Recently, white pollution caused by plastics has become increasingly severe, significantly impacting the natural environment and human life. Survey results indicate that awareness of plastic-degrading enzymes is relatively low. Therefore, we have designed tailored educational programs for students of different age groups to help them understand the current environmental situation and how plastic-degrading enzymes work.
There is public skepticism regarding the efficiency and safety of degrading enzymes, which often prevents them from being considered a primary method for plastic treatment. We are committed to deepening the understanding of genetic biology and plastic-degrading enzymes. Through various methods, including community activities, lectures, and mini theatrical performances, we aim to educate the public in this important field while highlighting our research on plastic-degrading enzymes to raise awareness.
Through these educational activities, we aim to achieve the following outcomes:
Figure 1 educaition mind map
- Younger children can form a clear understanding of white pollution and plastic-degrading enzymes without finding the content dull or complex.
- Primary school students can develop an awareness of environmental protection through education and share this knowledge with those around them.
- High school students can gain a basic understanding of genetic biology and relate it to biological knowledge as an eco-friendly approach.
To achieve the first goal, we performed a mini stage play for kindergarten children, portraying degrading enzymes as heroes that defeat plastics, allowing the children to easily and simply understand how degrading enzymes work.
To achieve the second goal, we conducted educational sessions for primary school students in the form of classroom and community activities. In the classroom, we introduced the concept of white pollution and the origin of plastic-degrading enzymes, as well as how they break down plastics. Afterwards, the children used ultra-light clay to create posters depicting their understanding of degrading enzymes and environmental protection. For community activities, we held lectures to help children learn about plastic-degrading enzymes, followed by an activity where they wrote down their reflections on large sheets of paper. We also conducted surveys among parents. Both children and parents were encouraged to use their creations to promote awareness among their communities.
To achieve the third goal, we organized lectures for high school students, detailing the types of plastics and the biological principles of degrading enzymes. We also held Q&A sessions to reinforce the knowledge shared, introducing a new eco-friendly concept to the students.
As part of our commitment to engaging younger audiences and fostering early environmental awareness, we designed a special outreach activity for preschoolers. After conducting thorough research, we developed a child-friendly program to introduce our project in an accessible and enjoyable manner. The session featured an interactive play about plastic-degrading enzymes, where the children participated as guest actors for immersive learning. This hands-on experience helped them understand both the purpose and process of enzymatic plastic degradation. The event concluded with a rewarded Q&A session to reinforce their knowledge, encourage expression, and strengthen their connection to the environmental message.
2.1.1 play
Our script was collaboratively written and produced by our team members. After numerous rehearsals, we delivered an outstanding performance. The storyline incorporates fairy-tale elements, featuring a protagonist named "Enzyme Hero" who battles and defeats the "Plastic Villain". Through this heroic adventure—including dynamic fight scenes and clear explanations of the degradation process—children learned fundamental concepts about plastic-degrading enzymes and gained an initial understanding of how they work.
Additionally, the protagonists of our script were made into puppets to help the children engage more in the show. During the play, children helped our protagonist "Enzyme Hero" to cut the plastic chains off the "Plastic Villain", which helped them to feel proud while protecting the environment.
Figure 2 performance
2.1.2 Q&A
We prepared a series of questions related to basic knowledge of plastic-degrading enzymes. The activity included both quick-answer rounds and designated Q&A sessions. When a child answered correctly, they received candy, the opportunity to choose the next participant, and points for their team. If a child answered incorrectly or was unable to respond, they were invited to sing a song or perform a dance，and then use their answers as a basis to broaden the knowledge and provide popular science information on those topics. Finally, the participant with the highest score was awarded the "Enzyme Hero" prize. This interactive approach not only made the learning process more fun and engaging, but also encouraged the children to express themselves confidently.
