Education

We have implemented an integrated science communication approach that combines customized activities for different audiences with purpose-designed educational materials. This strategy effectively promotes both synthetic biology literacy and specific understanding of our project's objectives, methodology, and potential impact.

Our audience-specific framework delivers tailored content through appropriate channels and formats, supported by a complete set of promotional materials that maintain consistent branding across all touchpoints. These materials serve dual purposes as both interactive tools and educational resources, enhancing engagement while conveying key scientific concepts.

This comprehensive system successfully bridges cutting-edge research with public understanding, establishing sustainable communication channels that benefit both immediate outreach goals and long-term science education objectives. The integrated approach ensures effective knowledge transfer while building meaningful connections between our research and diverse audience groups.

2.1 Activity Poster

To enhance the visual impact of the science popularization activities, we designed professional pull-out poster displays. The posters adopt a structured layout and scientific visualization design, systematically presenting the project background, technical principles, and social value.

Through prominent titles and hierarchical content arrangement, key information can be efficiently conveyed. The posters are placed at key movement points of the event, effectively increasing the visitors' interest in staying and their information reception rate, demonstrating the professionalism and standardization of the project's publicity.

2.2 Brochure

The brochure was compiled based on the core principle of "combining scientificity with popularization", systematically summarizing the technical framework of synthetic biology, the mechanism of nitric oxide detection, and the innovative value of the project.

The brochure adopts a visually rich presentation style, ensuring professional accuracy while emphasizing readability and dissemination effectiveness. It effectively builds a bridge between scientific research achievements and public understanding.

Through wide distribution to the public at on-site events, this brochure not only promoted the popularization of scientific knowledge but also significantly enhanced the dissemination scope and social influence of the project, laying an important foundation for subsequent technology promotion.

2.3 Badge

We customized exclusive badges with the team logo as interactive promotional materials for the science popularization activities. The badges are made of metal and possess both commemorative value and brand recognition functions. Through the gift incentive method, the badges effectively enhance the interaction willingness of the participants and continuously expand the project's influence in daily usage scenarios, creating a secondary dissemination effect.

Each badge features a unique design that incorporates key visual elements of our synthetic biology project, making them not only promotional items but also educational tools. When participants wear these badges, they become walking ambassadors for synthetic biology knowledge, sparking conversations and curiosity about the project in their social circles.

The badge distribution strategy was integrated with our educational workshops and public events, creating a tangible connection between participants and the scientific content. This approach proved particularly effective in engaging younger audiences, who responded positively to the combination of learning and receiving a physical memento of their experience.

2.4 Hat

In response to the actual needs of outdoor science popularization activities, we have developed functional themed hats with team logos. This design combines practical sun protection features with brand promotion functions. As a reward mechanism for interactive activities, it not only boosts participation enthusiasm but also achieves mobile publicity through wearing and use, thereby enhancing the continuous exposure of the project's image.

2.5 Fan

To adapt to the summer event scenarios, we designed a promotional fan that integrates project information and QR code functions. The fan surface content includes technical introductions and the entry to the online platform, combining the practicality of cooling and the function of information transmission. This design effectively connects offline activities with online dissemination, forming a three-dimensional publicity network, and enhancing the depth of public participation and the continuity of project dissemination.

2.6 Mascot

We designed a dedicated mascot for the project, whose design inspiration originated from the deep integration of cardiovascular disease research and synthetic biology. This image ingeniously combines the "heart" symbolizing life with the "DNA double helix" structure representing genetic technology. It not only highlights the scientific theme but also conveys a warm emotional expression.

During the presentation of the project's results, we officially deployed this mascot on the final Wiki website, serving as the visual identity and guiding image of the project. At the same time, based on the core shape of the mascot, we further developed a series of related emoticons and creative stickers to extend its dissemination power and application scenarios in a light and lively form.

The establishment of this overall visual system has achieved remarkable results: The mascot not only became the identification symbol for the project's external communication, but also, in a vivid and friendly way, bridged the gap between the advanced scientific content and the public, enhancing the project's influence in terms of breadth and penetration.

2.7 Stickers

Based on the mascot image system of the project, we developed a series of thematic stickers. The design adopts multiple dynamic expressions, strengthening the visual memory points, and is suitable for lecture gifts and interactive rewards. The stickers are used by sticking onto daily items to achieve the scene-based infiltration of the project's identification, forming a low-cost, wide-reaching communication path, and enhancing brand affinity and public participation.

