Education

Overview

On our iGEM journey, we've always believed that a truly outstanding biology project isn't just about impressive lab data or elegant genetic circuit designs—it's about stepping into the community, engaging with real life, letting technology converse with people, broadening horizons, and encouraging minds to soar beyond the ordinary.

That's why education and public engagement are not only at the heart of our team's "Human Practices" but also key to how we fulfill our social responsibility and bring the value of our project "out of the lab." Our educational mission has never been about one-way knowledge transfer. Instead, we aim to create a warm, interactive space where everyone can play, learn, and explore science together.

On one hand, we strive to translate the complex principles of synthetic biology into understandable language and engaging experiences. Whether it's children, students, or curious members of the public, everyone can easily appreciate the wonders of life sciences and feel that "academia isn't something distant." On the other hand, we genuinely value everyone's input—questions from the public, advice from experts, and needs from diverse cultural backgrounds. These insights help us refine our research direction and ensure that our project—"A Bio-Based Conservation Strategy for Murals Using Antimicrobial Peptides from Jiangshui Probiotics"—remains deeply rooted in human care and real-world application, truly serving those who need it.

Through a mix of online and offline activities, we've reached people across all age groups with diverse and engaging formats. We don't just explain the science behind our project—we hope to inspire young people to fall in love with "cultural heritage conservation" and "biotechnology," and to show how the wisdom of tradition can spark incredible innovation when it meets modern technology.

1 Practice & Engagement

Deep practice, multi-dimensional engagement, illuminating the future with care.

1.1 New Media Matrix Operation: An Evergreen Online Classroom

To transcend spatiotemporal constraints and achieve sustained, widespread dissemination of scientific knowledge, we have meticulously constructed and operate a new media matrix centered on the WeChat official account "LZU-LSci" and the Douyin account. We are committed to transforming these platforms into a dynamic "online science museum," enabling the interested public to track our project progress and acquire synthetic biology knowledge anytime and anywhere.

1.1.1 LZU-LSci: Official WeChat Public Account and Video Channel

Serving as our information hub, this platform undertakes the critical mission of disseminating in-depth content. We maintain a consistent weekly update schedule, having published a cumulative total of seven high-quality original articles. The content covers relevant biotechnology advancements, cutting-edge research progress, as well as details regarding various seminars and offline events organized by our team.

To date, the public account has garnered a dedicated following of 113 subscribers, with total readership exceeding 370 views. The affiliated video channel has attracted 27 followers, with an average view count of over 300 per video. Notably, multiple articles have been reposted within academic communities, demonstrating effective knowledge dissemination impact.

1.1.2 "LZU-LSci" Douyin Account

On this platform, we focus on leveraging the visual impact and dissemination advantages of short videos to produce and publish creative science communication content. Utilizing various formats including animated demonstrations and live-action footage, these videos transform abstract scientific processes into intuitive and engaging content. They have collectively garnered significant view counts and numerous likes and interactions, successfully reaching a younger audience demographic.

As of now, the account has accumulated 90 dedicated followers, with a total view count of 1,820 and 98 likes. Through our new media operations, we have not only achieved transparent project presentation but also established a sustained channel for public engagement. This initiative has yielded valuable feedback and support, forming a virtuous cycle of "dissemination-feedback-optimization."

2 Science Lecture

Gansu Science and Technology Museum High-End Popular Science Lecture Series: When Traditional Wisdom Meets Modern Technology

On May 25, 2025, the core members of our team, in collaboration with our project advisor Professor Li Xiangkai, successfully conducted a specialized science popularization lecture titled "When Fermented Jiangshui Meets Mural Art: What Sparks Will Ignite?" at the Gansu Science and Technology Museum. This event was designed to introduce the cutting-edge interdisciplinary research of our project to a broader public audience, with a particular focus on stimulating adolescents' interest in the intersection of science and cultural heritage conservation.