Figure 3 Q&A sessions
This activity successfully engaged preschoolers by combining education with entertainment. The interactive story of "Enzyme Hero vs. Plastic Monster" vividly demonstrated the plastic degradation process, while the reward-based Q&A session (with candies, team points, and talent shows) fully stimulated children's enthusiasm. The children not only learned the basic principles of enzyme functions but also developed environmental awareness through joyful interactions. This practice proves that child-friendly experiential learning can effectively help young children grasp scientific knowledge while planting the seeds of environmental protection in their hearts.
From this activity, we realized that to help children better absorb the knowledge they learn, education must be combined with entertainment—making learning fun. Meanwhile, presenting content in the form of stories is also highly effective, as it adds interest to the knowledge. Judging from the children’s enthusiasm for participation, they showed great interest in enzymatic plastic degradation, which indirectly reflects their passion for synthetic biology. Seeing such enthusiasm from the children deeply moved us. In the process of conducting science popularization activities, we bear the heavy responsibility of providing more professional knowledge to society, and we have successfully fulfilled this social responsibility. We hope that in the future, we will have more opportunities to share more knowledge about synthetic biology and plastic-degrading enzymes with the public. Additionally, in subsequent activities, we will not only impart knowledge to children but also attach greater importance to entertainment by incorporating more interesting elements, while paying closer attention to students’ feedback.
In order to better promote our research topic — plastic-degrading enzymes and the current state of nature to the kids, we plan to focus on enhancing children's understanding of this concept. For this purpose, we carried out two kinds of educational activity for Primary School. During these activities, we hope that children can realize the plastic pollution crisis facing nature, understand the potential harm that those seemingly insignificant plastic wastes may cause to the environment, and then guide them to pay attention to these plastic wastes in daily life, develop the good habits of reasonable recycling and scientific utilization, so that the awareness of environmental protection can take root in their hearts from an early age.
3.1.1 Action
(1) An Intro Story
Our team used simple and easy-to-understand English to explain to the children the current situation of the Earth being harmed by "white pollution". From the long process of plastic waste decomposing in the ocean to its damage to the living environment of animals and plants, we strive to make them intuitively feel the current environmental crisis and discuss reasonable ways to deal with existing plastic products together. Additionally, we introduced the current methods of degrading plastics and the concept of plastic degrading enzymes. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods were also told to the children. During the explanation, the children were focused and their eyes were full of curiosity about new knowledge.
Figure 4 An Intro Story
(2) Q&A session
In the Q&A session, they raised their hands enthusiastically. Their questions and answers, though from a childlike perspective, were often unexpected and to the point. For example, one child asked, "Will the plastic bottles at home also become pollution?" It was evident that they had already paid attention to related topics in their daily lives. Plastic crisis education works for this age group; public awareness of plastic harm is widespread. Schools and families care much, showing our activities and projects matter. Near the end of the class, we also gave a popular interpretation of the relatively complex concept of plastic-degrading enzymes, using metaphors like "little helpers that can eat plastic" to help them understand, planting seeds of relevant cognition in the children's minds.
(3) Plastic-Free Art:Poster Making for Our Planet
To help children put into practice the environmental knowledge and understanding of plastic-degrading enzymes they learned in class, we organized a themed poster-making activity where they worked in pairs. With materials prepared, the children actively participated and completed their creations with their partners.
Figure 5 Plastic-Free Art
This activity not only reinforced what they had learned, making abstract environmental concepts tangible, but also fostered their communication and collaboration skills through teamwork. More importantly, it let them truly realize that everyone can contribute to protecting the environment, thus planting a seed in their hearts to actively practice environmental protection.
3.1.2 Summary and reflection
This paired poster-making session, which aimed to solidify environmental and enzyme-related learning, saw children actively engaging with provided materials to merge creativity with understanding, ultimately reinforcing lessons, building teamwork, inspiring proactive environmental awareness, and effectively achieving educational goals.
