This year, our education initiative set out with one main goal: to reach more than 15,000 people with our educational program . At the end, we had carried out +30 visits, which had a direct reach of almost 19,756 people.
We began with a survey that showed clear gaps in public awareness of asthma and synthetic biology. It also highlighted vulnerable groups, such as workers in certain jobs and hospital patients, so we focused on them. The team reached more than 10 high-risk occupations and several health institutions, including hospitals and pharmacies. Since children are among the most affected by asthma, we prepared family-focused resources: a guidebook for parents, a storybook for kids, and posters with tips on handling triggers like pets at home.Additionally, we made sure that all our content would be easily accessible & downloadable on every social media platform to obtain sustainability for PRESS. All patients' images & personal data has been shown on this page after taking detailed consent & permission from the patients themselves. We ensure their privacy is respected according to ethics guidelines.
We based our plan on 3 important pillars: synthetic biology, soft skills, and awareness of asthma. All our activities were also tailored to the age group we were dealing with, ranging from young children in kindergartens to the geriatrics and public.
We ran 2 parallel sessions: one on asthma prevention and management, and another on synthetic biology basics and soft skills. We also spoke with policymakers to show how this field can lead to practical healthcare solutions.
To make learning engaging, we went beyond lectures. We used songs, games, graphic stories, posters, workshops, and interactive activities. Online, our reach expanded through videos and a podcast in five languages:English, French, German, Spanish, and Chinese. In addition, we translated our asthma guidebook, synthetic biology guidebook, and children's story into Arabic, English, Chinese, and Greek through a collaboration with the IGEM Ionana team, for wider impact. To enhance accessibility, we translated our asthma and synthetic biology guidebooks into Braille and made them available at main public libraries for the visually impaired community.
Garner K. L. (2021). Principles of synthetic biology. Essays in biochemistry, 65(5), 791–811. https://doi.org/10.1042/EBC20200059
Wang, Y. H., Wei, K. Y., & Smolke, C. D. (2013). Synthetic biology: advancing the design of diverse genetic systems. Annual review of chemical and biomolecular engineering, 4, 69–102. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061312-103351
Yang, L., & Lu, Q. (2025). Beyond Cutting: CRISPR-Driven Synthetic Biology Toolkit for Next-Generation Microalgal Metabolic Engineering. International journal of molecular sciences, 26(15), 7470. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157470
Kumaran, A., Jude Serpes, N., Gupta, T., James, A., Sharma, A., Kumar, D., Nagraik, R., Kumar, V., & Pandey, S. (2023). Advancements in CRISPR-Based Biosensing for Next-Gen Point of Care Diagnostic Application. Biosensors, 13(2), 202. https://doi.org/10.3390/bios13020202
Zhao, M., Tanourlouee, S. B., McCracken, S., & Williams, P. R. (2025). Genetically encoded biosensors of metabolic function for the study of neurodegeneration, a review and perspective. Neurophotonics, 12(Suppl 2), S22805. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.NPh.12.S2.S22805
Burgos-Morales, O., Gueye, M., Lacombe, L., Nowak, C., Schmachtenberg, R., Hörner, M., Jerez-Longres, C., Mohsenin, H., Wagner, H. J., & Weber, W. (2021). Synthetic biology as driver for the biologization of materials sciences. Materials today. Bio, 11, 100115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100115
Banner, A., Toogood, H. S., & Scrutton, N. S. (2021). Consolidated Bioprocessing: Synthetic Biology Routes to Fuels and Fine Chemicals. Microorganisms, 9(5), 1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9051079
Moore, J. C., Ramos, I., & Van Dien, S. (2022). Practical genetic control strategies for industrial bioprocesses. Journal of industrial microbiology & biotechnology, 49(2), kuab088. https://doi.org/10.1093/jimb/kuab088
Jefferson, C., Lentzos, F., & Marris, C. (2014). Synthetic biology and biosecurity: challenging the "myths". Frontiers in public health, 2, 115. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2014.00115
While doing this, we connected our work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs),namely SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), emphasizing the broader extent of our work.
