Education
"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
This quote by William Butler Yeats perfectly captures the spirit behind our series of science education activities. We strongly believe that spreading scientific knowledge isn't something you do alone—it's about connecting with diverse groups and applying it in various real-life situations so that ideas can truly take hold. Through our efforts, we're helping build a society that's more inclusive, equitable, and scientifically informed.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) principle of "leaving no one behind" guides all our education and outreach efforts. From preschoolers to college students, from kids in school to everyday people, from busy cities to remote rural areas with limited resources—our mission is straightforward: give back to the community by sharing the fundamentals of synthetic biology, key principles of life sciences, details about our programs, and how science tackles real-world problems. This includes addressing issues like health and access to education.
We make it a priority to include everyone in society: from children left behind in rural areas, to high schoolers and aspiring students interested in life sciences, to the general public who might be skeptical about synthetic biology. All should have equal access to our science outreach materials. In doing so, we aim to empower more people with scientific understanding—especially those in underserved groups and students who lack resources or exposure to advanced science. This way, they not only experience the warmth and importance of science but also receive real support in their lives, filling gaps in the help they need to grow and thrive. Ultimately, this helps ensure no one is left behind in their personal development.
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1. Promote Mutual Learning and Dialogue:
- 3 volunteer teaching teams served 600+ rural students, collecting 300+ pieces of feedback and 176 works;
- Participated in National Science Popularization Month activities, answering the public's questions face to face;
- Operated WeChat / Rednote platform to create popular science content, achieving online-offline two-way interaction
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2. High Reusability of Achievements:
- Jointly compiled the scientific brochure Smashing Synthetic Biology Rumors with 32 schools, accessible for anyone to download and read;
- Independently developed the board game "LACMA: The Tumor Battlefield" for popular science activities, providing tools for science popularization
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3. Thoughtfulness in Activity Implementation:
- Adhered to the SDGs principle of "Leave No One Behind" and designed comprehensive science popularization initiatives to address the gaps in rural education and the public's lack of scientific knowledge;
- The activities covered a wide range of people and attracted 3000+ participants, including rural children, middle school students, college students, and the general public
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4. Effectively Helping More People Participate in Synthetic Biology:
- Conducted customized synthetic biology popularization targeting specific groups based on the project, ensuring that people from different groups can understand synthetic biology;
- The team's public platforms, along with 7 reports from national, provincial, and municipal media, achieved a total of 100,000+ views, expanding influence to help more people understand and participate in synthetic biology
In response to the uneven distribution of educational resources and limited medical knowledge in rural areas,
we centered our efforts on teaching.In August and September 2025, we dispatched three teams to Chenzhou and Yongzhou
in Hunan Province. Our aim was not only to introduce synthetic biology and promote our project but also to address
gaps in scientific knowledge and provide growth support for rural communities through education on non-genetic inher
itance, first aid training, material donations, and other multifaceted forms of assistance. This ensures that no one
is left behind in their development.
1.Volunteer Teaching at Chujiang Town Central Primary School in Chenzhou City
Located in a mountainous area, the school has a high proportion of left-behind children and limited access to health education. We started with health topics relevant to their daily lives: educating the children about local infectious diseases, parasitic diseases, and preventive measures to help them protect themselves. Since most children are cared for by grandparents, representing a typical left-behind children and empty-nest elderly scenario, we also introduced common health issues and age-related diseases prevalent among the elderly. Furthermore, drawing from the children’s experience of muscle soreness after exercise, we demystified the phenomenon by explaining the role of lactic acid and taught sports health knowledge, enabling them to stay safe during physical activities.
To make science engagement more fun, we adopted our self-designed board game “LACMA: Battlefield of Tumors” to introduce basic concepts in an interactive way—sparking participants’ imagination and interest in the wonders of life sciences.
To make the knowledge more accessible, we integrated life sciences with China's intangible cultural heritage in "The Aesthetics of Life" education. This included activities such as making biological specimens, creating plant tapping and dyeing, and explaining how genes determine traits, the principles of synthetic biology, and techniques for engineering organisms. We invited inheritors of the Linwu Nuo Opera, an intangible cultural heritage, to give live lessons. Through their wonderful performances and teaching, children experienced the beauty of this art.
