------Building a New Paradigm of Full-Chain Integration of Science and Education: An Educational Practice System from Microscopic Exploration to Ecological Civilization
The true essence of education lies not in one-way indoctrination, but in stimulating students' inherent desire to explore, guiding them to actively discover and solve problems, and ultimately enabling the self-construction of knowledge and internalization of values. We have built a comprehensive educational ecosystem of "Observation - Inquiry - Creation - Sharing".
In this system, participants of all age groups are both learners and educational communicators. This allows students to grow through independent inquiry, gain knowledge, and create value---truly realizing the closed loop and continuity of education. Each link represents a transfer of the "key", and each transfer expands the radius of education's impact.
Our educational practices cover all age groups from primary school students to adults, forming a complete educational ecological chain.
| Educational Object | Educational Content |
|---|---|
| Primary school students | Achieved the integrated development of intellectual and aesthetic education through the combination of microscopic observation and traditional Chinese painting creation |
| Junior high school students | Conducted life-oriented exploration with enzymes as the core, cultivating scientific thinking and practical abilities |
| College students | Enhanced scientific research and innovation capabilities through rational protein design and DNA experimental verification |
| Public education | Strengthened the public's scientific literacy and environmental protection awareness through field investigations and popular science lectures in Lushan |
| HUBU-China team | Laid a solid foundation for responsible research through systematic biosafety education |
The unique value of this educational cycle system lies in its realization of closed loops and integration in four dimensions:
We have carried out public welfare classes for primary school students in the community to stimulate their interest in scientific exploration by guiding them to use microscopes to observe the microstructure of vegetables and fruits and make biological specimens by themselves. At the same time, it integrates into the teaching of traditional Chinese painting and promotes the integrated development of intellectual education and aesthetic education, aiming to cultivate children's comprehensive literacy of active observation, love of nature, and recognition of traditional culture from the dual perspectives of science and culture.
We briefly explained how to use the microscope and prepared the materials. From mounting the lens, adjusting the light source, placing the slides, to clearly imaging using the coarse and fine collimation spirals, every step was patiently and meticulously demonstrated. The students concentrated and intuitively understood the working principle of this scientific tool, and also observed the shape of common vegetables and fruits in life under the microscope, preparing for the next exploration with their own hands.
After mastering the basic operations, the students used the microscope to observe. We encourage everyone to slice various vegetables and fruits brought from home to make temporary specimens. When familiar foods such as the epidermal cells of onions and the pulp cells of tomatoes present wonderful microstructures under the camera, amazement arises one after another. This link not only exercised their hands-on ability, but also guided them to actively explore, re-understand the structure of organisms from a microscopic perspective, and ignite their curiosity about life sciences.
In the last part of the practice, we combine scientific observation with artistic creation. The students looked for inspiration in ink painting based on the impression of plant structure they had just observed under the microscope, or with reference to the real object. Under the guidance of the teacher, learn to use traditional techniques such as outlining, compressing, dotting, and dyeing brushes to draw interesting pictures of flowers, vegetables and fruits. This activity is not only an artistic reproduction of the microscopic world, but also a profound traditional cultural experience, allowing students to feel and create beauty in the fragrance of pen and ink, and realize the integration of science and aesthetic education.
This community public welfare class is not only a knowledge popularization, but also an exploration journey that integrates intellectual education and aesthetic education, giving basic education a deeper connotation. We guide children to operate microscopes with their own hands, stimulating scientific curiosity and empirical spirit from the mysteries of the microscopic world; At the same time, the children see the laws of all things through the microscope and temper the scientific spirit of rationality and truth-seeking.
In order to quantify the effectiveness of our education, we conducted questionnaires before and after the start of educational activities. The questionnaire is all objective multiple-choice questions. It is divided into two parts, the first part (I) is general knowledge of biology, and the second part (II) is science Inquiry consciousness.
Example:
Conclusion: Before the activity, the students' mastery of biological knowledge was at a moderate to low level, and their willingness to actively observe scientific inquiry was low, so their interest needs to be stimulated.
