Education is a key aspect of our iGEM project as well as an important responsibility we all share to help further the development of synthetic biology and the iGEM community. Guided by our research, we focused on raising awareness and educating the public about the impact of microplastics and the potential harm future generations face if this problem is left untreated. Our goal extended beyond presenting this challenge on the global iGEM stage; we also wanted to promote synthetic biology in our own local community and inspire the students and families who will become the future of science. Through outreach to families, K-8 students, undergraduate students, and academic researchers, we sought to spark curiosity, build understanding, raise awareness, and solve a generational problem we are currently experiencing in today’s world.
Promoting Mutual Understanding & Conversations
The 2025 3rd Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo hosted in collaboration by FSU iGEM and the Challenger Learning Center hosted 14 interactive exhibits and gathered nearly 500 children and families members in the Tallahassee community, nearly tripling event attendance from its first year. This event was aimed to provide the community with an opportunity to explore and share the work of numerous scientific organizations, academic researchers, and STEAM education programs from both Florida State University and Florida A&M University.
This event promoted dialogue about current issues that the Tallahassee community experiences by giving them a platform to tell us a problem they can relate to in their lives and work with us to brainstorm solutions using synthetic biology. This reciprocal learning model was used by every exhibitor, providing an engaging and safe space for people to interact with various fields of science. The Expo successfully promoted open dialogue and a mutual exchange of ideas between researchers and the Tallahassee community. We worked towards curating interactive diverse exhibits to engage as many people as possible including synthetic biology, AI-based technology, chemistry, neuroscience, marine biology, wet labs, and biomedical engineering.
Giving back to our community is also an important aspect that we wanted to include within our Biotechnology Expo this year. We invited Who We Play For, a non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating preventable Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) in young people by providing free, non-invasive heart screenings using electrocardiograms (ECGs). This life-saving service brought a valuable public health component to our event, helping to identify potential cardiac risks in our community. The presence of this organization perfectly aligned with the Expo's goal of promoting dialogue about current issues and demonstrating how science can provide real-world solutions and save lives.
Raising Awareness about Microplastics
We introduced young children and students to how we at FSU iGEM are utilizing synthetic biology to attempt removing microplastics from the human body. Our team showcased age-appropriated computer models and simulations while teaching the community about the overall impact microplastics are having on our society and health.
Additionally, to spread awareness to parents and family members about microplastics we displayed common household products that contain microplastics (i.e. synthetic leggings, water bottles, teabags) and informed the public on what they can do to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastic in their lives by giving out infographics from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) regarding plastic awareness. Furthermore, at our table, children actively engaged by writing down their own ideas for problems they wanted to solve using biological solutions. Our goal is to inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers and show them that they can be part of the solution.
We showed IMAX video presentations on microplastics, synthetic biology solutions, and iGEM. We hoped by providing a mix of media, exhibits, and hands-on activities we could inspire broader participation in synthetic biology.
Documentation for Future Teams
Building upon the success of the past two years, our 3rd Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo saw a significant increase in both exhibitors and attendance, making it the largest Expo FSU iGEM has ever hosted. We've worked to foster strong relationships with FSU, FAMU, and the Challenger Learning Center to ensure these partnerships continue for future iGEM teams, establishing a long-lasting Tallahassee legacy in biotech education.
Laying groundwork for the continued success of the Expo is crucial, as many exhibitors from this year were returning participants, and most have already expressed interest in the next Expo. To help future teams continue our growth, we've created a comprehensive set of resources: This includes a Miro board, an Excel sheet, Qualtrics surveys, marketing materials, and a debriefing document. These cover venue layout, key decisions and deadlines, logistics for funding, refreshments, and scheduling, among various other topics. This thorough documentation ensures that future FSU iGEM teams can quickly learn from our experience and build upon our work!
The 2025 Seminole Innovators Showcase brought together a diverse range of innovative projects from students, faculty, and community partners. This year, FSU iGEM was proud to participate, sharing our work in synthetic biology and collaborating with other innovators on new ideas.
We used this opportunity to educate attendees about our current project, which tackles the pervasive issue of microplastics within the body. We also highlighted previous iGEM projects, sharing what we’ve learned from our experiences. Our goal was to show that synthetic biology is an accessible and collaborative field. We emphasized that our team includes students from all majors and academic backgrounds, demonstrating that anyone can have an impact in this innovative space.
The showcase itself featured a variety of cutting-edge projects, including mobile apps, AI tools, and 3D-printed products. It was an excellent platform for students to get involved, explore new projects, and see the incredible work happening at FSU. Many of these projects were developed by members of the Seminole Innovators group, which allows students to gain unique, practical skills outside the classroom and build their professional portfolios.
This year we had the honor of presenting at Florida State University’s President’s Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence. At the President’s Showcase, the FSU iGEM team created a space for mutual learning and dialogue by presenting our research that bridges biology, engineering, and community impact. We shared our project in an accessible and interactive format to students, faculty, and visitors from diverse academic backgrounds in which we engaged with synthetic biology concepts and deliberated critical questions about the challenges of microplastics and biotechnological solutions.
This exchange of perspectives helped us refine our communication skills in bringing awareness to synthetic biology and our problem of focus by explaining high level research to non-specialists while also allowing us to learn from others’ insights, whether through suggestions about potential applications, ethical considerations, or connections to other fields of study. The conversations fostered at our poster were not one-sided but collaborative, showing how undergraduate research can spark broader discussions that extend beyond one group or a lab bench.