At the end of the acticities, We collected 176 student works, and the provincial newspaper Hunan Daily published two feature reports praising this practice of delivering science and care to rural communities in ways they can understand
2.Volunteer Teaching at Lanshan No. 2 Middle School in Yongzhou City
For high school students with a basic understanding of biology, we avoided simple analogies and instead deeply integrated science popularization with their learning and growth needs. We began with the "cell metabolism" chapter from high school biology, guiding students to recall normal cellular energy supply. Then, we introduced the Warburg effect in tumor cells and encouraged them to independently deduce why lactic acid becomes a tumor's "accomplice." Next, we broke down our project technology: Synthetic biology emphasizes modular design, and our "Lactate Receptor - TEV Enzyme System" uses the "Lactate Receptor" and "TEV Enzyme" as BioBricks. When lactate levels increase, these modules assemble to activate the lactate degradation function. We explained that techniques such as gene cloning and protein interactions are core content they will encounter in future university studies in life sciences.
We set up a special "message feedback" session and collected 300+ messages, including one from a student who wrote, "I hope to see you again next year." The activity served more than 500 students and received media coverage from China.com, the College Students' Social Practice Network, and Hunan Daily. It was also designated as a "Colorful Vacation" project in Hunan Province, ensuring that rural high school students do not fall behind in scientific knowledge and career choices.
3.Volunteer Teaching at Primary School in Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, Yongzhou
Considering the growth needs of the students at this school, we combined science popularization with health protection and material support. We designed the "Little Bio-Designer" activity, using different colors of playdough to represent various biological functions, explaining the principles of our project, and encouraging the children to design their own "wonderful creatures." In collaboration with the local hospital, we conducted first aid training covering CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. More than 90% of the participating students and teachers mastered basic first-aid skills. At the same time, we organized charity clinics and health education sessions to promote the prevention of common diseases and personal hygiene knowledge. Additionally, we donated sports equipment such as badminton rackets and ping-pong paddles, valued at thousands of RMB, to the school. This provided the children with extra health safeguards and opportunities for physical activity beyond scientific knowledge.
The activities reached over 100 students, and their impact extended to the entire community through cultural performances featuring scenario dramas we choreographed. The local media "Today's Yongzhou" reported on it twice, and the project was designated as a "Colorful Holidays" initiative in Hunan Province. We provided "visible and tangible" care to ensure that rural children do not fall behind in any key aspect of their development.
Summary
In summary, the three locations collectively served more than 600 students directly and indirectly reached residents, teachers, and other groups. The activities influenced a broad audience, creating a multilayered chain of impact from students to families to communities. Geographically, they covered three towns in Chenzhou and Yongzhou. Two teams were recognized as part of Hunan Province's "Colorful Holidays" project and received provincial support, while one team obtained support from the "Sun Charity Foundation," a 4A-level non-public foundation. The educational outcomes have been widely acknowledged, with reports from various provincial, municipal, and national media including "Hunan Daily," "Today's Yongzhou," "China.com,"and the "College Students' Social Practice Network." In total, there were 7 media reports at provincial, municipal, These reports releases have garnered 100,000+ views.and industry levels, along with dozens of tweets and videos published on our team's platforms such as WeChat public accounts, Rednote, and video channels. Overall, the activities were well-received and made significant contributions to equalizing educational resources and popularizing knowledge of synthetic biology in remote areas.
In addition to rural education, we designed specialized science popularization activities for students of various ages, covering the entire growth cycle from children to prospective college students. This ensures that curious young people at every stage receive appropriate guidance, preventing their desire for exploration from fading due to information gaps.
1.CSU Spiceman Museum Series Activities
Using the CSU Spiceman Museum as a base, we organized several daily lectures and a summer camp, attracting 300+ participants, with a focus on young people lacking access to cutting-edge science.
The daily lectures began with specimen observation: we guided the children to compare diagrams of the human metabolic system with tumor tissue specimens, then posed the question, "Why do tumor cells look different from normal cells?" We gradually explained the connection between the Warburg effect and lactic acid. We also used the metaphor of "biological blocks" to break down our project technology, employing PPT animations to illustrate the "lactate receptor - TEV enzyme" module and make abstract principles more visual. The summer camp included a "Little Synthetic Biology Engineer" hands-on session, where children used playdough to create models of the "Lactate Regulatory System." We not only transmitted knowledge but also emphasized interactive fun, allowing each child to discover the joy of science so that no curious young mind is left behind during the enlightenment stage.
2.Specialized Lectures for High School Students
During the college entrance exam volunteer period, we collaborated with Fudan University to conduct online lectures for prospective college students. At this stage, they often face confusion over major selection, so we started by outlining the content of life science studies in college. We highlighted the interdisciplinary and practical aspects of synthetic biology, integrating them with our project by explaining the challenges we encountered and how we resolved them. This helped prospective students understand how to transform textbook knowledge into real scientific research outcomes. We also invited professors from Central South University's School of Life Sciences to answer questions and detail life science research, building confidence in their specialization choices.