Conclusion: The practical activities have been a remarkable success. It not only effectively imparts biological knowledge, but more importantly, it greatly stimulates students' inner interest and initiative in scientific exploration, realizes the transformation from "passive acceptance" to "active exploration", and perfectly fits the original intention of combining "intellectual education and aesthetic education" of the activity.
We take the section "Digestive System" in the textbook as the background, and take the four-stage teaching design of "Concept-Life-Inquiry-Telling" as the core to introduce the concept and function of protease in the classroom. Let them discover the reactions in life in which enzymes are involved. After recording it, we bring the discovered phenomenon to the classroom, and we analyze the principle behind the phenomenon. Repeat two rounds and then summarize to complete the learning process. And let junior high school students tell their friends about the phenomena and principles they discovered. It not only fits the cognitive characteristics of junior high school students, naturally weaves "learning" and "use", and also reflects the closed loop and continuity of education.
Sharing in a group of four, each person thinks of a scenario and only says "phenomenon + conjecture".
For example:
In this practical activity, we conducted a survey. That is, after the students discuss independently, the students' questions are collected and counted.
This lecture participated in 2 classes, with a total of 81 people.
After our guidance, the following is a statistical chart of junior high school students independently looking for phenomena in their lives involving enzymes for the first time. As can be seen from the figure, because students are new to the concept of enzymes and cannot accurately grasp the meaning of enzymes, more than half of the students have not correctly discovered the life phenomena involved by enzymes. About 40% of the students correctly discovered the life phenomenon involved by enzymes.
Among these 40% of the students, because we introduced the concept of enzymes in the background of the digestive system, about 70% of the students proposed life phenomena similar to the classroom examples, and only a very small number of students mastered the core concepts of enzymes, drawing inferences from one case to another, and divergently proposing reactions involving enzymes in other aspects (such as food, industry, etc.).
The following is a statistical chart of junior high school students looking for the second time independently to find the phenomenon in which enzymes are involved in life. As can be seen from the figure, because after a round of statistics and solutions, the students have a more thorough understanding of the concept of enzymes, so only three students have not correctly discovered the life phenomenon involved by enzymes; The rest of the students correctly discovered the phenomenon of life in which enzymes participate.
Among these students, about 10% of the students proposed life phenomena similar to classroom examples, and most of the students mastered the core concepts of enzymes, drew inferences from one example, and divergently proposed the reactions involving enzymes in other aspects (such as food, industry, etc.).
After two rounds of independent exploration and answers, the vast majority of students understood the concept of enzymes and correctly put forward the life phenomena involving enzymes. And most students can draw analogies and actively discover different types of life phenomena involved by enzymes.
Record your thoughts and design a simple experiment with the help of HUBU-China team members to observe the phenomenon. The following are some experiments designed and completed by some students.
Ingredients: commercially available gelatin powder (or QQ sugar), fresh pineapple chunks, boiling water
Steps:
Observed phenomena: room temperature 20 min: A non-solidifying/very poor solidification, B normal jelly; Put the pineapple boiled in boiling water into a cup and the gelatin solidifies normally
Ingredients: 2 g of instant coffee, 30 mL of cold water, 30 mL of raw pineapple juice
Steps:
Ingredients: Kiwi half capsule, 20 mL fresh milk, clear cup
Steps: Kiwi pressed → poured milk → flocculent precipitation appeared for 3 minutes
Ingredients: dry bread slices, warm water at 37 °C, plastic wrap
Steps:
Ingredients: Plain yogurt, strawberry jam (with pulp)
Steps:
Highlights: Obvious layering, pat side.
Experiment 1 Principle: Bromelain cuts gelatin (collagen) into short peptides, and the net cannot be built. And the protease denaturation and inactivation above 65 °C caused the key to be burned.
Experiment 2 Principle: The protease cuts off the coffee-brown protein complex, and the pigment free is diluted.
Experiment 3 Principle: Kiwifruit actinidin cuts casein into positively charged fragments, and encounters calcium ion polymerization and precipitation.
Experiment 4 Principle: Residual yeast + maltase in bread synergistically produce gas.
Experiment 5 Principle: Strawberry polyphenol oxidase + acid makes the casein network seep water, and the color rises with the water.
The students who have operated it themselves carry out the knowledge bazaar independently and tell others what they have learned in this educational activity.
