both scientifically sound and socially responsible. Gained insights were not minor - they changed our project’s direction and how we present it.

• We have carefully considered whether our project is responsible and good for the world at many stages throughout our project’s lifecycle.
• Our Human Practices activities addressed both why our project is responsible and good for the world, and how our proposed solution is implemented responsibly and reflectively.
• We have created feedback loops between our project work and the world.
• We incorporated different stakeholder views and demonstrated that the purpose, design and execution of our project evolved based on the information acquired through our Human Practices activities.
• Our Human Practices work is documented so that others can build upon it and it is an inspiring example to others.

3. Specialization — Education

In our education work, we focused on creating the largest impact in including more people into contributing to synthetic biology.
We identified the Finnish upper secondary schools as the best target group.
We aimed to inspire young students to choose a higher education path related to synthetic biology by providing insight into further studies and accessible material to foster interest through understanding.
We visited local upper secondary schools, presented university programs and iGEM, and gathered information about what kind of material would support learning at the upper secondary level.
Based on the student feedback, our own experiences and input from established educators developing upper secondary education, we created a material packet that was put to test at a Finnish upper secondary school.
The material packet was allocated to a national elective course in order to reach and fit the upper secondary level.
We documented all of the understanding we gained of the Finnish education system and possibilities we found to offer hands-on learning opportunities for upper secondary schools students, in the hope that future Finnish iGEM teams would continue the educational work and easily find networks to collaborate with.

Additionally, we engaged with different communities by recording our own podcast, ABOA Archives, on Spotify, releasing educational posts on Instagram, and creating a game about antibiotic resistance.
In order to reach a wider audience, we organised educational public outreach events at the Heureka Science Center and the Turku Main Library, covering usage of synthetic biology in healthcare and forensic science.

• We included more people in shaping, contributing to, or participating in work in synthetic biology by providing new tools, knowledge and opportunities.
• We showed how our activities establish mutual learning and/or a dialogue with new communities about synthetic biology.
• We documented our work in a way that others can build upon.
• The educational work we did was thoughtfully implemented.