The team showed how the educational program directly contributed to shaping PRESS as a product, and ended by sharing feedback and quotes from participants that encouraged them to keep moving forward with passion.
When documenting education, we realized that impact shows best when there is both a bigger picture structure and a detailed event record. That is why we suggest two tools for future iGEM teams:
Build a timeline of your education activities.
Divide it into two parallel tracks:
Track A: Project-related science topics (e.g., synthetic biology, genetics, disease mechanisms).
Track B: Soft Skills and awareness (e.g., communication, health literacy, sustainability).
For each age group, include 3 interactive entries:
Science/ Soft Skills Event.
Project/Health Event.
End with policymakers/experts: share your science, and record the guidelines or advice you receive back.
Create a short timeline showing how each education stage influenced your:
Idea or design decisions.
Communication strategies.
Human Practices approach.
Keep it brief: 1–2 sentences per stage.
Dedicate activities to groups most affected by your problem (e.g., high-risk patients, key users, or vulnerable communities).
Collect direct quotes, questions, or reflections from participants.
Present them as a "mirror" of your journey, showing real impact and community voice.
Inquiry-Based Learning: every activity links to a clear outcome.
Kolb's Learning Cycle: move from experience → reflection → application.
Community-Based Research: value feedback as much as teaching.
By following this tool, any iGEM team can turn education into more than reporting. It becomes a living framework to track progress, reflect on impact, and design human-centered solutions.
A timeline divided into two parallel pathways: synthetic biology & soft skills on one side and asthma awareness on the other. For each age group, we provide three interactive buttons:
Age: materials and activities for that stage
Synbio & Soft Skills Event
Asthma Events
The journey concludes with our discussion with policymakers, where we shared new synthetic biology principles and, in return, learned about regulations and manufacturing guidelines. Each event is labeled with its key theme, reflecting the diversity of topics and our effort to tailor them to the right audience.
A concise timeline showing how every stage of our outreach influenced the design of PRESS. This reflects our commitment to building a human-centered product that responds to real community needs.
Special sessions designed for high-risk asthma groups, ensuring that our educational materials reached those who need them most.
Quotes and reflections collected along the way. It was a mirror of our impact and a source of motivation that guided our entire journey.
For every event, document it using five core elements:
Short summary of the event.
Include who the audience was, what the main topic was, and the format of the session.
Explain the purpose of this event.
Link it to your project, community need, or global challenges (e.g., SDGs, public health).
Describe what actually happened during the visit/session.
Mention tools used (posters, role-play, songs, workshops, demos, etc.).
Keep it factual and concise.
What you learned from the event.
How it changed your approach, communication style, or shaped your project design.
Skills gained (e.g., public speaking, adapting science to audience level).
What participants gained in knowledge, skills, or awareness.
Include quotes, feedback, or reflections if possible.
Add a pre/post graph to visualize the effect of the event on their knowledge.
Makes every event structured and comparable across the project.
Forces teams to reflect on both sides: what we gave and what we got back.
Captures both quantitative (graphs, scores) and qualitative (stories, quotes) impact.
Grounded in trusted frameworks:
Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle → experience → reflection → application.
Inquiry-Based Learning → questions and curiosity drive deeper understanding.
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)
Education Evaluation Models (input–process–outcome–impact) → make results measurable and clear.
This approach turned our education page into more than a record. It became a way to show impact, share lessons, and build trust — a method any future iGEM team can rely on.
For every event, we captured the following elements:
Overview – a summary of the event and its activities.
Why it matters- the importance of introducing this event.
Activities – what actually happened during the visit.
Impact on us – the lessons we shared, what we learned in return, and how the experience helped shape the direction of our project.
Impact on them - what is gained by the targeted audience through all the activities we conducted, with a graph representing pre and post effect on their knowledge.
This approach turned our education page into more than a record. It became a way to show impact, share lessons, and build trust — a method any future iGEM team can rely on.
