Description

Education

Overview

Carbon dioxide emissions have become a severe global issue, subtly influencing people’s daily lives, calling for an urgent, sustainable solution. Our project works on enhancing the efficiency of carbon dioxide consumption through cyanobacteria, an organism capable of reducing the chemical compound. To raise awareness of our project and the significant role of synthetic biology, we held multiple educational activities both on and off campus. Through these activities, we not only introduce the basics of synthetic biology, but also show how this technology can be applied to daily-life challenges. By combining scientific knowledge with interactive learning activities, we focus on promoting public consciousness and engagement with global issues.

Taitung Camp

Introduction and Purpose

As part of our mission to make synthetic biology education more inclusive, our team wanted to extend our outreach beyond urban schools to rural indigenous communities. In collaboration with the Taitung Bunun Summer Camp, we prepared a lesson plan for Bunun indigenous youth (grades 5-6). Indigenous communities in Taiwan are often underserved in opportunities for science education(KSU and TSMC Charity Foundation Launch S., 2018). Consequently, we took this opportunity during iGEM to provide exposure to core biological concepts. This initiative was built on our earlier workshop with middle school students at our own school. By simplifying complex ideas of DNA and inheritance into interactive lessons, we aimed to create an education experience that was meaningful to communities outside the ones we were part of. With guidance from an elementary education specialist Ms. Principe, we were able to apply her suggestions of creating more interactive activities and connecting inherited traits to observable features students could see in themselves and their families through a scavenger hunt and DNA decoding games.

Lesson Design

Our lesson plan was designed around four main learning goals:

Distinguish living from non-living things using the 7 functions of life
Understand inherited traits and their role in family resemblance
Recognize the role of DNA as an “instruction manual” for life
Explore the difference between bacteria, viruses, and human cells

To achieve these goals, we paired short lectures and videos with interactive activities and a reflection worksheet. This blended structure ensured that students not only received information but also practiced applying it to their own observations.

Taitung Bunun Summer Camp Lesson Plan. English

Taitung Bunun Summer Camp Lesson Plan. Mandarin

Interactive Education Tools

Fig 1. Scavenger hunt: Students collected objects from their surroundings and categorized them as living or non-living. After the lesson on the functions of life, they re-classified their items to demonstrate their understanding.

Fig 2. Trace the traits matching game: Students matched baby animals to parents using physical traits, reinforcing the idea of inherited characteristics

Fig 3. DNA Decoding: Using alphabet to represent DNA sequences, students decoded “DNA sequences” that corresponded to specific traits, allowing them to understand how genetic instructions determine appearance

DNA Decoding Cards.pdf

Impact and Feedback

The survey feedback from the teachers indicates that the lesson had a positive impact on student engagement and learning. Teachers observed medium to high engagement, with students particularly enjoying hands-on activities like photo matching and scavenger hunts that connected science to their everyday environment. While younger students found abstract DNA concepts and distinguishing “good” versus “bad” bacteria challenging, worksheets showed strong understanding of key concepts, including the six functions of life, inheritance, and DNA as a manual for our traits. Feedback from the teachers suggested simplifying and shortening teaching videos and incorporating more real-life props to further enhance learning. Overall, the lesson successfully made biology interactive, relevant, and curiosity-driven, with potential for adaptation in future classes.

Reflection and Challenges

Developing this lesson plan challenged us to balance accuracy with accessibility, simplifying core synthetic biology concepts for different levels. Our initial draft included detailed organelle functions, but after consultation with elementary teachers, we refocused on broader life functions and inheritance, making the content more manageable for younger learners. Although we could not deliver the lesson in person, collaborating with the summer camp team allowed us to extend synthetic biology outreach to students who might not otherwise encounter it. This experience highlighted the importance of adapting to community needs, simplifying content without losing meaning, and listening to feedback to improve inclusivity.

Grade 7-8

7th and 8th Grade Education Workshop 1 (June 5, 2025)

Introduction and Purpose

Since the iGEM program in our school has always been offered only to high school students, we thought it would be a great chance to introduce knowledge about both iGEM and synthetic biology to middle school students. By doing so, they can have an opportunity to learn about iGEM and synthetic biology earlier and possibly grow an interest in them.