2.8 WeChat Emoticons

We also designed and produced a set of theme emoticons around the project mascot. Through various lively and adorable expressions and dynamic designs, the professional scientific research project was integrated into daily social communication in a light and interesting way. This series of emoticons not only enhanced the brand recognition and friendliness of the project, but also created an automatic dissemination effect on the social platforms commonly used by young people. Subtly, it expanded the project's influence and the coverage of scientific popularization, becoming an emotional medium that connects scientific innovation with public participation.

Summary and Reflection: In this scientific communication activity, the diverse promotional materials effectively enhanced the activity's interactivity and brand exposure. However, the production costs of physical materials were high and their dissemination range was limited. In the future, efforts should be focused on developing digital promotional materials such as electronic manuals, interactive web pages, and social media content. This will help maintain the communication effectiveness while reducing marginal costs, expanding the coverage, and achieving the integration and optimal allocation of resources between online and offline publicity.

On July 27, 2025, we successfully held a science popularization event on synthetic biology for the public at the Hangzhou Low-Carbon Science and Technology Museum. This event, tailored to the characteristics of different age groups of the audience, featured differentiated interactive content and achieved excellent science popularization results.

3.1 Interactive Sections for Teenagers and Children

We carefully designed two practical activities for young participants. The biological structure coloring game allowed children to recognize the forms of life through creative fun. By coloring various biological structure patterns, it sparked their interest in life science. What was more attractive was the banana DNA crude extraction experiment. Under the guidance of volunteers, the children personally carried out operations such as grinding, lysis, and precipitation, and visually observed the process of white flocculent DNA precipitating. The volunteers explained the experimental principles in vivid and understandable language, comparing the cell structure to "small houses" and the detergent's role to "breaking open the house", making the abstract scientific concepts more vivid and easy to understand. This section not only exercised the children's hands-on skills but also planted the seeds of science in their hearts.

3.2 Publicity Campaign for Adult Audiences

For adult audiences, we adopted a multi-dimensional publicity plan. The eye-catching posters set up on-site presented the project background, technical principles, and social value with a striking visual design, providing an intuitive way for viewers to quickly understand the core content of the project. At the same time, we prepared a special publicity booklet that systematically expounded the concept of synthetic biology, the significance of the iGEM competition, and the advantages of fluorescence probe technology, which was available for interested viewers to read in depth. The customized theme publicity fans, which provided a refreshing feeling in the summer, also served as mobile publicity carriers. We also specially designed theme hats of different sizes to meet the wearing needs of both adults and children, being practical and enhancing the overall recognition of the event. The project publicity videos played continuously on-site, vividly explaining the technical innovation points and application prospects, attracting a large number of viewers to stop and communicate, creating a favorable interactive atmosphere.

Summary and Reflection:The event achieved positive outcomes through a tiered interactive approach, with hands-on activities successfully engaging children through tangible experiences and the professional promotional system effectively communicating the project's value to adult audiences. Reflections indicate that while physical materials enhanced on-site engagement, they incurred high production costs with limited post-event utilization. Future improvements should focus on developing digital resources such as experimental video tutorials and electronic handbooks, while implementing QR code integration to bridge offline activities with online dissemination, thereby establishing a more sustainable science communication model.

Meanwhile, in order to disseminate synthetic biology knowledge more widely and deeply to students of the same age group and promote the iGEM competition projects, we actively organized and carried out a series of campus science popularization activities. These activities covered multiple middle schools and were conducted through vivid and understandable presentations, interactive explanations,and physical demonstrations. They systematically introduced the basic concepts of synthetic biology, the innovative design and scientific significance of our team's project, as well as the platform and spirit of the iGEM competition. These lectures not only sparked students' interest in the cutting-edge field of life science but also enhanced their understanding of scientific research team collaboration and innovative practice, further expanding the social influence and educational value of the project.

4.1 Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School

To further promote the popularization of synthetic biology among the youth，we held a comprehensive activity at Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School, integrating knowledge dissemination and practical interaction. This activity adopted a dual-track model of "presentation + charity sale"， emphasizing both the systematic transmission of scientific knowledge and the practical experience of public participation, comprehensively enhancing the dissemination effect of the project in the campus environment.