"Phenomenon-question-evidence-sharing", we tell students: this is the complete circle of "learning".
"Watch the teacher play first, then play by yourself, and finally tell others to play" - protease is just an introduction, what I really want students to take away is: "As long as I give me a key (concept), I can open all the locks (phenomena) in life, and I can also hand over the key."
In order to allow more students to engage in interprofessional academic learning and to allow more students to understand synthetic biology, Ms. Hu Yumei, PI of our HUBU-China team, has opened a university-wide public elective course "Structural Biology" for undergraduates. It is divided into two parts: theoretical course education and laboratory operation practice. Theory and practice complement each other to help students understand synthetic biology more deeply.
Through theoretical lectures, case studies and hands-on simulations, everyone can understand the relationship between protein structure and function, and experience the process of rationally designing protein mutants. Students will independently choose mutation sites and types, observe the simulation results and analyze their causes, and become bioengineers themselves, so as to cultivate scientific thinking and innovation awareness.
At the same time, let the students enter the laboratory, run out the DNA electrophoresis strip with their own hands, compare the theoretical migration distance of the strip with the measured value, verify whether the theory is reliable and true, and make the invisible molecular biology observable.
Structural biology is a field of science dedicated to studying the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules and their functional relationships, which helps us explain how these molecules play a role in a wide range of biological processes by revealing the precise structure of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids.
| Phase | Part | Content | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design | Introduce structural biology concepts | Team PI Ms. Hu Yumei introduced the basic concepts, research methods and significance of structural biology to the students | Establish a basic knowledge framework to stimulate students' interest |
| Build | Establish project profiles and cases | Demonstrate engineering research examples of LlADH enzyme (2025 HUBU-China project) and introduce mutation design concepts | Let students understand the research background and rational design ideas |
| Test | Simulated Operation: I'm a protein designer | Under the guidance of the modeling team members, the students used PyMOL software to select loci for virtual mutations | Hands-on experience the process of rational design of proteins |
| Learn | Analysis and discussion of results | Show the simulation results and guide students to analyze the reasons for success and failure | Develop scientific analysis and critical thinking |
| Feature | Summary and outlook | Summarize the significance of structural biology and actively encourage students to participate in the big family of structural biology and synthetic biology | The connotation of this public elective course is sublimated, the learning content is consolidated, and the interest in scientific inquiry is stimulated |
| Original amino acids | Site number | Optional mutation type | Feature change hints |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isoleucine (I) | 326 | Alanine (A) | The side chains become smaller, potentially expanding the space |
| Leucine (L) | 219 | Histidine (H)、K、R | becomes charged and may form new interactions |
| Valine (V) | 348 | Phenylalanine (F)、H、S | Hydrophobicity is enhanced, possibly enhancing hydrophobic interactions |
| Glycine (G) | 131 | Leucine (L)、F | The side chain becomes larger, which may cause steric resistance |
| Serine (S) | 89 | Aspartic acid (D)、F、H、K、R | Introducing a negative charge that may alter the electrostatic environment |
Each student chooses a site from the table we give and decides which amino acid it mutates into, and simply records the reason for choosing this amino acid mutation (e.g., "I chose to change isoleucine at position 326 to alanine because I think this replacement will make there a little more space and the substrate may fit better").
Based on the design proposals submitted by the students, members of the modeling team run simulations and present the results.
The students in the modeling group presented key indicators such as RMSD value (which measures the overall structural change after mutation), steric resistance, hydrogen bonding or electrostatic interactions, etc. After the judgment, the conclusion of "success" (e.g., prediction of enzyme activity increase) or "failure" (e.g., prediction of structural instability or decrease in activity) is directly given.
For a mutated amino acid design that simulates "success": Guide students to explain why their choice is justified. For example, "The I326A mutation I designed reduces the volume of the side chain, expands the space of the substrate binding pocket, and reduces the resistance of substrate entry, so it can predict to improve catalytic efficiency."
For the design of mutant amino acids that simulate "failure": guide students to think about the reasons for failure. For example, "The arginine side chain introduced by the L219R mutation I designed is too large and positively charged, which may repel with adjacent negative groups or the substrate itself, resulting in steric resistance and electrostatic conflicts, thus disrupting the normal binding pattern."