Through our survey, we found that some occupations carry a much higher risk of asthma than others. This motivated us to conduct an educational program toward these workers. Using both our survey results and official data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, we ranked the occupations most affected, as shown in the graph below:
During these visits, we started by introducing asthma and how it develops. We explained in clear terms how both genetics and environmental exposures play a role. We highlighted the main warning signs that should push someone to see a doctor. We also gave hands-on training on proper inhaler technique. Each participant practiced until they felt confident, while we showed visuals of the side effects caused by incorrect techniques to stress why proper use matters. In order to make sure the message reached beyond the workplace, we handed out our guidebook so they could share the information with their families.
For every occupation, we outlined their respective risk factors and common triggers to which they are exposed, along with feasible measures for evading them. We also provided personal protective equipment (PPE) suitable for every type of work. Additionally, we provided simple lifestyle behaviours that reduce their likelihood of exposure and protect their health in the long run. Finally, we conducted follow-up visits to these occupations to ensure their commitment to what we demonstrated like wearing their PPEs and following occupational lifestyle behaviors. Nearly 91% of the workers were committed.
We focused on workers in high-risk jobs, ensuring that support reached those who needed it most.
Demonstrating ways for prevention helps cut down asthma attacks and reduce the need for hospital visits.
Encouraged simple lifestyle and workplace changes that built lasting habits, linking health education with SDGs.
Workers became aware of how their daily activities expose them to asthma triggers.
They learned hands-on strategies like mask use, ventilation, wet sweeping, and safe handling of chemicals or animal waste.
They learned to spot warning signs early and practiced the correct way to use an inhaler.
Many realized prevention is better than treatment, such as choosing low-VOC paints or using filters.
Some became advocates: farmers promoted tree planting, and pet shop owners displayed posters for customers.
The visits helped reduce stigma around asthma, showing it’s a real but manageable condition.
Handing out guidebooks ,alongside our advice, made workers and families more confident in spotting and managing symptoms early.
We built empathy by hearing workers’ stories on poor safety, their children’s struggles, and medication side effects.
The team learned awareness programs must be simple and affordable, like cloth masks, composting, or safer work practices.
We realized that workplaces, not just schools and hospitals, are crucial spaces for health education.
A key gain was cultural exchange, as farmers taught us tree planting as part of sustainable practices.
Our team improved its teaching by using posters, flashcards, and visuals instead of long lectures.
Studies reveal that asthma causes 1 million annual hospital admissions worldwide. With often preventable conditions leading to an emergency, this phenomenon has motivated us to make hospital visits, and ensure our public outreach to targeted patients. Throughout our visits, we aimed to introduce asthma to different patients to help spread awareness. Among these patients we had a chance to talk to asthma patients, and we listened to their stories about their suffering and burdens. In addition, we got to know about their unmet needs with current asthma medication. Lastly, we handed out our guidebook and poster, which include the steps on using the inhaler and a lifestyle checklist that they can come back to.
We had several discussions with health care providers.We understood that age and mis-education are the main reasons for decreased awareness when it comes to asthma management.These visits did not just spread awareness; they provided us with the insights needed to shape our therapeutic approach to be more patient-centric.
Closing the knowledge gap: Our visits clarified asthma symptoms, warning signs, and emergencies, which many patients and families confused with other lung issues.
Fixing inhaler misuse: Doctors and pharmacists noted poor technique and non-compliance as key challenges; our demos and visual posters helped patients follow treatment correctly.
Listening to patients’ voices: We heard about children left out at school, elders forgetting doses, and adults scared of night attacks. This reminds us that asthma has a strong social impact.
Strengthening collaboration: We engaged with both doctors and pharmacists, encouraging them to act as continuous educators, extending the benefit beyond our visit.
Driving innovation (PRESS): The feedback from patients and providers inspired PRESS, a solution made to address specific patients’ needs.
Patients:
Gained a clearer understanding of asthma symptoms, causes, and what counts as an emergency.
Practiced the correct inhaler technique, lowering mistakes and side effects.
