Human-Practices

Purpose:
The purpose of this interview was to seek professional insights on the real-world implications of our project and evaluate the practicality and safety of our proposed solution. This was our first professional consultation, covering a detailed discussion of our project overview, plasmid design, and approach to combating antimicrobial resistance. We also consulted the doctors about how hospitals and medical institutions collect and analyze data related to antibiotic use and resistance monitoring in patients.

Contributions to our project:
This interview played a pivotal role in shaping our project’s direction. The medical professionals provided valuable perspectives on how antimicrobial resistance is managed in clinical settings and shared the common misconceptions patients hold about antibiotic use. Their insights helped us identify gaps in public understanding and inspired us to design educational materials and outreach programs aimed at correcting these misconceptions and promoting responsible antibiotic usage.

Through this discussion, we also discovered that ampicillin-resistant E. coli is classified as a BSL-1 organism, which allowed us to safely proceed with our experiments under the appropriate biosafety level. This clarification was crucial for ensuring compliance with both iGEM safety guidelines and our institutional protocols.

Summary of Discussion:
During the interview, we asked about the dangers and real-world threats of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, the factors influencing doctors’ decisions when prescribing antibiotics, and the impact of drug resistance on patient care. The doctors emphasized that AMR represents a growing global challenge driven by inappropriate antibiotic use and limited public awareness. They explained that physicians must consider multiple factors, including infection type, bacterial strain, patient history, and existing resistance data, when selecting antibiotics. Drug resistance often restricts treatment options, resulting in longer recovery times and more complex clinical management.

They also discussed the challenges faced by clinicians in balancing efficacy and safety, since improper or excessive use of antibiotics can further accelerate resistance. Overall, this interview provided us with a deeper understanding of AMR from a medical perspective, helping us refine our project design, strengthen our educational outreach, and ensure that our solution addresses real-world healthcare needs.

Purpose:
This interview was conducted with Professor Hung, a research professor in the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU). With her extensive background in medicinal chemistry and drug development, the meeting focused on both our wet lab and dry lab solution development. Professor Hung helped us identify several blind spots in our experimental design and provided expert guidance on strengthening our wet lab validation strategies and modeling approaches.

Contributions to our project:
Professor Hung made a substantial contribution to our project by offering professional advice and practical recommendations based on her research experience. Her insights helped us refine our experimental workflow and simulation models, making them more realistic and effective. The discussion also inspired us to adopt more reliable verification methods for conjugation and to improve the accuracy of our modeling framework for enzyme expression and inhibition. Overall, her guidance enhanced both the scientific rigor and feasibility of our project.

Summary of Discussion:
In the wet lab discussion, we asked about alternative verification methods beyond fluorescent markers for confirming conjugation success. Professor Hung suggested incorporating antibiotic selection tests and molecular verification techniques, such as Western blot analysis, to improve reliability and clinical relevance. However, due to resource limitations, our team decided to adopt PCR-based confirmation as a more accessible and feasible alternative to validate conjugation results.

In the dry lab segment, we discussed how enzyme expression and the inhibition of antimicrobial resistance could be modeled. Professor Hung recommended using computational software and mathematical equations to simulate the kinetic and binding profiles of the system.

From the human practices perspective, we asked how to improve public understanding of antimicrobial resistance and what might be lacking in current policies. Professor Hung emphasized the importance of public education campaigns, clear and accessible science communication, and collaboration with universities and professional pharmacists to gain deeper insights and strengthen community engagement.

Through this interview, we gained valuable scientific and social insights that guided the refinement of our experimental design, modeling framework, and outreach strategies.

Purpose:
We’ve conducted two interviews with doctors (neurological professionals) from other hospitals and even outside of Taiwan. The main purpose of this interaction is to gather the different perspectives, issues, and experiences from different nations and understand how the issue of antimicrobial resistance affects patients and healthcare systems across different scopes.

Contributions to our project:
This contributed to our project by indirectly helping us amend our educational outreach plans. During the interview, we asked various questions regarding what they felt about the spread of proper hygiene values among younger age groups, as well as methods and areas they believe need more work. We followed their advice and experiences to perfect our teaching material so that it is more accurate, easier to comprehend, and reaches greater efficiency in spreading our message.

Summary of Discussion:
The conversation is mostly about how the human practice segment can further amend their outreach plans and what the medical professionals think high-risk groups (our target audience) are still oblivious to, regarding antimicrobial resistance.

We gained meaningful insight about the most common misconceptions patients and family members have when they seek medical advice, and some of the most frequent mistakes people make while taking their prescription. We also learned that a lot of the cases they encounter actually spawn from environmental sources, emphasizing the utmost urgency of addressing this issue.