Then, the members of the experimental team of HUBU-China initiated a super-talk discussion topic to everyone and discussed together:
Finally, we told the students that although the modeling in the dry experiment predicted relatively high-quality results, we still needed wet experiment verification, and dry and wet experiments complemented each other, which was indispensable.
In the research of modern protein structure prediction, artificial intelligence and experimental verification are playing a key role in complementing each other and indispensable. AI technology, especially the rapid development of deep learning models in recent years, such as AlphaFold, has greatly improved our ability to predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins. They can quickly infer possible folding methods from massive sequence data, greatly shorten research cycles and reduce costs, bringing unprecedented breakthroughs in life sciences and drug development.
However, the results predicted by AI are not absolutely accurate, especially when faced with complex structures, dynamic changes, or novel proteins, and there is still some uncertainty. Therefore, experimental verification is particularly important. Experimental methods such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, and nuclear magnetic resonance can provide high-resolution real structural information, provide reliable training data and verification standards for AI models, help us judge the accuracy of prediction results, and continuously optimize algorithms.
It can be said that AI is a "telescope" that allows us to see further; Experiments are "microscopes" that allow us to see more really. Only by closely combining the two can we truly promote the deepening of protein structure research and achieve a leap from "prediction" to "cognition".
The core of this experiment is to measure whether the theoretical migration distance of DNA is consistent with the measured values.
First of all, we show you all kinds of equipment in the laboratory, explain the potential risks that may exist in the laboratory, safety first; Standard demonstrations of basic operations, such as the correct use of pipettes and standard operations of balance weighing, emphasized that standardized operations can achieve reproducibility of experiments.
The content of this experiment is to allow students to manually operate PCR synthesis of target genes and DNA gel electrophoresis (the target genes are the target proteins involved in this project). Then the theoretical combination experiment was continued to measure whether the migration distance of the DNA was consistent with the theoretical migration value after the completion of the running glue.
We introduced the Ferguson relation to the students, and the biophysical model splits the mobility μ into two segments:
μ = μ0 × exp(-K × C)
μ0: Electrophoretic mobility in free solution (independent of base log, mobility of double-stranded DNA≈ 3.2×10^-4 cm²·V^-1·s^-1)
C: Gel concentration (%w/v)
K: Blocking coefficient in relation to molecular weight, empirically double-stranded DNA satisfies:
K ≈ 0.12 × M^0.65
M is the base logarithm (bp)
Replace μ with Observed Migration Distance d(cm):
d = μ0 × exp(-0.12 × M^0.65 × C) × E × t
E is the strength of the electric field (V·cm⁻¹), t is the time (s)
The experimental conditions can be brought into the above formula to estimate "d".
Next, we explained to everyone that the target gene fragment synthesized this time was approximately 800 base pairs (bp) in length. On-site, the students were asked to calculate how far the 800 bp fragment should migrate using the formula. Then, we guided the students to start the experimental operation (using a 1% agarose gel; 5 V·cm⁻¹; 40 minutes). After electrophoresis, development was first performed to check if the bands were successfully separated, and then a ruler was used to measure the migration distance.
A total of 19 students participated in the DNA gel electrophoresis experiment. Students 1 to 16 successfully separated the bands, while Students 17 to 19 failed to do so.
Analysis of the reasons revealed that Students 17, 18, and 19 had not inserted the pipette tips into the gel wells, which resulted in their failure to separate the bands.
In light of the reasons for the failure of some students mentioned above, we re-demonstrated the standardized experimental operations to these three students. Then, using loading buffer as the sample, we asked the three students to re-perform sample loading for electrophoresis. After repeated training, the three students successfully loaded all samples into the wells. The figure below shows the results after 10 minutes of electrophoresis---all samples showed migration, proving that the three students had successfully met the standards for the sample loading step.
After measurement by the students, the average measured migration distance was 2.69 cm, with an error of less than 10% compared to the calculated value of 2.8 cm. It was confirmed that the theoretical value was basically consistent with the measured value.
From theoretical calculation → gel electrophoresis → gel ruler verification → data comparison, students switched between nanometers (nm) and centimeters (cm), successfully magnifying the "nano-world" to the "centimeter-world" with their own hands, and intuitively experiencing the Design-Build-Test process. Theory and experimental practice resonated in harmony.