4.1.1 Project Presentation

To stimulate the interest of middle school students in synthetic biology，the iGEM Shanghai team held a theme presentation event at Hangzhou Entel Foreign Language School. Team member used vivid examples and simple explanations to systematically introduce the application value of synthetic biology and the research content of our project，helping students establish a basic understanding of the cutting-edge science. The event was filled with active interactions，and students showed great enthusiasm for exploration， laying a good foundation for subsequent communication.

4.1.2 Fundraising event

After the presentation, the team held a themed charity sale. Various promotional items, including custom fans, badges, and stickers, were available at the event. These materials were all from the leftover supplies from the initial promotional campaign. The specially designed charity fan covers were printed with the project QR code, making it easy for participants to scan and learn about the project details at any time. The event attracted a large number of teachers and students to participate. The charity goods were quickly sold out, effectively expanding the project's influence. The funds raised will also be included in the team's budget to support subsequent scientific research and public awareness efforts.

Summary and Reflection: This event achieved remarkable results through the innovative model of "theme lectures + charity sale". The theme lecture section systematically expounded the application value of synthetic biology with vivid examples, effectively stimulating the interest of middle school students in cutting-edge science. The subsequent charity sale ingeniously utilized the remaining promotional materials and achieved the secondary dissemination of project information through customized fans, badges, etc. The event not only effectively expanded the project's influence but also established a sustainable dissemination channel through QR codes and other designs. At the same time, the research funds raised provided support for subsequent work. What needs improvement is to establish a more systematic follow-up interaction mechanism, such as forming a school-based science club or conducting online Q&A, to maintain students' long-term participation enthusiasm; at the same time, digital resources suitable for campus scenarios can be further developed to extend the influence of offline activities to online platforms.

4.2 The Affiliated High School of South China Normal University

To stimulate young students' interest in cutting-edge science, our team held a popular science lecture at the Affiliated High School of South China Normal University, titled "Synthetic Biology: A New Chapter of Design and Creation of Life". The lecture systematically introduced the concepts and applications of this emerging field. Starting from the basic concepts of synthetic biology, it explained that it is not only about "understanding" life, but also an engineering science of "designing and reprogramming" life, integrating multiple cutting-edge disciplines such as biology, engineering, and information science. Through a series of practical cases, we demonstrated the wide application of synthetic biology in medical health, environmental governance, energy materials, etc., helping students understand its practical value and development potential. The interactive session was lively, and students actively raised questions on topics such as the ethical boundaries and future development directions of synthetic biology, demonstrating a strong interest and critical thinking. This event effectively expanded students' scientific horizons, stimulated their interest in and exploration of the field of life science, and sowed the seeds of hope for future talent cultivation.

Summary and Reflection: This popular science event successfully established a systematic cognitive framework for synthetic biology, effectively broadened the disciplinary horizons of the participants, and sparked the interest of some audience members in delving deeper into the cutting-edge fields. Through the carefully designed course content, the participants were exposed to many knowledge areas they had not previously encountered. Particularly, the setting of the post-class question-and-answer session enabled learners with a foundation in biology to provide insightful responses to the pre-determined questions, demonstrating a favorable effect of knowledge absorption.

4.3 Suzhou Science and Technology Town Foreign Language School

We conducted a series of science popularization activities on synthetic biology at Suzhou Science and Technology Town Foreign Language School. Through various forms, we promoted cutting-edge scientific knowledge to students of different grades and enhanced their interest in the iGEM competition and scientific research practice.

4.3.1 Popular Science Lecture

After thorough communication with the school, in order to promote the achievements of our team project, expand the influence of the iGEM competition, and prepare for the recruitment of the next year's team, we recently successfully held an informative and highly interactive iGEM popular science presentation. The event attracted many students interested in life sciences to participate, and the overall effect was remarkable, achieving the expected goals.

At the beginning of the event, the invited senior students briefly introduced the project overview based on last year's Bioplus-China team's participation experience, and from the perspectives of team collaboration, project advancement, and competition preparation, provided several practical suggestions, offering valuable first-hand references for the students. Subsequently, the iGEM promotional video was played, presenting the innovative atmosphere and international perspective of the competition in a vivid visual and auditory form. In the core presentation section, our team systematically explained the project of the Shanghai team, elaborating on the project background, technical route, and social value, clearly presenting the construction logic and innovative significance of the scientific research project.