At the beginning of the project, we planned creative ways to educate the students, and judging from the feedback we got from the students, they came out successful and meaningful, as we were hoping them to be.

Summary

In our first educational workshop for the seventh and eighth graders, there were 27 students who signed up. The workshop was held in two parts: the lecture and the hands-on experience. Since the students only had little understanding of synthetic biology before the workshop, we started out with a lecture on the basic knowledge of DNA and RNA. This way, they could be more involved when we do the experiment later. Then, we did strawberry DNA extraction for the hands-on experiment. We introduced the procedures and also showed them a tutorial video.

Through the experiment, the students got the chance to use some lab equipment and learned about the safety rules. Moreover, they could better visualize the concept of DNA which was introduced in the lecture previously, sparking their interest. In the end, we briefly introduced synthetic biology and its connection with the lesson and experiment. In general, the workshop was a successful start, as the students were more curious about biology and enjoyed the experiment.

↑ Link to the slide

Figure 4: Students listening to the lecture

Figure 5: Students performing the experiment

Figure 6: Students performing the experiment

Feedback Summary

After the workshop, we hoped to receive some feedback from the students to understand which part of the workshop can be improved. Therefore, we sent out a survey to them through the school e-mail. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of our educational event by measuring how clearly the challenging knowledge was taught to the 7th and 8th-grade students, and how much of the taught knowledge was actually learned.

Looking at the graphs below, the 7th and 8th graders' understanding of the knowledge we taught was generally good. Knowledge about DNA and RNA after our event was rated as 4 to 5 out of 5 by the students, which was a significant increase from their knowledge before our event, with the knowledge level varying from 1 to 4. A similar trend could also be observed in Figure 8, where 7th and 8th-graders had an increase in understanding about synthetic biology. Furthermore, our clarity of explanation had an average rating of around 3.9 out of 5, and an average rating of around 4.5 out of 5 for experiment (figure 9). Moreover, the engagement level of our experiment was quite high, implying that the students did learn and apply their new knowledge in experiments.

Figure 7: Student self-evaluation of their understanding of DNA and RNA. The knowledge level was skewed to the right after the educational session, showing an increase in understanding of DNA and RNA.

Figure 8: Student self-evaluation of their understanding of synthetic biology. The knowledge level was skewed to the right after the educational session, showing an increase in understanding of synthetic biology.

Figure 9: Student evaluation of the clarity and engagement of our educational event. The rating is shewed to the right, showing that our educational event was both engaging and clear.

Conclusion

In the first workshop, we taught the students about fundamental biology knowledge and did a strawberry DNA extraction experiment. Not only did the students learn new knowledge and experience new concepts in biology, but we, as a team, learned a lot too. We worked together to design a lecture suitable for middle school students and an experiment that will spark their interest. Through the process, we got to know how to cooperate when teaching a lesson, help each other during experiments, and explain intricate concepts in simple ways. The experience is a new step for us to learn and grow, approaching various ways to educate people about synthetic biology.

7th and 8th Grade Education Workshop 2 (June 19, 2025)

Introduction and Purpose

Through the first workshop experience with the middle school students, we thought of a follow-up session that could make this project more complete and continuous. There were 25 students from the previous workshop who attended. We delved deeper into synthetic biology this time, performing lectures and experiments that were more related to iGEM, making this a good opportunity to introduce them to this project.

Summary

We had our follow-up session for the G7-8 education two weeks after the first workshop, focusing more on synthetic biology. We introduced gel electrophoresis, teaching them the purpose and concept of the experiment (Figure 10). This is an important lab technique that will be used in many experiments related to synthetic biology. Thus, we tried to teach them beforehand and have more understanding of it. We tried to use simple terms and diagrams to explain the complex parts. Moving on to the experiment part, we taught them how to use pipettes and run the agarose gel (Figure 11, 12 and 13). We practiced using the pipettes with water before we worked with the DNA samples.

