Overview
This year, our educational efforts aimed to engage diverse audiences in understanding synthetic biology and its connections to real-world issues, particularly feline health.
Our education focused on three main aspects:
Promoting high-school students' general knowledge of synthetic biology;
Raising awareness of cat diseases;
Publicizing our project in detail with students at our school and across the country.
We combined hands-on activities, such as transforming excess cat fur into felt crafts during Hairball Awareness Day, with structured lectures, cross-school crosstalks, and creative exhibits like agar art and DNA bracelets. These activities encouraged participants to ask questions, discuss challenges, and reflect on the societal and scientific aspects of our work, fostering a two-way exchange of knowledge. By documenting our methods and materials, we created resources that others can replicate or adapt, promoting scientific learning, enabling broader participation, and allowing the community to contribute to discussions on synthetic biology responsibly.
Our team's educational initiatives convincingly enabled more people to engage with synthetic biology by lowering entry barriers and creating accessible resources. We built the Bio, SynBio & Compute Bio website, offering beginner-friendly guides, lab tutorials, and one-click computational scripts that reached over 100,000 monthly views. Through this platform, newcomers and experienced learners both gained the tools and knowledge to meaningfully participate in synthetic biology.
We also promoted dialogue and mutual learning through interactive events. Activities such as our campus gene editing ethics debate, public lectures, and cross-talks with other iGEM teams fostered discussion across different audiences, while initiatives like the iJAM band performance and agar art exhibition used creative formats to connect science with broader communities. These exchanges not only spread awareness but also brought fresh insights that informed our own project.
Our work was thoughtfully implemented to ensure both educational value and long-term relevance. The recorder experiments with lab beginners demonstrated the repeatability of our protocols while training future iGEM team members, and our Hairball Awareness Day workshop creatively connected synthetic biology with public health awareness. By combining rigor with inclusivity, we designed initiatives that engaged diverse groups while addressing real-world issues.
Finally, all activities were carefully documented so others could build upon them. Beyond the openly available website, we included detailed appendices of bilingual lecture slides, debate presentations, and recruitment materials. This ensures that our educational outputs are not only impactful at the moment but also reusable resources for iGEM teams, educators, and students worldwide.
Promoting General Information on Synthetic Biology
Building an Impactful Synthetic Biology Website
While contemplating how to elevate the level of the synthetic biology community, we identified two major issues during our research:
How new scholars enter the community: There is a need to help newcomers get started in synthetic biology, encompassing foundational concepts, laboratory operations, and methodological logic.
Disparity in understanding: There exists a significant divide within the synthetic biology, molecular biology, and life sciences communities in terms of familiarity with experimental techniques, molecular simulations, and informatics methods. Many leading experts can adeptly use AI to design proteins and small-molecule ligands, while others lack basic knowledge of simulation and design.
Unfortunately, due to information gaps, addressing these two issues can be costly. For instance, in China, commercial companies typically sell pre-packaged reagents at inflated prices. The quality of various experimental tutorials is often inconsistent, with some outdated teaching videos still being sold at high costs. Charging for computational biology and bioinformatics services is particularly severe; a molecular dynamics simulation that costs less than one hundred yuan can be outsourced by intermediaries at twenty times the price, often by individuals who do not understand the underlying principles and who deliver scientifically inaccurate results. One of our members once sought help with molecular docking and molecular dynamics, only to receive a trajectory for a small molecule that lacked hydrogen atoms—an unscientific and dishonest act. Such scientifically flawed outcomes are frequently used in the publication of cutting-edge papers.
In light of these challenges, we created the Bio, SynBio & Compute Bio website after conducting a thorough analysis of the current state of synthetic biology education (Figures 1-2). Our goal is to provide beginners in molecular biology, synthetic biology, and computational biology with foundational knowledge and user-friendly tools.
Figure 1. The homepage of the synthetic biology website.
Figure 2. Table of contents of the synthetic biology website.
The website is divided into several sections:
iGEM Beginner's Guide for High School Students: Drawing from years of participation experience and the latest judge handbook, we have systematically analyzed various aspects such as suitability for iGEM participation, project selection, safety protocols, evaluation criteria, and important timelines. This content is crafted to be easily understandable for high school students, while including examples relevant to undergraduate and graduate participants to deepen understanding. These articles have achieved significant outreach, with monthly views surpassing 100,000, demonstrating their effectiveness.