From our past science popularization practices, we have deeply realized the importance of "integrating education with entertainment" for knowledge dissemination—it is not only a way to make professional content more accessible, but also a key path for us, as knowledge communicators, to fulfill our social responsibility. Therefore, in this science popularization activity on plastic degradation and synthetic biology for children, we proactively integrated interesting elements into the entire teaching process, transforming abstract scientific knowledge into something vivid and perceivable.
During the activity, a child took the initiative to ask the question, "Will the plastic bottles at home also become pollution?" This question filled us with great surprise and relief: it not only confirms that children have shifted from "passively receiving knowledge" to "proactively exploring and thinking," but also indicates that our science popularization work has truly reached the core goal of "stimulating public environmental awareness," allowing social responsibility to be put into practice through knowledge transmission. Meanwhile, we also concluded from the activity that hands-on and practical formats can significantly enhance participants' sense of engagement, and more importantly, awaken children's imagination and creativity—this has pointed out the direction for our subsequent social science popularization efforts.
In the future, we hope to continue taking "disseminating scientific knowledge and fulfilling social responsibility" as our mission. When popularizing synthetic biology knowledge to a broader social group, we will continue to adopt interactive, hands-on formats. We will not only encourage children to actively provide feedback on their ideas and participate in experiential activities multiple times, but also enable more people to understand the value of science and the significance of environmental protection through personal practice, truly realizing our sense of responsibility to "empower the public with knowledge and safeguard society through actions."
We first conducted popular science education on plastic-degrading enzymes across various grades, then expanded our audience to children in community offering them vivid explanations and interactive activities. Through these events, kids not only gain a solid understanding of plastic-degrading enzymes and their working principles but also learn practical ways to handle plastic waste scientifically in daily life, planting seeds of environmental protection in their hearts. More importantly, children will share what they’ve learned with family and friends, creating a ripple effect. This helps more people recognize the value of plastic-degrading enzyme technology, prompting them to actively support our research and gather broader momentum for its promotion and application.
3.2.1 Action
(1) Lecture
We delivered a presentation on "White Pollution and the Biology Around Us" to children aged 5-6, structured into four clear and engaging parts: an introduction to enzymes and plastics, a discussion on enzyme research, and their benefits and applications in nature and human life. Throughout the session, we encouraged interaction by posing questions, which captured the children’s attention and prompted them to think actively and participate bravely. Each time a child answered, they received a reward sticker—reinforcing the idea that courage and effort are valued, while also sparking greater interest and enthusiasm for the subsequent parts of the presentation.
Figure 6 presentation
(2) Small Competition
We designed a set of questions based on our presentation, turning the review into a fast-paced quiz competition. The real-time challenge sparked the children's competitive spirit and allowed us to assess their understanding of the content.
The kids actively participated, racing to answer each question to prove their knowledge and win exciting "blind box" rewards.
To ensure fairness, we set clear rules: any violation would result in disqualification from prizes. All children followed the rules closely, making the competition both fun and fair.
Their high level of engagement and accurate responses showed strong grasp of the material and genuine interest in the topic.
Figure 7 small competition
(3) Future wishes & plastic degradation enzymes inside their heart
At the end, we provided the children with art supplies and encouraged them to create their own versions of plastic-degrading enzymes and express their hopes and visions for a greener future. The children shared blessings for the world in various forms—some wished for more efficient enzymes, others hoped that everyone would separate their waste responsibly, that cities and countries would prioritize environmental protection, and that the world would become cleaner and more beautiful with less trash. In their most sincere voices, they responded with care for our planet, planting in their hearts the seed of contributing to a better world in the future.
Figure 8 creation
3.2.2 Summary and reflection
Through this activity, we extended the knowledge about plastic-degrading enzymes from campuses to communities. With vivid explanations and hands-on interactions, we helped children master scientific methods for handling plastic waste, while also sowing the seeds of ecological environmental protection in their hearts. After the activity, we collected feedback from four parents. They believed the difficulty level of the activity was appropriately set, and mentioned that the "knowledge explanation + hands-on creation" format was very interesting, allowing the children to gain a great deal. They also expressed a desire to learn more about plastic-degrading enzymes.