The experiment was challenging for the students since it was the first time they used a pipette. Nevertheless, our team members helped when we saw them struggling. In conclusion, they learned about gel electrophoresis, pipettes, and loading PCR products on a gel.

↑ Link to the slide

Figure 10: Student listening to the lecture

Figure 11: Students performing gel electrophoresis experiment

Figure 12: Students loading samples into the gel

Figure 13: Students loading samples into the gel

Feedback Summary

A survey was sent out to the 7th and 8th-grade students after our follow-up educational event. Through analysis of how well complex knowledge was explained to 7th and 8th-grade students, and how much of the knowledge explained was absorbed, we intended to assess how successful our follow-up educational event was. Our explanation and the 7th and 8th-grade students’ take-up of knowledge were overall efficient, as shown by the graphs below. Specifically, in Figure 14, the majority of knowledge levels about electrophoresis after the follow-up educational event fall in the category of 4 to 5, an increase from the knowledge levels before the event. Furthermore, our clarity of explanation scored an average of 4, which showed improvement to the score of our first workshop (Figure 15). Regarding experiment engagement, the majority of students rated it 5 out of 5.

Figure 14: Student self-evaluation of their understanding of gel electrophoresis. The knowledge level was skewed to the right after the educational session, showing an increase in understanding of gel electrophoresis.

Figure 15: Student evaluation of the clarity and engagement of our educational event. The rating is shewed to the right, showing that our educational event was both engaging and clear.

Conclusion

The second workshop delved deeper into synthetic biology and lectured about how gel electrophoresis works. The students also got the chance to use the professional lab equipment, pipette and electrophoresis apparatus, and learned how to use them in experiments. We spread synthetic biology knowledge outside of our team and hopefully attracted more people into the field. This workshop not only benefited both the students and us, but also introduced synthetic biology to numerous young adults who might want to enroll in the iGEM program in high school.

New Team Education

↑ Link to the slide

Introduction and Purpose

The 2026 KCIS XiuGang iGEM team embarked on their journey this school year. To assist their adaptation to the iGEM environment, we delivered an educational lecture that passed on our experience and knowledge, including an introduction to synthetic biology, laboratory equipment, our project, and an experiment on bacterial transformation. By doing so, the junior team got a quick overview of how we built different components of our project and had a chance to ask questions about it. Besides, they could learn practical skills of handling various laboratory equipment that they may not have operated before.

Summary

Our education plan is divided into four parts– synthetic biology and iGEM, laboratory equipment, our project, and experimentation.

To begin, we started our presentation by introducing synthetic biology concepts, including the basic knowledge and concept of synthetic biology, what experiments it relates to, and applications in real life (Figure 16). We incorporated the design cycle to point out similarities and differences between usual experimentation processes and synthetic biology-related ones. After that, we introduced how we did research, listened to lectures, and maintained a habit of jotting notes to establish the basic structure of our project and implement the knowledge to design experiments.

Figure 16: Student listening to the lecture

As for the next section, we demonstrated the usage of some frequently used equipment and machines, as well as the purposes of using them. For instance, we prepared water for students to practise using a micropipette to dilute plasmids (Figure 17 & 18). After getting to know some of the laboratory equipment, we introduced our project to the junior team to provide an overview of the project at the final stage, hoping to receive suggestions from a new perspective to improve (Figure 19).

Figure 17: Students learning how to use a micropipette

Figure 18: Students learning how to use a micropipette

Figure 19: Introducing students to our project

Lastly, we guided them through a bacterial transformation experiment, where they can experience the full process of a synthetic biology-related experiment – including calculations beforehand and material preparation– as well as review the usage of various equipment introduced earlier.

Feedback

To evaluate our performance on leading an experiment for beginners as well as the clarity of our presentation on synthetic biology topics, we asked the junior team members to fill out a survey after the session. We designed some questions regarding how much they understood about synthetic biology, laboratory equipment usage, and PCR, followed by any other parts they were interested in but we did not mention in our lecture.