In biological experiments, "theory" and "practice" must always be cross-checked. Take this DNA gel electrophoresis experiment as an example: before running the gel, the migration rate is calculated using theoretical formulas to form a "blueprint" in mind; after running the gel, the measured bands are measured and compared side by side with the theoretical values---any deviations immediately reveal problems. Only by having the calculated data "reconcile accounts" with the band distance on-site can we truly turn the formulas in textbooks into practical skills and embed experimental techniques in our minds.
Integrating knowledge and action, thinking while doing, and always combining theory with practice---this is the essence of biological research.
In our iGEM project, we do not just work with test tubes and pipettes in the laboratory. We firmly believe that the true power of synthetic biology lies in its potential to solve real-world problems and establish a deep connection with the public. This year, the core of our Human Practices activities is "integrating knowledge and action"---transforming textbook knowledge into tangible "natural imprints" that can be felt with one's fingertips, and completing a full cycle from education and research to popularization through interaction with the community.
The final application of our project is related to the ecological environment, so we turned our attention to the scenic Lushan Scenic Area. Under the leadership of Professor Ke Wenshan, we went to Lushan for a 10-day field scientific investigation and sampling. From a professional perspective, we also learned about Lushan's water source protection and waste classification systems, and explored the application potential of OTA (Ochratoxin A) degradation technology in the protection of such natural environments.
At the same time, we collaborated with scenic spots such as Lushan Botanical Garden to carry out popular science education for the public; under the leadership of Professor Ke Wenshan, we also conducted educational activities for members of HUBU-China on OTA detection conditions.
As a senior botanist, Professor Ke Wenshan has a thorough understanding of the flora and ecological environment in the Lushan area. During the investigation, he was not only our guide but also our "living encyclopedia".
First, he led us deep into the tea gardens, pine forests, and farmlands of Lushan. He taught on-site and guided us to identify a variety of plants representative of the local ecosystem---especially cash crops with high economic value that are susceptible to OTA contamination, such as tea trees, corn, and some medicinal plants. He explained in detail the growth habits of these plants, common pests and diseases, and the environmental conditions where mold easily thrives (e.g., areas with high humidity and poor ventilation). This gave us a more intuitive understanding of the contamination pathways and distribution of OTA.
As shown in the figures below, we surveyed basic information about some typical plants; Teacher Ke explained plant-related knowledge to us. (Figure 2 shows naturally fallen branches---no damage was caused to the natural environment, animals, or plants throughout the process.)
At this point, everyone proposed that since we had learned various sampling methods in ecology, we could sample Lushan's soil or fresh leaves using a specific sampling method, bring the samples back to the laboratory for liquid chromatography experiments, and determine the OTA content. After we shared this idea with Professor Ke Wenshan, he just smiled and said nothing, telling us to try it ourselves and report the subsequent experimental results to him.
After determining the sampling area, Professor Ke guided us on how to collect samples in strict accordance with scientific experiment standards. He emphasized the principles of randomness and representativeness in sampling. We were divided into groups and collected tea samples and soil in tea gardens or hillsides at different altitudes and slope aspects using the "five-point sampling method". For each sample collected, we carefully recorded information such as sampling time, location, altitude, vegetation type, and soil conditions. Professor Ke also specially reminded us to avoid cross-contamination between samples---all sampling tools were strictly sterilized before and after use. Moreover, the entire operation was carried out under the guidance of ecological experts without damaging the ecological environment.
After the field investigation, we returned to the laboratory. Professor Ke Wenshan, Senior Sister Feng Deyi, and Senior Sister He Biyu guided us through a series of sample processing steps, and finally conducted liquid chromatography analysis. Professor Ke observed on the side and offered suggestions from time to time, such as adjusting the temperature and paying attention to aseptic operations.
Regrettably, after analyzing the images, Senior Sister told us that no OTA was detected in the fresh tea samples or soil samples we had brought back.
We looked at Teacher Ke Wenshan in confusion and asked, "Teacher, what's going on here?"