Purpose:
The primary purpose of this outreach was to introduce our project to the Hsinchu International Academy (HIA) community and its stakeholders — sharing our mission, goals, and the importance of combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In addition, we provided an overview of the fundamentals of synthetic biology, aiming to make this complex field more accessible and engaging for high school students.

We were honored to have Professor Wen-Liang Chen, Principal Investigator of NYCU Formosa, join the event. He generously shared his time and expertise, offering insightful feedback that inspired new directions in our project. Professor Chen also invited us to collaborate with his team during the summer, helping us build foundational molecular biology and research skills for future development.

Contributions to our project:
This outreach had a significant impact on our project in several ways. It gave our team valuable experience in organizing and delivering large-scale presentations, helping us identify areas for improvement in communication and project planning. The event also increased public awareness of our work, supported our merchandise fundraising campaign, and inspired greater interest in iGEM among students and teachers. Furthermore, the event strengthened our connections with major stakeholders, including Dr. Jack Huang, Vice President of Ton-Yen General Hospital and Chairman of Taiwan IVF Group, and Dr. Jase Lau, Vice President of Ton-Yen General Hospital. Their encouragement and support opened new opportunities for future collaborations and community outreach initiatives.

We also received laboratory supplies from the Taiwan IVF Group, which were extremely helpful during the establishment of our molecular biology laboratory. This generous support enabled us to accelerate our lab setup and enhance the quality and safety of our experimental work.

Summary of Discussion:
During the interview, we asked about the dangers and real-world threats of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, the factors influencing doctors’ decisions when prescribing antibiotics, and the impact of drug resistance on patient care. The doctors emphasized that AMR represents a growing global challenge driven by inappropriate antibiotic use and limited public awareness. They explained that physicians must consider multiple factors, including infection type, bacterial strain, patient history, and existing resistance data, when selecting antibiotics. Drug resistance often restricts treatment options, resulting in longer recovery times and more complex clinical management.

They also discussed the challenges faced by clinicians in balancing efficacy and safety, since improper or excessive use of antibiotics can further accelerate resistance. Overall, this interview provided us with a deeper understanding of AMR from a medical perspective, helping us refine our project design, strengthen our educational outreach, and ensure that our solution addresses real-world healthcare needs.

Purpose:
We attended the annual BioAsia–Taiwan biotechnology exhibition in Nangang to seek potential collaborations, sponsorships, and professional guidance relevant to our project. In addition to networking, we aimed to promote our project, share our passion for combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and raise public awareness of this global issue. We also hoped to address common misconceptions and knowledge gaps about AMR within the broader community.

Contributions to our project:
Through this event, we successfully established a partnership with MedChemExpress, which later became one of our project sponsors. Their financial support and continued encouragement played an important role in enabling the progress of our research. Moreover, by engaging with various professionals and companies at the exhibition, we received valuable advice and positive feedback that deepened our understanding of the biotechnology industry and inspired new directions for our project development. In addition, this event provided a valuable opportunity to introduce iGEM to the broader biotechnology community, as many companies were not yet familiar with the competition. By sharing our experiences and goals, we helped increase iGEM’s visibility and presence within Taiwan’s biotech industry.

Purpose:
The purpose of the Star Academy outreach was to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and promote good hygiene practices among young children aged 3 to 6. We believe that awareness of AMR and public health should begin at all levels of society, even at an early age. Together with NYCU Formosa, we designed and carried out a series of interactive games, storytelling sessions, and hands-on activities to help children understand the importance of hygiene and spark curiosity about science and synthetic biology in a fun and accessible way.

Contributions to our project:
This outreach was a meaningful learning experience for our team. It taught us how to simplify complex scientific ideas and present them in a way that young audiences can enjoy and relate to. We also learned valuable lessons in event organization, including how to plan for unpredictable situations and manage group dynamics during interactive sessions.

Engaging with children helped us see the importance of communication beyond the laboratory. It reminded us that scientific outreach is not just about sharing knowledge but also about inspiring curiosity, responsibility, and positive values in the next generation. This experience strengthened our team’s ability to communicate science clearly, which later influenced how we designed educational materials and structured our outreach for older audiences.

Purpose:
The purpose of this outreach was to raise public awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to promote our project to community members who might not be familiar with the issue. Since hospitals are where patients most commonly receive antibiotic prescriptions, we wanted to ensure that the public understands the importance of proper medication use and the dangers of antibiotic misuse or neglect.

To achieve this, we set up a public booth at Ton Yen Hospital featuring an interactive question board and educational games designed to test and expand people’s knowledge about AMR. We were also joined by the head of pharmacy, who helped us provide accurate and professional explanations to the community. Drawing on advice from Professor Hung’s interview, we consulted clinical pharmacists beforehand to ensure that the information we shared was clear, reliable, and aligned with public health practices.