Took guidebooks and posters home to share knowledge with their families.
Children were taught to carry inhalers at school and alert teachers, allowing them to join in activities safely.
Healthcare providers:
Received posters and guidebooks to keep patient education ongoing.
Recognized their role as the first line of care in the community.
Discussed treatment gaps, confirming the problems of non-adherence and incorrect inhaler use.
Shared seasonal trends (like pollen in spring or dust storms in fall) so patients understand what triggers flare-ups.
Human-centered design: Patients’ stories about missing school or struggling with treatment shaped PRESS into a patient-focused solution.
Clinical insights: Specialists shared diagnostic challenges and management issues, boosting our medical knowledge.
Community linkage: Pharmacies showed us that awareness can spread in everyday community spaces, not just hospitals or schools.
Learned how to explain synthetic biology in a simple & reassuring way which improved our science outreach.
Discovering seasonal peaks in inhaler use taught us how the environment affects asthma, guiding our educational efforts.
Asthma is very common in children. Since they spend most of their time at home with their families, we have created educational materials that target both children and parents. We also included simple lifestyle tips that can help prevent and manage asthma. This is clearly represented in the following materials:
Instructions: Player should avoid dust, smoke, cigarettes & cat dander, while trying to collect the inhalers.
Help protect yourself by avoiding triggers...
High Score: 0
Use ARROWS or W/S to move.
Collect for a shield!
Explaining asthma with songs and play reminded us that science must be simple and relatable. PRESS should be designed as a therapeutic approach that patients and families can easily understand and trust.
Their struggles with DNA and mutations showed us the need for transparent, easy-to-grasp communication about gene editing and safety. This shaped how we present PRESS as a safe and responsible therapy.
Their questions about treatments and side effects pushed us to highlight why PRESS is safer, fewer side effects and longer-lasting compared to competitors. It reinforced our choice of a 1–2 doses/year design.
Working with plasmid design and biosafety reminded us that PRESS must stand on strong scientific and ethical foundations. It shaped our approach to include regulation, validation, and lab safety at every step.
Older patients shared struggles with memory lapses, weak grip, and side effects. This confirmed the value of PRESS as a patient-friendly approach with fewer doses once every 6-12 months, easier use, and action targeted to reduce systemic risks.
Listening to public fears about synthetic biology showed us that acceptance matters as much as efficacy. This guided us to explain PRESS through familiar biotech examples like insulin, probiotics, and vaccines
Doctors and patients pointed out that non-adherence and poor inhaler technique remain major barriers. This reinforced PRESS as a long-acting therapy designed to overcome daily-use problems.
Pharmacists showed seasonal asthma peaks (spring pollen, autumn dust storms). This gave us insight into when PRESS would be most impactful and highlighted the need for strong community awareness.
Talking with policy and industry leaders showed us that innovation must also meet regulatory, manufacturing, and market standards. Their input helped us plan PRESS as not just a concept, but a realistic, patient-ready product.
What our Learning Community is saying
Our main goal was to spread awareness about asthma across community and high risk groups especially and introduce synthetic biology in a way that connects both science and real-life health.
We designed a full age timeline (from Kindergarten to Policy Makers), showing how content evolved with each audience’s capacity.
Kindergarten: focus on understanding asthma through play, songs, and simple visuals. Define different body parts with stressing on team work skills.
Primary & Preparatory: introduce biology basics, DNA structure,Microbes, and research thinking through games and experiments. The team also aimed to introduce lung structure and mention proper inhaler techniques in an easy simple way.
High School: explain gene expression, siRNA, and entrepreneurship concepts.The team also mentioned current asthma medications and types of inhalers.
University: train students on molecular tools (Benchling, plasmid design, ethics).
Adults & Geriatrics: discuss asthma management challenges and daily health.
High risk Groups: visited occupations that pose a high risk of asthmatic triggers in order to raise awareness.
Policy Makers: open dialogue on synthetic biology and education inclusion in curricula.