At this point, Professor Ke Wenshan smiled and said to us, "If I had told you the truth while we were still in Lushan, it wouldn't have been interesting. I wanted you to gain the truth through your own hands-on experience."
We thought for a long time and suddenly realized: "Oh, Teacher, we understand now. The background content of OTA in naturally occurring soil and freshly picked tea leaves is usually extremely low. In conventional direct injection analysis, it is often difficult to directly detect OTA using a high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC), right?"
Professor Ke Wenshan replied, "That's correct. Moreover, soil and tea leaves themselves are very complex matrices, containing large amounts of organic matter, pigments, alkaloids, polyphenols, and more. These coexisting substances cause severe matrix effects in chromatographic analysis, interfering with the accurate quantification of OTA; it is technically challenging to efficiently and selectively extract and enrich ultra-trace amounts of OTA from such complex matrices. If sample pretreatment methods (e.g., extraction, purification, enrichment) are improper, the recovery rate will decrease significantly, leading to failure in detection."
We asked again, "Does this mean that fresh tea leaves or soil contain almost no OTA?"
Professor Ke Wenshan said, "Failure to detect OTA does not mean it does not exist. It is more likely that the OTA content is below the detection limit of the current analytical method and instrument. To make an accurate judgment, we must rely on strictly validated trace detection methods tailored to specific matrices."
We continued to search for information and learned that the Gene Center of the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences has made progress in the detection of toxins such as OTA---for example, developing a bioluminescent enzyme-linked immunoassay technology based on scaffold proteins to determine OTA content. In the future, HUBU-China will contact the author of this research and attempt to replicate the results, aiming to develop a technology that can truly measure OTA content in natural environments.
From the bright sunshine in Huajing to the hazy mist over Lulin Lake, from the vast mountains and forests to the resource-rich Lushan Botanical Garden, under the leadership of Professor Ke Wenshan, we and the students deciphered the mysteries of life amid green mountains and clear waters, transforming the words in textbooks into tangible "natural imprints" that can be felt with our fingertips. We shared the knowledge we had gained with passers-by along the way.
First, we shared what we had learned in the botanical garden, introduced various plants encountered along the way, popularized basic ecological protection concepts, and inspired everyone's love and curiosity for the natural environment around them.
Next, we naturally introduced the topic of environmental pollutants and educated the public about the potential harm of Ochratoxin A (OTA)---a common mycotoxin---to human health and the agricultural environment.
Finally, we introduced the core of our team's project: OTA amidohydrolase. Using a simple analogy for the hydrolysis process, we explained how this enzyme acts like a "molecular pair of scissors", accurately "cutting" toxic OTA into non-toxic and harmless products. This provides an innovative biological solution for building a green and sustainable healthy ecological cycle system, helping to preserve the "green mountains and clear waters" and achieve sustainable development of a healthy ecological cycle.
To scientifically evaluate the effectiveness of our popular science lectures, we designed and implemented a questionnaire survey.
Method: During the 10-day activity, we distributed the same questionnaire to the same group of audiences both before and after the lectures.
Data and Results: The questionnaire results clearly showed that through our interactive lectures, the public's awareness of ecological environmental protection, knowledge of plant classification, and understanding of OTA were significantly improved.
We specifically visualized the average scores of the questionnaires, and the results are shown in the figure below:
| Evaluation Dimension | Average Score Before Lectures | Average Score After Lectures | Score Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness of Ecological Environmental Protection | 58.5 | 78.2 | 19.7 |
| Plant Classification Knowledge | 42.3 | 71.8 | 29.5 |
| OTA Cognition | 35.1 | 82.5 | 47.4 |
| Overall Average Score | 45.3 | 77.5 | 32.2 |
Our interactive popular science lectures significantly improved the respondents' comprehensive scores in ecological protection, botany knowledge, and OTA cognition.
The beautiful natural scenery and profound cultural heritage itself can bring joy to people's physical and mental well-being and stimulate creativity. We arranged some relaxing team-building activities and held informal academic discussions in the pleasant natural area---jokingly calling it a "mountain group meeting". Away from the busyness of the laboratory, this environment may spark new research ideas among everyone while enhancing team cohesion.