From previous activities, we concluded that students should be given more opportunities for hands-on participation. Therefore, we put this conclusion into practice in this activity, and the results showed that both parents and children were very satisfied. At the same time, we have also come to a clearer realization that every piece of feedback—whether it is the true thoughts from children or valuable suggestions from parents—is an important basis for optimizing activities and refining science popularization work. Moreover, it is a necessary way for us to listen to the public's needs and better fulfill our social responsibilities.
Based on this, we will actively collect feedback in possible subsequent activities. In the future, we will continue to fulfill our social responsibilities. When we have the opportunity to carry out various educational activities, we will also be more proactive in collecting everyone's opinions and suggestions, attach importance to each piece of feedback, and optimize the design of our activities accordingly.
Our PED team organized an engaging educational event for middle school students from our institution's secondary division, leveraging their existing knowledge of environmental protection to deliver a structured lecture-style session. Through expertly elucidated presentations, our team members comprehensively introduced the concept, advantages, and practical applications of plastic-degrading enzymes, emphasizing their trans-formative potential in addressing global plastic pollution. To solidify comprehension, a dynamic Q&A segment concluded the activity, fostering interactive dialogue and reinforcing critical insights about enzymatic solutions. This approach effectively merged educational depth with participatory engagement, leaving a lasting impression on students
The session commenced with an introduction to plastic-degrading enzymes, classification (e.g., PETases, MHETases), and ecological significance. Subsequent segments detailed the severity of plastic pollution, emphasizing impacts on marine ecosystems, human health (via microplastic ingestion), and atmospheric climate (greenhouse gas emissions from plastic degradation). Real-life examples, such as single-use PET bottles and polyethylene packaging, were employed to contextualize plastic types. The lecture then contrasted enzymatic biodegradation with traditional chemical/physical methods, highlighting advantages like environmental friendliness, sustainability, and lower energy consumption. Research objectives, including plasmid-based enzyme engineering and industrial-scale PET recycling, were explicitly outlined. The session concluded with a Q&A segment addressing fundamental mechanisms of enzymatic degradation, comparative advantages over conventional approaches.
Figure 9 lecture
Figure 10 Q&A
Our PED team's environmental lecture for middle school students integrated theoretical and interactive elements, focusing on plastic-degrading enzymes. Content included enzymatic mechanisms, classification, and ecological roles, supplemented by real-life examples (e.g., beverage bottles) to illustrate plastic pollution impacts on marine ecosystems, human health, and climate. Comparative advantages of biodegradation over conventional methods were emphasized, alongside research objectives like plasmid-based enzyme engineering. The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A, receiving positive feedback for clarity and engagement.
From the previous activity, we realized the importance of obtaining feedback from students. Therefore, in this activity, we used a question-and-answer session to check whether students had mastered the knowledge, which also served as one of the channels for feedback.
After going through many such activities, we realized that activities can not only be educational and entertaining with hands-on practice, but can also be used to collect feedback. If these three elements can be combined, the results will be more effective. Therefore, in possible future activities, we will consider integrating all three.
Enzy and Enzyme Hero. This set of stickers aims to convey the hope that plastic-degrading enzymes bring to environmental protection. Both mascots are shown in a waving pose, full of energy. The chemical symbol above Enzy's head aligns with the wet lab philosophy of iGEM, representing experimental rigor and scientific spirit. Enzyme Hero symbolizes the various activities of the dry lab, spreading knowledge to the public like a pair of wings. The DNA strand behind them represents the genetic biology that our team primarily focuses on. We created these two mascots to help others understand the unique characteristics of our team and to use them for promotional purposes; we have shared these designs on Xiaohongshu.