Figure 20: Students evaluating their understanding of synthetic biology

Figure 21: Students evaluating their understanding of laboratory equipment

Figure 22: Students evaluating their understanding of PCR

Looking at Figure 15, about three-quarters of students understood the synthetic biology contents, with the remaining ones thinking they were slightly unclear, and no one had zero understanding. Besides, as supported by the fact that approximately 90% of students were familiar with the usage of laboratory equipment, our introduction was successful (Fig. 16). Moreover, as shown in Figure 17, a majority of students rated themselves 4 out of 5 regarding their understanding of PCR, the experiment they performed after listening to our lecture, followed by 8 of them considering themselves fully understanding the experiment by rating themselves a 5 out of 5. The average score of students’ self-evaluation is relatively high, 3.83 out of 5, implying that while there are still spaces for improvement, we delivered our lecture relatively efficiently.

Figure 23: Students suggesting other parts they wish to learn about

Other than designing multiple-choice questions where answers are limited, we encouraged students to state their opinions on what they are interested in within the synthetic biology field (Fig 18). To our surprise, while most participants did not have doubts about our lecture, we received various suggestions, such as how we developed our project along with its current progress, details about bacterial transformation, and the roles of iGEM members.

We believe that showing more of our project development is a feasible idea. Through presenting our project in more detail and with more supporting data, not only can we promote our project’s aim to mitigate carbon emissions, but also sharpen our skills to deliver speeches and evaluate ourselves on whether our presentation was clear enough for people from various study levels. Furthermore, we can also state each group member’s role to serve as a brief image of how jobs are distributed among us. Responding to the feedback of providing more details about bacterial transformation, we think that it is more appropriate to teach its mechanisms after establishing a basic knowledge of synthetic biology, meaning it is not the best idea to include it in a short lecture.

Conclusion

After this 3-hour lecture, we were grateful for having a chance to share our experience and knowledge of what we have been delving into for the past school year. Although lecturing was smooth, there were minor setbacks while guiding the experiment. We spent extra time on the first few steps of the experiment, which were doing calculations, diluting plasmids, and labelling tubes. For instance, some students did not have a solid chemistry base from their original classes, so they might be miserable when they were asked to calculate the amount of distilled water needed. Despite these unpredictabilities, we still managed to complete all the lessons within the allotted time and were pleased to contribute to tiny parts of their iGEM journey.

Science Fair

Introduction and Purpose

Our school’s annual science fair presented a dual opportunity to present our iGEM project and engage with younger audiences and parents. With middle and high school students showing their projects to attending parents and teachers, the science fair was an ideal opportunity to promote iGEM to lower-grade students and connect with parents who were employed in relevant industries. We prepared a poster and an educational board game for students to learn about enhanced carbon fixation in cyanobacteria (Figure 24). By setting up our booth, we aimed to spark interest among the attending students and seek valuable expertise or feedback for our project (Figure 25).

Summary

In our science fair booth, we did two parts: holding a presentation of our project poster and playing our board game. We started by introducing them to the problem we hope to solve with our device, which is high carbon emissions. Then, we moved on to the technical aspects of our project and the final device we plan to make. For lower grades, we explained the concepts within our project with simpler terms to give them a picture of our project and our goals, while not complicating it.

Figure 24: Science Fair Education Poster

Figure 25. Booth presentations to science teachers

Figure 26: Booth presentations to attending parents

Figure 27: Discussing with a parent in the manufacturing industry about our product design

Figure 28: Parents and students coming to our booth to play our educational board game

Conclusion

At the science fair, we presented our project to students and parents and played our board game. Both attendees and we learned a lot during this event. The parents and students learned about the genetic engineering of organisms, while we gained experience in presenting our project to the public. We also received questions and feedback from parents and students, enhancing our project and enabling us to think of aspects we never thought of.

Educational Tools

Boardgame Placeholder

Placeholder is a strategy board game inspired by Catan. As in Catan, players roll dice to trigger resource production and build to expand their territories. Unlike Catan, Placeholder centers on synthetic and cell biology and is meant as another fun way to learn about synthetic biology and cyanobacteria. Players place distinct cell types, each with its own acceptable pH and temperature, to generate specific resources and craft biomolecules. Mastering cell placement, environmental conditions, and Syn-Bio cards lets you outmaneuver rivals and race to the victory point threshold.