This educational activity during the trip to Lushan was of great significance. We not only introduced Lushan's plants to passing tourists, inspiring their enthusiasm for exploring Lushan and their initiative in ecological environmental protection, but also members of our team gained knowledge through the hands-on sampling process---learning that OTA content in soil is extremely low and mastering methods to detect ultra-trace amounts of OTA in samples.
Under the leadership of Professor Ke Wenshan, we ourselves received education while also conducting educational activities for all residents and tourists. This trip to Lushan was both enjoyable and professionally rewarding.
In the end, we achieved our original vision: deciphering the mysteries of life amid green mountains and clear waters, and transforming our scientific exploration into practical actions to promote sustainable development and protect our shared home. This is the most perfect integration of the iGEM spirit and Human Practices.
The cornerstone of responsible scientific research---especially in the field of synthetic biology---is a deep understanding and strict adherence to biosafety and laboratory safety protocols.
For our iGEM project, we developed a comprehensive and mandatory training program for all wet laboratory members. This program is not just a formality but a key educational component, aiming to ensure the safety of team members, the safety of biological materials, and the integrity of the research environment. We firmly believe that cultivating a safety culture is a crucial outcome of our Human Practices.
To ensure the depth and durability of knowledge, we designed the training as a multi-session course with a total of 8 hours of formal instruction. The curriculum was carefully planned, progressing from basic concepts to specific practical applications.
The above are class notes from three students.
To ensure the effectiveness of the training, we adopted a multi-dimensional assessment strategy that combines the evaluation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
We conducted four phased theoretical exams throughout the training to gradually assess members' understanding. The exam papers were translated from the original Chinese materials to ensure clarity. The first exam was held after the initial theoretical sessions.
Exam Instructions: This is the first of four phased theoretical exams. The assessment system includes written exams and practical evaluations, aiming to gradually build and test competence in biosafety and laboratory skills. The questions are as follows.
Part I: Multiple Choice Questions (20 questions, 4 points each, Total 80 points)
Part II: Short Answer Questions (10 points each, Total 20 points)
We conducted two phased practical operation exams to assess members' hands-on abilities. The assessment focused on basic, high-frequency laboratory techniques that require high safety and precision.
To quantitatively demonstrate the effectiveness of our progressive training, we summarized and analyzed the scores of the four theoretical exams. The data showed a clear upward trend, indicating successful knowledge acquisition and consolidation. The initial scores were already quite high, reflecting the effectiveness of the initial training, while the gradual improvement proved the value of the phased assessment approach.
Average Scores: Exam 1: 82% Exam 2: 86% Exam 3: 89% Exam 4: 92%
All team members also successfully passed the two practical exams, demonstrating 100% proficiency in the core experimental skills assessed.
Our team's biosafety and laboratory safety training program is comprehensive, systematic, and highly significant. By expanding the training from a single lecture to a well-designed 8-hour course, supplemented by phased theoretical and practical assessments, we ensured that safety concepts were deeply internalized. The positive trend in exam scores is a direct reflection of this effective, multi-level educational approach.
This initiative is a core part of our Human Practices work, demonstrating our commitment to responsible scientific research. We not only equipped the team with the necessary knowledge for safely conducting the iGEM project but also instilled a safety culture awareness that will continue to influence each member's future research career.
In the process of advancing educational practices, we have built a full-chain science-education integration system with Design-Build-Test-Learn as its core methodology. This system covers five groups---primary school students, junior high school students, college students, the public, and team members---forming a complete educational closed loop and reflecting the core value of the iGEM competition: "synthetic biology serving human society".
For primary school students, we innovatively adopted a dual-track teaching model of "microscopic observation + traditional Chinese painting creation". In the Design phase, knowledge about microscope use was introduced; in the Build phase, students were encouraged to make slides independently; in the Test phase, they observed biological differences; in the Learn phase, they returned to the classroom to seek answers to their questions. When students saw wonderful structures such as onion epidermal cells under the microscope, their spontaneous exclamations fully demonstrated the educational value of independent exploration.
Education for junior high school students focused on the concept of enzymes and adopted a four-stage teaching approach of "Concept - Life - Inquiry - Narration". Through two rounds of "Life Big Bang" exploration activities, the proportion of students who could correctly identify enzyme-related phenomena increased from 40% initially to nearly 100%, and most students could draw inferences from one case to another, proposing examples of enzyme applications in fields such as food and industry---demonstrating the application value of the DBTL model in daily life.