The entire event not only effectively conveyed the latest developments in synthetic biology but also ignited the enthusiasm of the students. After the presentation, there was active on-site communication, and many students expressed their intention to join, laying a good foundation for the formation of the 2026 team and achieving the multi-objective goals of project promotion, competition promotion, and talent reserve.

4.3.2 Thematic Exhibition

To visually showcase our team's research achievements and competitive strength, we conducted a one-week special poster campaign at Suzhou Science City Foreign Language Senior High School, targeting all students in junior and senior high schools. The core content of this campaign focused entirely on our iGEM competition project for 2025. Through carefully designed display boards and continuously playing team project videos, the project's initiation background, technical route, innovative highlights, and social application value were systematically presented.

During the campaign period, the display boards in the public areas of the teaching building presented the scientific logic and experimental progress of the project in a visually rich format. Additionally, the accompanying videos further enhanced the vividness and appeal of the project introduction through dynamic demonstrations. This audio-visual combination method attracted a large number of students to stop by during after-school hours, effectively enhancing students' awareness and interest in our team's work.

Summary and Reflection：The science popularization activities carried out at Suzhou Science City Foreign Language School significantly enhanced students' understanding and enthusiasm for synthetic biology and the iGEM competition through special lectures and a one-week thematic exhibition. After the exhibition, many students who were interested in iGEM came forward to inquire about the details of the competition and the project requirements, fully demonstrating the lasting influence of the event. This activity, relying on the practical experience sharing of previous teams and the three-dimensional display combining audio-visual means, successfully stimulated students' interest in scientific research and laid a solid foundation for future team recruitment.

4.4 Beijing No. 2 Middle School

Our team members have submitted their iGEM research on fluorescent probes to the school journal Nature of Life. As an important academic platform at our institution, the journal effectively balances scholarly rigor with accessibility, serving as a vital venue for showcasing student research achievements. Through this submission, our students have systematically presented their academic contributions and experimental methodology in synthetic biology, demonstrating both scientific precision and readability for the campus community.

The journal's academic committee has provided positive evaluation of the students' work, recognizing it as an exemplary model for introducing synthetic biology concepts to secondary school students. This accomplishment not only reflects our students' innovative capabilities in scientific research but also represents a valuable addition to our school's academic environment. The publication effectively promotes the understanding and development of interdisciplinary research approaches at the secondary education level, highlighting our students' growing expertise in this emerging field.

Summary and Reflection：The publication in our school journal has effectively enhanced the campus visibility of the iGEM project, providing secondary students with an exemplary case of synthetic biology research. However, the limited space restricted detailed elaboration of technical aspects. We will continue subsequent research and plan to present project outcomes more comprehensively through a series of publications.

We also attach great importance to scientific popularization through social media. We continuously update content on multiple platforms such as WeChat official account, Bilibili, Tiktok, and Rednote, presenting project progress and synthetic biology knowledge in a simple and understandable way, and actively interacting with the public.

On the WeChat official account, we regularly publish project posts, systematically introducing stage achievements and team dynamics; on Bilibili and Tiktok, we showcase laboratory daily life and experimental operations through short videos, transforming the complex sensor research process into an intuitive and interesting visual story; on the Rednote platform, we mainly share iGEM competition experiences, scientific knowledge, and team culture in the form of graphic and textual notes, attracting more young people to pay attention to synthetic biology and scientific innovation.

Through these contents, we not only promptly conveyed project information, but also shaped a real, professional, and dynamic team image, effectively enhancing public awareness and interest in the iGEM competition and nitric oxide biosensor, achieving cross-border dissemination from the scientific research circle to a wider audience.

Summary and Reflection: Our social media outreach has successfully engaged core demographics but requires broader reach. To expand our audience, we will develop more accessible visual content and implement platform-specific strategies with targeted promotions. Future efforts will focus on optimized content distribution and strategic collaborations to enhance accessibility and engagement across diverse viewer groups.

We have established an integrated science communication system that effectively bridges synthetic biology research and public understanding through diverse outreach activities and multi-platform strategies.

Our initiative developed educational resources and interactive content that successfully engaged participants across all age groups. While achieving meaningful impact through hands-on activities and digital dissemination, we identified key areas for improvement: enhancing long-term impact assessment, strengthening online engagement, developing digital resources to complement physical materials, and creating more interactive learning experiences.

This sustainable communication model provides valuable insights for future science outreach efforts. We remain committed to refining these approaches to foster an more inclusive scientific community, advancing both public understanding and the culture of scientific innovation.