Placeholder Rulebook

Placeholder Handbook

Ready-to-Download Accessories

Cells & Boards

Pages 1–5: Cells are the main components of the game and the foundation of every player’s strategy. Placing a cell on the board not only earns you victory points but also establishes your ability to generate resources. Each type of cell produces specific resources whenever the dice roll matches its habitat’s temperature and pH conditions. In addition, every cell provides access to certain crafting abilities, allowing you to convert basic compounds into biomolecules. Each cell has its own acceptable range of pH and temperature, which must be respected when placing it on the board.
Pages 6–12: The board is divided into hexes, each representing a distinct habitat defined by both temperature and pH.

More

Temperature is shown by color: light blue for Freezing, blue for Cold, green for Temperate, yellow for Warm, and red for Hot. At the start of each round, players roll two six-sided dice to determine which temperature zones are active: rolls of 2–3 activate Freezing, 3–5 activate Cold, 5–9 activate Temperate, 9–11 activate Warm, and 11–12 activate Hot. A second roll determines the pH value, which corresponds to the numbered token placed on each hex. Cells placed on the board only produce resources when both the temperature zone and the pH token of their hex match the dice results. The objective of the game is to reach 10 victory points by strategically crafting and placing cells on the board, or by achieving special goals.

Syn-Bio cards

Syn-Bio cards are special cards that players obtain by crafting according to the recipes in the Blue Handbook. Each card represents an advanced synthetic biology technique or innovation. When played, Syn-Bio cards provide powerful special abilities, such as boosting resource production, protecting cells, or interfering with opponents. Some cards take effect immediately, while others remain attached to a cell or provide ongoing benefits. Syn-Bio cards add strategic depth to the game and can be used to shift the balance of play at critical moments.

Resource cards

Resource cards represent the fundamental materials and compounds used throughout the game. They are divided into two categories. The first includes basic compounds such as water (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), oxygen gas (O₂), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P). The second includes biomolecules, which can be crafted from the basic compounds: ATP, nucleic acids, amino acids, lipids, and carbohydrates. These resources are the building blocks for placing cells, producing advanced functions, and achieving victory.

Boardgame Memory Match

The Memory Matching Game is a board game we designed as an educational tool for teaching students or people interested in synthetic biology the important vocabulary words. The game is simple and convenient to play. Before starting, players are given vocabulary sheets to study the terms. During the game, players take turns flipping over two cards. If the cards match, the player collects them; else, the cards are turned face down again. The game ends once all pairs are matched and collected. The ultimate goal is to find pairs, then say the vocabulary word and its definition out loud until all cards are matched. The player with the most pairs wins. For beginners, they can adjust the difficulty by changing the number of cards. For instance, they can start with 10 pairs and add more pairs throughout the game to increase the challenge.

In conclusion, the board game makes learning dry vocabulary an engaging, interactive activity. Through repetition and visual memory, it enhances the effectiveness of vocabulary learning.

Ready-to-Download Accessories

Matching Boardgame Print Version
This is a PDF version of the game for printing. Our team printed out the cards to play in physical form during the science fair!

Boardgame Vocabulary Sheet
This vocabulary sheet includes 18 important vocabulary words related to synthetic biology. Players should learn the words before playing the game.

Storybook Collaboration

The storybook is a collaborative storybook targeted towards children, aged 6 to 11, educating kids on health and self-care. We collaborated with the NIS-Kazakhstan iGEM team to design this storybook. The goal of this collaboration with the NIS-Kazakhstan iGEM team was to address the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, specifically on carbon emissions, and educate kids around the world. Other teams that designed other chapters include the WIST iGEM team, Saint-Joseph iGEM team, DelNorte-SD iGEM team, and HK-HCY-PCMS iGEM team. The storybook is translated into four languages, English, Russian, Kazakh, and Chinese.