College students received comprehensive scientific research training from theoretical design to experimental verification through the optional course Structural Biology. Students independently designed protein mutants, and the error of the DNA gel electrophoresis experiment was less than 10%, realizing a cognitive leap from the nano-world to the centimeter-world. For public science popularization, we innovatively adopted the "mountain group meeting" model, organically integrating scientific communication with public education during the field investigation in Lushan. Meanwhile, professors conducted educational activities for HUBU-China.
The team's internal training included a systematic 8-hour course. Biosafety assessment scores increased from 82% to 92%, and all members achieved 100% proficiency in the practical exam---laying a solid foundation for responsible scientific research.
This full-chain educational system not only achieved significant improvements in quantitative outcomes but, more importantly, embodied the profound connotation of the iGEM spirit: cultivating students' sense of responsibility through biosafety training; stimulating the spirit of innovation by encouraging independent exploration; promoting cooperation and sharing through the establishment of a sharing model; realizing cultural inheritance by integrating tradition and modernity; and transforming scientific and technological achievements into social services.
We have built bridges between laboratories and nature, between science and humanities, and between individuals and communities; with inquiry as the core, circulation as the feature, and service as the purpose, we allow knowledge to increase in value through circulation and education to sublimate through cycles. This is not only the final summary of this educational practice but also the starting point and commitment for us to continue exploring in the future.
As food safety issues have increasingly attracted the attention of the whole society, mycotoxin contamination, as an important factor threatening agricultural product safety, makes its popular science education work particularly important. The HUBU-China team from Hubei University's iGEM team has been committed to solving practical problems using synthetic biology methods. The core members of this activity are from the team's HP (Human Practices) group. We innovatively combined the research content of synthetic biology with popular science education, and independently designed an interesting board game themed "Aflatoxin Prevention and Control". The aim is to popularize the basic knowledge, hazards and prevention methods of mycotoxins to students who are not majoring in biology in a relaxed and pleasant way, spread the research philosophy of the iGEM team, and demonstrate the social value of scientific research.
The core of this activity is a set of self-developed card board game, whose rules are designed to be both interesting and informative:
The activity recruited participants from undergraduates with non-biological majors in various colleges of Hubei University. Finally, more than 20 students signed up and participated in two tables. The participants were from the College of Liberal Arts, College of Education, College of Computer Science, etc., ensuring that the popular science activity could reach a wider audience.
The activity was held many times. Here, we take the one held on the evening of September 18, 2025 in Room 105, Building 4 of Wuchang Campus of Hubei University as an example.
This activity is far more than a simple game party; it has become a bridge connecting cutting-edge scientific research and public popular science.
During the activity review, the team leader Bai Maosen summarized: "We initially just wanted to do a simple popular science. But seeing the students from being curious to being engaged, and then spontaneously discussing food safety issues, we think all the efforts are worth it. This board game not only spread knowledge, but also ignited everyone's awareness of paying attention to public safety. This is the 'Human Practices' effect that our iGEM project most wants to see."
Activity enlightenment: This activity proves that transforming complex scientific knowledge into touchable, interactive and perceivable experiences through exquisite design is a powerful path for effective popular science. It has accumulated valuable experience for us to carry out more public-oriented science communication activities in the future, and also added a vivid part to the overall narrative of our iGEM project.
This board game activity successfully let scientific knowledge get out of the laboratory, sowed the seeds of paying attention to food safety in students' hearts in a vibrant way, and perfectly reflected the spirit of Hubei University's iGEM team dedicated to serving society with science.
Turn Process (taking turns clockwise):
Terms should be 2-8 letters long (e.g., "AFB", "Moisture") to avoid complex spellings.
If players forget a term, they can check the Term List at any time, and the host can also give appropriate hints (e.g., "Think about the word related to storing crops?").
With these rules, 4 players without a biology background can interact by spelling simple terms, easily learn knowledge about aflatoxin prevention, and clarify the outcome through the "empty hand first + star points" mechanism, balancing fun and educational value.