Contributions to our project:
This outreach provided us with valuable insights into public understanding and attitudes toward antibiotic use. It allowed us to assess how effectively our communication strategies translated complex scientific ideas into accessible messages. Many visitors expressed strong support for our initiative, and several even made donations, recognizing the social value and purpose of our project.

Moreover, this event helped us bridge laboratory research with real-world community engagement, ensuring that our work extends beyond experiments and contributes to genuine public education. The activity was also featured by local news outlets, which further amplified our project’s visibility and helped spread awareness of AMR and synthetic biology to a broader audience.

Purpose:
The main purpose of this school-wide outreach was to raise awareness about our project and its connection to synthetic biology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the HIA school community. We integrated our activity into PRIDE Time, a special class at HIA dedicated to developing students’ social-emotional learning (SEL), leadership, and life skills, as well as exploring topics related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The theme of the month was Respect, Ethics, and Human Rights, which aligned perfectly with our project’s focus on promoting responsible and ethical scientific practice. Through this outreach, we aimed to engage students in discussions about synthetic biology, biotechnology, and ethics, encouraging them to reflect on how innovation and morality intersect in modern science.

Our goal was to spark curiosity and inspiration among students, helping them see how synthetic biology can be used creatively to solve local or global challenges connected to the SDGs. We also emphasized the importance of upholding ethics in scientific research, nurturing a sense of responsibility in future scientists and innovators.

Contributions to our project:
This activity allowed us to realize our vision of inspiring interest and awareness in synthetic biology among our peers while connecting our project to HIA’s PRIDE values (Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination, Excellence). It provided valuable feedback and fresh perspectives on how young learners interpret and engage with complex scientific and ethical issues.

The reflections and discussions from this event offered meaningful evidence that strengthened our response to the iGEM medal criteria and Special Awards, particularly in Education, Integrated Human Practices, and SDG impact. We also received positive feedback from the school community, with many students expressing that they were inspired by the values of iGEM and interested in becoming more involved in synthetic biology and ethical science in the future.

Our school principal shared that he was deeply impressed by our efforts in fostering active, interactive, and meaningful conversations with the student body. He appreciated how our outreach made science more accessible and relevant to students’ lives, and he expressed confidence that our work has already made a positive difference within the school community. His encouragement further motivated us to continue developing impactful educational initiatives and to sustain our mission of bringing synthetic biology closer to everyone.

Documentation:
Slideshow:


Feedback from our school's principal, Mr. Christian Choquette:


Studnet Interview Video:

Purpose:
The purpose of this month-long collaboration was to strengthen the partnership between HIA iGEM (PlasMission) and NYCU Formosa, fostering mutual learning and shared growth in the field of synthetic biology. During this collaboration, our team visited NYCU Formosa’s laboratories to receive hands-on training in biosafety procedures, laboratory techniques, and experimental design. This experience provided us with valuable practical exposure to real-world research environments while allowing both teams to exchange ideas, discuss project challenges, and share resources.

Beyond technical learning, the collaboration also aimed to build meaningful relationships between our teams through shared discussions on project development, team management, and the social responsibilities of synthetic biology. These interactions deepened our understanding of what it means to be part of a global scientific community that values cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Contributions to our project:
This collaboration significantly enhanced our scientific and professional skills, helping us refine our lab practices and strengthen our biosafety protocols. It also fostered a long-term partnership between HIA and NYCU Formosa, with both teams visiting each other’s labs and engaging in continuous knowledge-sharing throughout the summer.

As a symbol of our growing friendship and collaborative spirit, we co-recorded a podcast episode reflecting on our experiences, shared lessons, and the importance of teamwork in iGEM. This collaboration not only enriched our technical expertise but also reinforced our belief that synthetic biology thrives through connection, communication, and community.

Podcast recorded with NYCU:

Purpose:
We faced challenges in developing a reliable formula for calculating the conjugation rate for our dry lab model simulation–especially in understanding how donor, recipient, and transconjugant populations interact over time. To address this, we consulted Mr. Peter Sun to clarify key assumptions and identify important variables to ensure the accuracy of our formula.

Contributions to our project:
Mr. Peter Sun’s guidance was crucial in helping us to simulate the conjugation model. His explanations and clarifications allowed us to develop a formula that is appropriate for our project and approach a successful development of the conjugation model, which is imperative to the dry lab. This meeting with Mr. Peter Sun significantly facilitated our progress and greatly improved the accuracy of our results.