We designed a chapter to discuss the effect of air pollution and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide on our skin. Using the main character Mia and our chapter’s main focus, Eva and her cyanobuddie, we shared our project by analogizing complicated concepts and translating the book into Mandarin. Cyanobuddie goes on a discovery journey with Eva, aiding Eva to recover her skin condition. Cyanobuddie also teaches Eva of the harmful effects of high CO₂ emissions. Cyanobuddie then teaches Eva on prevention methods for further allergies related to carbon emissions. To further increase awareness of our project, we placed the printed version of the story book at our school library. Multiple teams we collaborated with will also distribute the books among children in their country.

Ready-to-Download Storybooks

English Version

Chinese Version

Kazakh Version

Inclusivity-Visually Impaired

Introduction and Purpose

The project was created in close collaboration with the Taiwan Digital Talking Book Association. Initially, the lesson plan was inspired by a past article on the Taiwanese patient diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa 65, a hereditary eye disease, who was cured by gene therapy. The article stimulated the team members to acknowledge the promising impact of synthetic biology on the visually impaired community; thus, we reached out to the Taiwan Digital Talking Book Association to work on a lesson plan to spread this message. We collaborate to develop unique teaching methodologies that transform complicated synthetic biology concepts into understandable, tactile learning experiences. Our collaboration includes organizing roles, sharing feedback, and incorporating multiple viewpoints to produce a cohesive and inclusive final result. The lesson plan for the visually impaired encourages the team to conceptualize ways for the audience to have a thorough understanding of the concepts of synthetic biology. Conventional resources of synthetic biology education often rely on the visualization of concepts. The team aims to create an alternative, inclusive solution that combines available tools for the visually impaired with methods that bridge the gap between visual difficulties and understanding scientific concepts. The event took place in person, where the ideas of synthetic biology-related tactile modules are being implemented. This direct service addressed issues where science education resources are extremely limited for the visually impaired community. Throughout the month of preparation, the team will actively engage with the visually impaired community to gather ideas and feedback. Throughout this cycle of exchange within the community, the team hopes to contribute our share of effort to alleviate the gap between synthetic biology and the differently abled.

Tactile Biology Lesson Plan English Version

Tactile Biology Lesson Plan Mandarin Version

Summary

The lesson plan revolved around four main learning objectives:

Understand the core idea of editing genes, like altering parts of a machine
Elaborate on the applications of synthetic biology in medicine
Summarize the basic process of gene expression
Explain the logical order of designing a vector (promoter–gene–terminator) through the use of the LEGO module

Prior data collection:

Prior data collection on the background information of the participants enables the team to adjust the difficulty of the course with sufficient context. We’ve surveyed both the personal background (Fig. 29) and the audience’s prior knowledge to synthetic biology (Fig. 30). Accordingly, we organized the lesson plan to start from the fundamentals and then expand to more difficult topics.

Figure 29: Personal background of the participants

Figure 30: Gauge of the audience’s prior knowledge in synthetic biology at a scale from 1 to 5

Interactive Education Tool: Lego Tactile Module

The LEGO tactile model is a hands-on system for teaching genetic engineering. Each 2×3 LEGO plate corresponds to the Braille pattern for a specific letter, and a long LEGO plate acts as the RNA backbone. By snapping the “letters” onto the backbone, participants physically build sequences, read them by touch, and see how it creates meaningful messages. The LEGO tactile module runs through the entire lesson as the centerpiece, anchoring key ideas about encoding, transcription, and how engineered sequences lead to new functions. Herein, each LEGO piece served as a checkpoint for every section of the lesson plan. The LEGO module follows the logical order of engineering a vector, encapsulating the essence of the workflow in synthetic biology (Fig. 31). The physical product of the LEGO module was contained in a ziplock bag for some of the visually impaired participants to assist them in finding the pieces. (Fig. 32) The green 2x4 block, being the promoter, the middle section representing braille for LUC is the shorthand of the enzyme Luciferase, and the slide 2x2 block for the terminator. Luciferase was also being used as a metaphor toward the end of the lesson, as its fluorescent nature represents the light science brings to society.

Table 1. Schematic of the LEGO module


Module bottom view	Module overview	Annotated braille readings of the center lego pieces

Module top view	Module side view

Figure 32: The physical product of the LEGO module

Feedback

Feedbacks were collected in person toward the end of the lesson and recorded in the form of quotes.

