Introduction:
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”
— William Butler Yeats
For us, education was a journey — like boarding a train that stopped at different stations, each with its own audience, energy, and story. At every stop, we tried to spark curiosity about synthetic biology and Caseinova, using formats that were engaging, accessible, and tailored to the people we were meeting.
Stop 1: Instagram – Science at your fingertips
Our journey began online, where we used Instagram to bring science into everyday life in a quick, accessible way. Rather than just documenting our lab work, we created educational posts that raise awareness about real-world problems connected to our project.
One of our first campaigns focused on burns — not only what they are, but how to react to them. During our participation in Zinošs un drošs, where we interacted with both medical professionals and families, we discovered that many people were unaware of some crucial steps in burn care. For example, the need for a tetanus shot after a burn is not common knowledge, even though it can be critical in preventing dangerous complications. We identified this and other “blind spots” in public understanding and turned them into focused, visual posts.
In this way, our Instagram page became both a science communication channel and a public health tool:
- First Aid posts gave clear, step-by-step explanations of how to treat burns safely.
- Caseinova posts explained our project in simple language, making sure even non-scientists could follow the logic behind our work.
- Engagement formats like Trivia Thursdays and Sciency Saturdays (see below) brought science into people’s feeds in a playful and approachable way, combining facts with curiosity.
By focusing on accessibility and clarity, these posts reached audiences beyond the scientific community and helped establish Instagram as a reliable “first stop” for our education journey.
Trivia Thursdays
Trivia Thursdays turned our Instagram stories into a weekly science corner. Every Thursday, we posted a short trivia question about synthetic biology, followed by an explanation of the correct answer. The scope was intentionally broad — ranging from basic science concepts to fun historical facts about biotechnology and iGEM.
By combining curiosity with quick learning, these posts made science approachable to a wide audience. Followers could test their knowledge in a playful way, while still walking away with accurate and digestible information. Because the stories were easy to access and share, they also reached beyond our immediate community, sparking conversations about synthetic biology in places where it might not normally appear.
This consistent format gave us a rhythm in our outreach and showed us that even small, regular efforts can build scientific literacy and engagement over time.
Sciency Saturdays
Sciency Saturdays were born from the idea that science becomes most inspiring when you can see the people behind it. Although we only launched two videos this year, they set the foundation for a tradition we hope to continue — short, accessible interviews that open up synthetic biology to anyone who is curious. One of our first guests was Dr. Renāte Apse from the Latvian phage research group, who shared her path into science and reflected on why phage research is so relevant today.
Both videos were recorded in English and published on YouTube, making them freely accessible not only to a Latvian audience but also to the wider iGEM and global synthetic biology community. By doing so, we contributed to open educational resources that can be reused by other teams, educators, or simply anyone interested in science.
Even though this year’s production was modest, the concept behind Sciency Saturdays points toward something bigger. By showing the human stories behind research in a clear and engaging way, these videos help bridge the gap between science and society — a bridge we hope future teams will keep building, one interview at a time.
This format allowed us to educate while meeting our audience where they already are — on their phones.
Stop 2: High school classrooms – Science meets imagination
Our next station was Latvia’s classrooms, where we visited five schools and reached around 370 students. We made sure to include both schools in Riga and regional gymnasiums in Sigulda, Ogre, Ikšķile, and Valmiera, so our outreach wasn’t centered only in the capital. Through presentations and a game — “What global problem would you solve using iGEM?” — we invited students to apply theory in practice and imagine their own projects.
Some of their ideas surprised and inspired us: a gel with VEGF-producing bacteria for hair loss, microbes that break down plastic waste, probiotic sprays to preserve food, or engineered plants that glow at night to reduce energy use. What stood out was not just creativity, but their curiosity: many asked about biobricks, safety, regulation, and whether their ideas could actually work in real life. We also used this as a chance to introduce the ethics of innovation — asking them whether their projects would be safe, fair, and responsible.
What stood out was not only the creativity of these ideas, but also the way students engaged with the challenges — asking questions about safety, regulation, and unintended consequences.
Moments like these reminded us that the next generation of scientists is not just inventive, but also capable of thinking critically about the responsibilities that come with new technologies. For us, this was a powerful way to bring Human Practices into the classroom: science education that pairs curiosity with ethics.
Stop 3: Kids & Families – Learning through play
We also opened our train doors to the youngest passengers — children and their parents — recognizing that education in synthetic biology must begin early if it is to foster long-term public trust and literacy. At “Zinošs un drošs”, a national safety and health event that reached around 200 participants, we combined practical knowledge with playful engagement. Children learned burn first aid through simple demonstrations and games on how to escape fire safely, while parents participated in a survey about their attitudes toward natural components in burn treatments. These responses provided us with valuable insight into how the general public perceives biobased medicine — data that will inform how future teams might approach similar outreach.
At European Researchers’ Night, we designed a set of hands-on workshops that reached over 300 visitors across two university campuses, tailored to families and school-aged children. Activities included:
- Cultivating “bacteria” on gelatin plates using food coloring and Q-tips — an accessible metaphor for microbiology that made invisible processes visible.
- Flashcards with 10 synthetic biology questions such as “What is a biomaterial?”, “What is a biobrick?”, “What is a hydrogel?” — simple, visual tools that encouraged discussion between children and parents.
- A role-quiz, “What kind of scientist would you be?” — which not only introduced participants to the diversity of roles within science (from lab work to communication and ethics), but also highlighted how everyday skills and interests translate into the research world.
The flashcards proved especially impactful. Children eagerly collected them, quizzed each other, and took them home — extending the learning beyond the event. To ensure sustainability, we preserved these materials as a resource pack for future iGEM Latvia teams. By doing so, we created an educational tool that bridges generations of iGEM work in Latvia and allows new teams to build upon tested practices rather than starting from scratch.
Stop 4: Conferences – Sharing knowledge with the scientific community
Finally, our train reached the scientific community. At forums such as PMNET, we presented Caseinova in the context of precision medicine, especially highlighting phage therapy. Although the forum itself takes place after the wiki freeze, preparing our poster and framing our project for a specialized audience was already an important educational step for us.