Molecular Biology Introductory Guide: This section aims to assist students in learning molecular biology concepts and understanding how they serve as the experimental foundation for synthetic biology. Here, we showcase the typical workflow from gene acquisition to protein expression, preparation of common reagents, and basic operational guidelines for laboratory instruments. We are committed to continuously updating this section by integrating more resources to provide straightforward knowledge.
Practical Scripts for Computational Biology: This is the most visited section of our website. Our previous surveys indicated that while many users had a basic understanding of computation, they often felt overwhelmed by complex software. To address this, we have developed one-click scripts alongside introductory information. These include one-click installations of GROMACS, scripts for configuring protein-small molecule molecular dynamics systems, generating cyclic peptide structures, and performing batch protein structure mutations. The development of these scripts was inspired by our initial efforts to assist users at no charge or at cost while collecting and organizing useful tools for distribution.
To date, we have directly assisted over 200 individuals with simulations and provided guidance to over a thousand people with various inquiries. Our team members are also active on Chinese social media platforms, offering help and support.
Currently, the website maintains a stable monthly view count of over 100,000. We will continue to maintain and update the site, aiming to enrich its content further.
iJAM Band Performance
We were deeply intrigued by the beauty of music arts, and explored the possibility of using music to promote our project and synthetic biology to the public. BNDS-China continued our journey as the band iJAM, a group composed of individuals passionate about both synthetic biology and music. We played "Don't Cry After" at the Principal's Scholarship Award Ceremony (Figure 3). The lyrics of this song describe the bittersweet experiences of our experimental process (Figure 4).
Figure 3. iJAM band performing at the Principal's Scholarship Award Ceremony.
Figure 4. Lyrics of our original song "Don't Cry After."
Performing at this event not only attracted a diverse group of fans but also helped establish a deeper connection between the public and the field of synthetic biology.
Lab Skills Training
To further engage our community, we conducted beginner lab skills training sessions in collaboration with the biology club, BioCamp (Figure 5). These workshops introduced participants to fundamental laboratory techniques in synthetic biology while covering a range of bio-related topics.
Figure 5. Lab skill training for beginners.
In addition to traditional training, we initiated a biotechnology course designed to provide students with more hands-on lab experience.
This course included demonstrations, instructional sessions, and tutorial sessions, allowing students to perform experiments.
We also invited students to participate in experiments as part of the "recorder" section, to validate the repeatability of our experiments by having non-experienced students do it.
Our efforts through these training sessions contributed to impressive achievements, with participants earning multiple medals in prestigious competitions such as the USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) and the British Biology Olympiad (BBO).
Recorder Experiment Conducted by Lab Beginners
We came up with an idea to combine our Measurement section with our Education section. We educated lab beginners to conduct recorder experiments (Figure 6). If they could complete the Measurement using our documented protocol and explanation, it would help showcase the repeatability of our Retro-Cascorder experiments. After emphasizing lab safety, we introduced participants to fundamental laboratory techniques in synthetic biology and the protocol of our recorder experiments. We mentored beginners to conduct PCR and purification experiments, and got successful results, showing that our protocol can be easily understood even by beginners, therefore demonstrating the great repeatability of our recorder experiment for other iGEM teams.
Figure 6. Conducting retro-cascorder experiments with lab beginners.
After completing these recorder experiments, the students showed interest in joining next year's iGEM team of BNDS-China. By holding mentoring sessions of molecular biology experiments, we can know the students' passion for the iGEM competition and their ability to quickly learn experimental operations, which are crucial qualities to be a valuable member of the iGEM team.
Debate on Gene Editing Ethical Problems
We initiated a campus-wide focus on the ethical aspects of genomic editing. We have over 20 attendees, creating a significant impact. After the debate, we lectured attendees with practical examples to enhance their understanding of synthetic biology (Figure 7) (see Appendix: Debate activity slides_PDF).
Figure 7. Debate activity.
Raising Awareness of Cat Disease
Specific to our project's focus, since cat diseases like IBD and hairball issues are common but not well-understood by the owners, we wanted to educate the public about them.