Dr. Wang is one of the core members of the Taiwan Digital Talking Book Association, whom we are honored to invite as one of our participants.

“...My investments in recent years have primarily focused on new biopharmaceuticals. Listening to them explain information about RP65 and other drugs has been incredibly informative. Previously, I always thought there was no cure for RP.” [extracted and translated from response]”

Ms. Hsu is a relative of one of the participants in the lesson, and she has years of experience in assisting a visually impaired individual through verbal communication.

“...I highly suggest that the team learn sighted guide techniques; this would help a lot in your future lessons in teaching the visually impaired [extracted and translated from response]”

Mr. Lin, a partially sighted undergraduate student, brought his younger brother, who’s currently in junior high school, to learn more about biology.

“...Thank you for your detailed sharing and analysis of some knowledge about synthetic biology. For your future lessons, I would love to see tailored explanations for kids of my brother’s age! [extracted and translated from response]”

From the feedback responses, we can project the gap between our expectations and what the audience actually learned from our teaching. We’ve received more positive responses on the gene therapy section, where we introduce fundamental concepts of how gene therapy works. As this part of the lecture recounts concepts which many of the participants already have experience with. While not mentioned within the quotes, the lesson also had a general acclaim on the use of oral description and tactile interactives which assisted in enhancing the lesson’s clarity (Figure. 33, Figure. 34). However, while the majority of the audience resonated with the section where we discussed the connection between synthetic biology and hereditary eye diseases, the fundamental concepts still felt foreign and abstract. Concepts like gene expression and base pairing required more elaboration and figurative language for the audience to gain a better understanding.

Figure 33: Picture of the event

Figure 34: A demonstration to elaborate on the form of DNA through instructing the participants to intertwine their fingers into an alpha-helical shape

Reflection and Challenges

While the lesson plan revolves around the use of tactile modules, the team ignored the importance of elaborating in oral descriptions. The audience also challenged the team to reflect on the essence of the knowledge acquired in synthetic biology and how to convey it in a precise manner. Throughout the lesson, the team encountered various unexpected questions, which further prompted the members to organize their thoughts swiftly. The lesson for the visually impaired has given the team a valuable chance to both contribute to the visually impaired community and prepare our oratory skills for the iGEM jamboree.

〈聲之旅〉[Sound Journey] Seasonal Magazine submission

Below is the link to the current publication of the magazine as of the date during wiki writeup. The submission will be published within the same link below: https://tdtb.org/information_1.aspx

Weeks following the event, the team was invited to share our experiences in preparing and executing the lesson plan.

“By Kang Chiao Synthetic Biology Society. "Promoting the positive impact of engineering science on society" has always been the mission of the Kangqiao Synthetic Biology Club. The opportunity to share this work at the Audiobook Association was sparked by a discussion among club members about recent breakthroughs in RP65 clinical case studies in Taiwan, which could bring new hope for treatment for the visually impaired. This sparked the idea for this special topic. By introducing basic scientific knowledge about genetics and synthetic biology, we hope to help more people understand the research findings and the fundamental principles behind doctors' advice and medications.

While preparing for the course, members discovered that many scientific concepts in online resources rely on visual elements to reinforce theoretical explanations. In light of this, the members began to explore how to integrate these concepts with touch. Through continuous discussion and hands-on practice, they ultimately chose "LEGO building blocks," a hands-on activity that directly stimulates the sense of touch, as the core teaching material for this special topic. Through the process of LEGO assembly, the visually impaired members will be able to experience and simulate the logical concepts of genetic engineering.

During the class, the diverse professional backgrounds of the audience allowed members to not only share their learnings but also reflect on how to convey their ideas more simply and clearly.

After the event, members unanimously agreed that the greatest benefit was the ability to develop a more comprehensive understanding through the interactive Q&A sessions with the audience. We were deeply moved by the audience's thirst for knowledge, which deepened their sense of purpose.

From planning and lesson plan preparation to the actual presentation, the group benefited immensely. We are grateful to the Audiobook Society for giving our group this opportunity to share our passion for synthetic biology and for empowering us to move forward! [translated from original post]”