In the lecture, Professor Li commenced with an exquisite mural from the Mogao Caves—a UNESCO World Heritage site—depicting the Jātaka tale of the Deer King, using it as an entry point to elucidate, in an accessible manner, the microbial threats confronting ancient murals and the limitations of existing preservation methods. He then vividly introduced an innovative research approach involving the isolation of probiotics from Jiangshui, a traditional fermented food distinctive to Gansu Province, and the subsequent discovery of an antimicrobial peptide (GRP-1) secreted by these probiotics.

Professor Li provided a detailed explanation of the unique bactericidal mechanism of this antimicrobial peptide, which differs from conventional antibiotics, highlighted its low propensity for inducing resistance, and demonstrated its significant antibacterial efficacy observed in laboratory settings. This presentation clearly delineated a comprehensive innovation pathway—from "local wisdom" to "laboratory discovery" and ultimately to "application in cultural heritage conservation."

During the Q&A session, the atmosphere was highly engaging, with children in particular posing numerous imaginative questions. Professor Li and the team members responded with patience and wit, effectively nurturing the children's precious curiosity. Following the lecture, a group photo was taken to commemorate the occasion. Many parents expressed that the event significantly broadened their children's scientific horizons and allowed them to appreciate both the enjoyment and societal value of scientific research.

3 Creative Workshop

"Creative Workshop" On-site Interactive Event: Gaining Insights into Scientific Principles Through Hands-on Practice

To enhance public engagement and experiential quality, a large-scale offline science popularization event was held on September 20, 2025, at the central plaza in front of the Student Activity Center of Lanzhou University's main campus. Coinciding with an on-campus biogeography symposium, the event attracted extensive participation from faculty, students, internal and external attendees, conference scholars, experts, and members of the general public.

3.1 DIY Digital Painting: An Immersive Experience in Mural Conservation

We custom-produced 20 sets of special digital painting boards (30×40 cm) featuring motifs derived from Dunhuang fresco elements. Participants engaged in creating their own "miniature murals" by filling in pre-numbered sections with corresponding colors. Subsequently, under guidance, they applied an environmentally friendly protective varnish to their completed works.

This hands-on activity effectively demonstrated the principle of "antimicrobial peptide film formation" used in our project to protect murals. The interactive session was highly well-received, with participants remarking that "through firsthand experience, [they] gained a profoundly deeper understanding of the concept of 'protective film formation,'" and expressed increased interest in our research topic.

3.2 The "Ring Toss" Interactive Game: Engaging Audience Outreach and Knowledge Dissemination

We designed a ring toss game with straightforward rules: participants who follow the official WeChat account "LZU-iGEM" receive three attempts to toss a ring. Successful throws allow them to win exquisitely designed project-themed dolls (such as personified probiotic plush toys) or Dunhuang cultural keychains.

A total of 50 dolls were distributed during the campaign, which successfully attracted 44 new followers to the official account. By integrating the game with the distribution of science education booklets, we established an effective closed-loop process of "engagement through fun–retention via followership–knowledge acquisition."

Furthermore, through meticulously designed core display structures, we systematically presented the five key components of the project: background and origin, technical approach, experimental data (including inhibition zone results, degradation kinetic curves, etc.), outcomes in human practices, and safety and ethical considerations.

Numerous attending professors and scholars spent considerable time at our booth, engaging in in-depth discussions with our team members on specialized topics such as "the degradation kinetic properties of the laccase/melaninase complex" and "the biosafety of the arabinose suicide circuit in open environments." The high level of recognition and valuable suggestions provided by these scholars offered crucial external perspectives and directions for further improvement of our project.

Conclusion and Outlook

Through systematic educational initiatives, we have successfully transformed a highly specialized synthetic biology project into a series of engaging and accessible educational products. Beyond disseminating scientific knowledge to the public, we have conveyed a paradigm of innovative thinking: science can be approachable, tradition can be cutting-edge, and the wisdom to preserve millennia-old cultural heritage may reside in something as humble as a bowl of fermented paste.

Looking ahead, we will continue to deepen our educational outreach efforts, refine our science communication framework, and inspire greater public enthusiasm for scientific inquiry and cultural preservation. In doing so, we strive to fully embody the core ethos of the iGEM competition: "Building with Responsibility in Synthetic Biology."