Making Felt Using Cat Hair on Hairball Awareness Day
We hosted activities for Hairball Awareness Day 2025, where participants engaged in a hands-on workshop aimed at promoting sustainability and raising awareness about common cat diseases associated with hairballs (Figure 8). During this event, we demonstrated how to transform excess cat fur collected from students' pets into creative felted crafts and created meaningful handmade crafts for attendees.
Figure 8. Hairball Awareness Day activity. A, promotional poster for the Hair Ball Awareness Day workshop. B, a student engaged in creating her craft out of cat fur. C, the final product of a student's project was made from excess cat fur during the Hair Ball Awareness Day workshop.
Publicizing Our Project in Detail with Students at Our School and across the Country
Public Lectures & Connecting with Our Peers
This year, all lectures and project descriptions adhere to a carefully designed outline, with slight modifications to suit audiences with different backgrounds. This ensures consistent, informative, communicative, and effective presentations. The PowerPoint outline is structured as follows: Background, presenting the problem and survey data; Design, detailing our probiotic system and genetic circuit; Future Work, outlining planned developments; and Human Practices, summarizing stakeholder feedback and educational initiatives that informed our project (see Appendices: Lecture slides English version_PDF; Lecture slides Chinese version_PDF).
CCiC
This year, we participated in the Conference of the China iGEMer Community (CCiC) on August 7 at Zhongguancun Exhibition Center (Figure 9). The event featured an engaged audience of approximately 500 attendees, including both professionals and students curious about the field of synthetic biology. The judges were comprised of esteemed experts in the biological sciences, who actively participated in meaningful discussions throughout the presentations.
Figure 9. Photo of participants in CCiC.
Participating in CCiC not only allowed us to present our work but also exposed us to a variety of innovative projects from other teams. We were truly enlightened by their fresh ideas and approaches. It was a great honor to share our project with such a diverse and dynamic audience, and we deeply appreciated the opportunity to engage with fellow enthusiasts in the field.
BNDS x BUCT Online Crosstalk
In our cross-talk with the BUCT iGEM team, we began by sharing our project, including the background and overview of each design module (Figure 10). We also discussed technical details, such as our use of the INPNC cell surface display system, and exchanged experiences on optimizing results. BUCT members showed particular interest in our recorder module, raising questions that sparked an in-depth technical discussion and helped us refine our own understanding.
Figure 10. Participants in cross-talk with BUCT.
The BUCT project focuses on polyester plastic pollution in the ocean. They engineered a polyester-depolymerizing enzyme and demonstrated its application both during production, to enhance degradability at the source, and in the environment, using a monitoring platform to track microplastics degradation.
We were impressed by the depth of their Human Practices work, which carefully considered societal impacts and real-world applications. Their insights highlighted areas where we could expand the practical relevance of our own project. The session concluded with mutual updates and encouragement. We appreciated BUCT's detailed feedback and look forward to collaborating and learning from each other in future exchanges.
BNDS x SHSBNU Online Crosstalk
This year, we collaborated with SHSBNU to hold a crosstalk (Figure 11).
Figure 11. Participants in cross-talk with SHSBNU.
We began by introducing our projects to each other, dividing our presentation into four parts to provide a clear overview of our work and future plans. During the Q&A, we had a very in-depth discussion on our AND gate design and detailed exchanges about measurement methods and optimization strategies. SHSBNU shared their work on designing a protein for space suits, exploring multiple protein variants, and planning a hardware setup to test protein strength. Their approach and creativity broadened our perspective and inspired new ideas for our own project.
At the end of the session, we exchanged updates on our experimental progress and encouraged one another. Thank you, SHSBNU, for your valuable insights and thoughtful questions. We look forward to collaborating again next year!
BNDS x UCAS x BWYA x RDFZ x BJWZ x SHSBNU x Keystone Crosstalk
This year, we collaborated with UCAS, BWYA, RDFZ, BJWZ, SHSBNU, and Keystone to hold a crosstalk (Figure 12).
Figure 12. Lecturers in the UCAS x BWYA x RDFZ x BJWZ x SHSBNU x Keystone crosstalk.