At the invitation of Shanghai Link International School, we partnered with Fudan University, East China Agricultural University, Southern University of Science and Technology, and Shenzhen University to deliver online lectures for students interested in the iGEM competition and synthetic biology. We shared project design logic, from identifying pain points in tumor metabolism to developing synthetic biology module solutions. We carefully dissected the links between the competition and scientific research, and exchanged ideas with university iGEM teams, showing students that their peers can engage in cutting-edge scientific practice. We provided precise guidance at key growth points, ensuring that prospective students and young people do not fall behind in their scientific exploration directions.
For the broadest segments of society, we designed low-threshold, multifaceted science popularization activities to reach the public at varying cognitive levels and in different life scenarios. This breaks down the barrier that cutting-edge science is only for professionals, ensuring equal access to content for anyone interested in learning about science.
1.Public Media Science Popularization: Spanning Spaces to Reach Diverse Groups
Using Rednote and WeChat as platforms, we continuously produced popular science content throughout the project. The posts were designed around hot topics and life relevance, introducing the public to concepts like the Warburg effect through graphics and text. The content avoided obscure terminology, making it easily accessible via mobile phones for urban office workers, rural residents, or anyone concerned about health. This truly bridges the information gap, ensuring that no one eager to learn about science falls behind due to difficulties in reading or accessing it.
2.Activities for the General Public: Bringing Science Closer Through Immersive Experiences
We collaborated with the National University of Defense Technology and Hunan University to set up a "Life's Wonderful Structures" themed science booth at the National Science Popularization Month Science Bazaar. Through physical observation and hands-on experiments, the public could experience synthetic biology firsthand: animal and plant specimens, gene circuit models, and E. coli expressing green fluorescent proteins were displayed to help visitors intuitively understand life's structures and genetic modifications. Meanwhile, participants engaged in crude DNA extraction experiments to grasp the nature of genetic elements through direct operation. During the entire event, our science popularization services covered 1000+ people, including primary and secondary school students, parents, and elderly citizens with an interest in science, allowing a broad audience to personally feel the charm of synthetic biology. Once the public had a basic understanding that synthetic biology involves engineering life systems, we introduced the LACMA project, explaining that it targets tumor lactate issues by designing the "lactate receptor - TEV enzyme" functional module, much like building gene circuits. This represents synthetic biology's practice from components to applications, with the project introduction seamlessly connected to the initial experiences.
3.Write a handbook of Science Popularization
collaboration with other teams: Dispelling Misconceptions and Conveying Scientific Truths
In collaboration with 32 other schools, we produced the "Smashing Synthetic Biology Rumors" science brochure. It clarifies common misconceptions that the public might encounter when learning about our project, such as "synthetic biology is 'playing God'" or "the products are unsafe." We explain that "our lactate regulatory system modifies existing cells rather than creating new life" and "future applications require rigorous safety assessments," making complex knowledge clear and understandable. The brochure has been made available for public reading through media channels.
4.Designing the "LACMA: Tumor Battlefield" Board Game: Popularizing Knowledge Through Fun Interactions
We created the "LACMA: Tumor Battlefield" board game, in which players simulate the body's process of fighting tumors through gameplay. Our developed "LACMA" is incorporated as a usable tool in the game. Through this lighthearted and engaging board game, people of various ages can learn about our project content, synthetic biology knowledge, and tumor-related physiological information.
For freshmen who have just enrolled in Central South University's School of Life Sciences, we conducted specialized lectures. These students are new to life sciences research and often feel confused because they don't know how to begin, so we used our project as a case study to bridge the gap between classroom learning and scientific research practice.
In the lectures, we connected the logic of synthetic biology to their Introduction to Life Sciences"" course, explaining how we determined our research direction based on the Warburg effect and explored the performance of lactate receptors through experiments. This corresponds to what the freshmen will encounter in their future studies. We also extended an invitation for the upcoming iGEM competition to the freshmen, assuring them that even freshmen can participate in scientific research. We hoped to help them understand that scientific research is not out of reach and to prevent any student with academic passion from falling behind in the introductory stage.
Whether focusing on the diverse needs of students in rural education, conducting specialized science popularization for youth to address their varying developmental stages, or designing accessible activities for the public, all our efforts align closely with the goal of leaving no one behind. We disseminate knowledge of synthetic biology, explain the Warburg effect, and detail the LACMA project. More importantly, we strive to democratize science, making it no longer the monopoly of a few.We ensure that everyone curious about life and eager for growth—whether left-behind children in rural areas, prospective college students in urban settings, or the general public skeptical of science—receives the nourishment of knowledge and practical support. This truly embodies the principle that no one falls behind on the path of growth and development. This remains our original intent and the direction we will continue to pursue.