Figure 11 Materials
This creative initiative of turning plastic-degrading enzymes into cute cartoon emojis, stickers and badges based on our logo offers multiple benefits. By spreading these stickers on WeChat, the message of "plastic degradation" reaches a vast audience in a friendly, approachable way. These adorable characters make the scientific concept relatable and memorable, sparking curiosity and conversation. Every download and share acts as a mini-campaign, raising awareness about reducing plastic waste effortlessly during daily chats. It's a positive, viral tool that transforms complex environmental action into a simple, engaging gesture. This fun approach effectively plants the seed for eco-friendly behavior in people's minds, inspiring collective action for a healthier planet.
Figure 12 Badge
We made two English books featuring our logo-inspired cartoon hero: a little enzyme sprite. Both of the stories follows its adventure to clean up a plastic-polluted beach and ocean. With the help of its friends, the sprite successfully breaks down all the plastic waste, restoring the beach and ocean to its original beauty and vitality,which helps the children to get a specific understanding of the degrating ablity of enzymes.
These books will be donated to local kindergartens, primary schools, and community centers. The initiative offers significant benefits. It introduces children to complex concepts like synthetic biology and environmental science in a simple, engaging, and memorable way. Through the empowering story of the enzyme sprite, we not only spark curiosity and imagination but also plant the crucial seed of environmental stewardship in the next generation. It’s a fun, accessible tool to inspire real-world action for a healthier planet.
Our team also created online games and posted them on Kahoot. One of the games is about the concept, function, and advantages of plastic degrading enzymes, while the other is about genetics biology, including topics such as BioBricks, Synthetic Genomes, and CRISPR. The game is faced to the public and could spread knowledge to the community with a larger age range rather than only children in school to get a basic understanding on this topic. Additionally, this game could also be used as educational material in class for other teachers who might need it.
Figure 13 Online games
To support our project in the 2025 International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, we launched two social media accounts to promote our work in synthetic biology .
6.1.1 Bilibili Account [HWFLAIGEM_PED]
Serves as our official main channel, focusing on "wet lab" updates. It shares formal project introductions to professionally present our research. In the future, we may also release lab videos, and competition materials.
Figure 14 Bilibili
6.1.2 Xiaohongshu Account [IGEM - PED Representative]
Acts as our public outreach platform, managed by the "dry team". It uses a casual and engaging style, featuring original IP characters to make science accessible and attract a broader audience, especially younger users.
Figure 15 Xiaohongshu
6.2.1 Bilibili
We posted our first team introduction video, which received 113 views.
6.2.2 Xiaohongshu
We shared a variety of content including:
A cute original character "Xiaomei", which attracted significant attention；
Easy-to-understand science comics and graphics explaining plastic pollution and enzyme degradation；
Casual team life updates showing our daily work；
These efforts gained 25 followers and 97 likes/saves, with active and positive interactions.
The two accounts helped:
Effectively promote scientific knowledge and raise awareness of our project;
Make synthetic biology feel more approachable and engaging to the public;
Establish a friendly and professional team image through the "Xiaomei" character;
Together, these accounts enhanced our visibility and outreach, successfully fulfilling iGEM’s emphasis on public communication and education.
In conclusion, our educational initiativeshave reached a broad audience, including students from kindergarten throughhigh school, as well as their parents. Our "Enzyme Hero" mini theater provided fun and engaging ways to introduce basic biological concepts to kindergarten children. For primary school students, interactive classes and hands-on activities enabled every child to participate in learning about plastic-degrading enzymes, creating a highly interactive experience. The lectures designed for high school students deepened their understanding of biological principles and served as a rigorous scientific educational opportunity. Meanwhile, we utilized social media to expand our reach, further enriching educational activities and enhancing public understanding of plastic-degrading enzymes and genetic biology.
Our multifaceted approach has helped bridge the gap between society and the field of genetic biology, while also incorporating feedback from participants. This educational model is impactful, engaging, and inclusive, providing valuable knowledge to all groups involved.
This cyclic process of imparting knowledge and collecting feedback has made us realize that education is not merely a one-way dissemination, but a large-scale interactive activity. In this process, both we (the educators) and the learners stand to gain a great deal.