Beginning with an ice-breaking activity, we quickly familiarized ourselves with the other teams through brief member introductions. Following up, the teams started to introduce their projects and exchange questions. During our presentation, we divided the project into five modules: Background, Experimental Design, Hardware & Modeling, Human Practice, and Education. We provided clear descriptions of our probiotic platform and received insightful feedback from the other teams, including SHSBNU and BWYA.
The other teams focused on various fields. For instance, UCAS studied the treatment of Tomato Spot Disease. They designed a positive feedback loop to increase the expression of TEV, treating tomatoes displaying a potential risk of carrying spot disease. Additionally, interconnecting hardware and software, they constructed a portable Tomato Spot Disease detection APP.
At the end of the crosstalk activity, we exchanged and updated our experimental progress. Finally, we encouraged each other and thanked them for their valuable suggestions. Thank you, UCAS, BWYA, RDFZ, BJWZ, SHSBNU, and Keystone. We look forward to meeting you at the Jamboree.
Agar Art Exhibition
Art serves as a wonderful medium for enjoyably educating individuals. This year, we decided to blend synthetic biology with art by creating agar artwork (Figure 13). By transforming plasmids that continuously express bright fluorescent proteins and chromoproteins into E. coli BL21 (DE3), we crafted agar plates showcasing cats, campus scenery, etc.
Figure 13. Plates from Agar Art Exhibition.
To ensure safety during our exhibition, all the experimental processes, including agar art drawing and photographing, are done in the school lab with strict adherence to lab policies. Only pictures of the plates were exhibited to the public; no organisms or plates were brought out of the lab.
While synthetic biology products are increasingly common, the public might not be familiar with them. Some individuals might perceive synthetic biology as an area alien to their everyday lives, while others may contend that these technologies remain experimental. Through our agar art exhibition, we aimed to bring synthetic biology closer to the public and highlight the potential of this field that awaits exploration and creativity.
Feedback from attendees indicated new interest in the bioengineering field. We hope to see the influence of synthetic biology flourish continuously, much like the bacteria we've cultivated so extensively.
Selling Handmade DNA Bracelets
During the club carnival event held campus-wide, we designed and produced unique handmade DNA bracelets that feature nucleotide base pairs, each representing matching sequences (Figure 14). These bracelets serve not only as stylish accessories but also as meaningful friendship bracelets, symbolizing the connections we share. This initiative aimed to promote synthetic biology and spark interest in the wonders of genetics among our peers.
Figure 14. Club promotion activity.
The entire process of creating these bracelets was enjoyable and fulfilling. We took great pleasure in designing each piece, carefully selecting nucleotide sequences to ensure they matched perfectly. Working as a team added to the fun, sharing the goal of making science accessible and engaging for our community.
Our efforts attracted a younger audience, and many attendees were fascinated by the science behind the bracelets. Feedback from participants also highlighted an unexpected benefit: the bracelets deepened the bonds of friendship among many, as several people chose to gift them as surprises. It was truly heartwarming to see friends exchanging these bracelets.
Club Fair Publicity
At the school's annual Academic Club Fair , the participants are around thousands of students ranging from G10 to G11, and the event lasted for 3 days, our iGEM team seized the opportunity to promote our club and the field of synthetic biology (Figure 15). Our main goal was to spark interest among students and recruit new members from the incoming Grade 10 as well as Grade 11 classes to join us on our journey.
Figure 15. Publicizing BNDS-China during the school's club fair.
We prepared poster that conveyed the core values and highlights of the iGEM competition. It not only helped us introduce the fundamentals of synthetic biology to new audiences but also demonstrated our team's deep commitment and passion for the field. We aimed to leave a lasting, positive impression on all who visited our booth, hoping to inspire talented individuals to become part of our team.
Freshmen Recruitment Talk
We held a recruitment session for incoming students to introduce iGEM (Figure 16). During the talk, we explained the goals of our team, the adventure of participating in iGEM, and how synthetic biology can address real-world challenges. Attendees learned about our project design, experiments, and how we approach both scientific research and human practices. Our session aimed to inspire more students to engage with synthetic biology and join our iGEM journey. We highlighted the team structure, lab opportunities, and the collaborative nature of iGEM, showing how freshmen can contribute at different levels while building skills in research, communication, and teamwork (see Appendix: Recruitment slides_PDF).
Figure 16. A recruitment talk for freshmen.