Activities were built around two main tools we created for clarity and structure:
Page Style Tool → organizes the Education page into four main parts (Journey, How Education Shaped PRESS, Focused Outreach, Feedback).
Event Documentation Tool → defines five consistent elements (Overview, Why it matters, Activities, Impact on Us, Impact on Them).
These tools were inspired by scientific learning models:
Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (experience → reflection → application).
Inquiry-Based Learning (question-driven discovery).
Community-Based Participatory Research (mutual learning).
This framework made every event evidence-based, structured, and comparable.
KG events:
Used role-play.
Added an inhaler song with step-by-step technique.
Posters + coloring activities reinforced learning visually.
Primary & Preparatory :
Card games and colored DNA models simplified genetic code and mutation.
Role-play showed the central dogma (DNA → RNA → Protein).
“Scientific research cycle” activity built early critical thinking.
High School :
Introduced gene expression & synthetic biology through interactive card simulation (DNA–RNA–protein–siRNA).
Connected directly to PRESS (TSLP gene, inflammation control).
Included short intro to entrepreneurship cycle (problem, gap, USP).
University & STEM
Live demo using Benchling plasmid map; explained promoters, resistance markers, and gene cloning.
Shared dry-lab ethics checklist (biosafety, data privacy, IPR).
Public & Geriatrics
Gave practical lifestyle advice, discussed drug side effects and adherence.
Engaged in dialogue to understand fears of aging patients & synthetic biology myths.
Policy Makers:
Discussed integrating our SynBio Guidebook into the medical curriculum as an elective course.
Exchanged feedback on ethical approval and curriculum adaptation.
Used both quantitative and qualitative evaluation:
Pre/post quizzes
Collected verbal feedback and reflection from participants.
Observed behavioral improvements (students using inhalers correctly, better understanding of asthma management).
Each event ends with a reflection on how students or participants retained the information and applied it.
Graphs and data are included visually to show measurable improvement.
Education was not separate — it directly shaped PRESS design and focus.
Feedback from geriatrics → inspired longer dosing interval (6-month formula).
School and student feedback → highlighted misunderstanding of inhaler use → reinforced need for accessibility and safety.
Policy discussion → emphasized regulatory and ethical clarity in biotherapeutics.
University sessions → refined our internal lab safety and data ethics approach.
The “How Education Shaped PRESS” section summarizes this evolution through all stages.
Shared all educational content online:
Asthma child book, inhaler posters, songs, SynBio Guidebook, Benchling templates, safety checklists.
Visuals and handouts are easy to translate and adapt for other regions or teams.
The two tools (Page + Event) are open frameworks for future teams to document and teach effectively.
All materials are hosted on the wiki and social media to encourage reuse.
Collaborated with physicians (Dr. Doaa – School Physician, Dr. Wagida) to ensure accuracy and safety.
Activities supervised in safe environments with real medical models (placebo inhalers).
Language accessibility: materials available in Arabic, English, Chinese, and Greek.
Considered vulnerable groups: geriatrics, children, and asthma-risk workers.
Addressed misinformation about inhaled steroids and synthetic biology ethics during sessions.
Every session included Q&A and two-way discussion:
KG students shared what they learned with family → reinforcing memory through social sharing.
High schoolers questioned gene editing ethics → led us to strengthen communication on biosafety.
Geriatrics shared medication challenges → shaped our product adherence plan.
Society Club discussions corrected synthetic biology misconceptions, turning skepticism into curiosity.
Policy meetings encouraged bidirectional exchange between our team and regulatory bodies.
Every meeting has two sections ( impact on us - Impact on them ), containing the detailed mentions of the two way discussion.
The dual-tool framework (page + event) converts educational reporting into a repeatable, scientific documentation method.
Materials (songs, visuals, guidebooks, datasets) remain publicly available for future iGEM teams.
Our structure supports evidence-based learning, transparency, and reflection — a sustainable education model within iGEM.
By linking every stage to real-world health and innovation, we built a legacy that blends scientific education with community empowerment.
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