Summary of Discussion:
Initially, we researched multiple papers online that used very complex formulas, such as ordinary differential equations, which made it extremely difficult for us to develop our own model. Mr. Peter Sun helped us approach the problem, guiding us to create a formula that still captures all the important factors. His advice clarified the key variables and developed the ultimate formula for our conjugation model.

Purpose:
The primary objective of our consultation with the Hsinchu County Health Bureau, including the director and several department chairs, was to deepen our understanding of how the local government manages antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across different sectors, not limited to medical institutions. We aimed to learn from their perspective about the areas in the community that require stronger hygiene education and public advocacy, in order to design more targeted and impactful outreach initiatives.

Contributions to our project:
This consultation provided valuable insights that directly influenced our educational material development, particularly our hand-drawn storybook. The Health Bureau team shared examples of their own educational resources, including a children’s book designed to promote Hakka culture within Hsinchu. They encouraged us to incorporate local elements such as regional culture, dialects, and customs to make our storybook more authentic, engaging, and culturally meaningful. Their feedback inspired us to create outreach materials that not only educate about AMR but also resonate with the local community on a personal and cultural level. They also provided us with several brochures and gifts related to public health, which we later used in our next outreach event at Ton Yen Hospital. These materials helped us strengthen our engagement with the public and connect our educational efforts with existing community health initiatives.

Purpose:
The purpose of this outreach is to consult with an environmental specialist regarding our project, as our future vision for the topic is to eventually implement it into the environment. We also wanted to consult her opinions regarding our path towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the actions we took. We thought it’d be interesting to ask a person from a different field, as our previous consultations are all mainly with medical professionals and administrative units, so we thought this would give us diverse feedback.

Contributions to our project:
Her position as a phytopathologist connects to the implementation and SDG awards aspect of our project. Her feedback significantly impacted our project by bringing diverse opinions and highlighting interesting perspectives we hadn’t touched upon. She also provided a more grounded idea to us about the realistic implementation and impacts of our solution on the environment, as well as its relation to the UN SDGs, contributing significantly to the drafting of our sustainable impact.

Summary of Discussion:
She provided extremely valuable and in-depth insights on our solution implementation, in relation to the SDGs, and the negative/positive impacts of our project regarding the environmental aspect. She pointed out that our project will be best suited in terms of helping people comprehend the issue of antimicrobial resistance and mentioned that she thinks this is a great example of an educational model. The main reason behind not directly implementing it into the environment is that currently, it is very difficult to release any synthetic microbes into the environment, as many uncertainties and variables can cause a pandemic in a particular species in a short span of time.

Not only this, but she connected our project to the Sustainable Development Goals and told us how environmental AMR is contributing to various issues she herself has witnessed, and how our solution shows thoughtful connections towards long-term impacts, especially socially. She stated that a comprehensive model is key to educating others, as many solutions are currently not widely comprehended by students, the public, etc., and through our demonstration, it is likely to improve greatly.

Purpose:
The activity served as both a community-building event and an introductory outreach activity to raise awareness about our iGEM project, synthetic biology, and the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). While the fundraiser helped generate modest financial support for the project, its greater purpose was to connect with our school community, introduce our mission, and build excitement for our upcoming schoolwide PRIDE Time event, “Showing Respect: iGEM and Ethics.”

Contributions to our project:
This activity provided us with an opportunity to practice public engagement in an informal setting, helping our team develop the communication, teamwork, and presentation skills needed for larger-scale outreach. Beyond raising funds for project needs, this event functioned as a warm-up experience for our upcoming schoolwide educational campaign, helping us refine how to blend synthetic biology, ethics, SEL (social–emotional learning), and respect into one meaningful message.

Link to the IG account

Purpose:
Our digital outreach focused on expanding our project’s visibility and accessibility through online platforms. We managed an Instagram account where we regularly shared updates on our project progress, educational posts explaining synthetic biology vocabulary and concepts, and simplified breakdowns of our proposed solution. To make our content accessible to a wider audience, we used clear language, visual illustrations, and included Chinese translations in captions to reach both local and international viewers.

The purpose of this initiative was to increase public engagement and awareness of synthetic biology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We recognized that social media is one of the most influential communication tools in the 21st century, and by leveraging it, we could connect with a diverse audience beyond our immediate community.

Contributions to our project:
Our digital outreach provided valuable exposure and promotion for various events, including fundraisers, in-school activities, laboratory updates, and merchandise campaigns. It also served as a central hub for communication, allowing us to interact directly with interested audiences through direct messages (DMs) and share digital brochures summarizing our work.

Additionally, our social media posts served as a useful archival and documentation tool, helping us track weekly progress and providing reference materials for compiling our wiki content. Through this initiative, we built a more engaged and informed online community that supported our mission and contributed to the broader conversation on synthetic biology education.