Education

Overview

"Education is a tree shaking another tree, a cloud to promote another cloud, a soul awaken another soul."

— Karl T. Jaspers

The United Nations, in its Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4), emphasizes that true education should be sustainable and intergenerational (UN, 2015). The value of education lies in its ability to transcend time and serve as a bridge across generations. For us, the ultimate goal of education is not the one-time dissemination of knowledge but the cultivation of a continuous cycle in which today's learners grow into tomorrow's educators, passing on curiosity and passion to the next generation. In developing our solution for diabetic wound treatment this year, we established the cycle and continuity of education as a core objective, ensuring that the story of synthetic biology is not only heard, but also passed down from one generation to the next.

Guided by the spirit of "seeking answers from the ocean", we turned to marine yeast as the starting point and developed a gel that produces antimicrobial peptides, offering a novel solution for diabetic patients with hard-to-heal wounds. Because our project is deeply rooted in the innovative use of marine biological resources, this year's Education program also unfolds around the theme of an "ocean perspective."

We developed the "Life Cycle of Fish" education model. We discovered that the goal of sustained promotion of synthetic biology literacy is much like witnessing the life of fish in the sea. First, one must release the fry into vast and diverse waters, allowing more people their very first encounter with synthetic biology. Then, just as the fry swim from shallow waters into the deep sea, learners gradually advance along a layered educational journey, absorbing the nutrients they need at every stage and growing into independent big fish. Ultimately, these fish return to their original waters to spawn, just as those who have received education grow into new disseminators, passing on knowledge and passion for synthetic biology to others.

We aim to take our vivid project, which develops a yeast-based gel for diabetic wound healing through marine biotechnology, as a bridge between science communication and public understanding. On one hand, we hope to seize this opportunity to popularize knowledge about diabetes in ways that are more relatable and empathetic, helping the public directly grasp how the disease impacts patients' quality of life and raising awareness of its seriousness. On the other hand, we aspire to use our project as an entry point to lead people beyond traditional frameworks of synthetic biology, encouraging them to re-examine the vast horizons and boundless possibilities of biology from an "ocean perspective."

Therefore, our education efforts go beyond organizing a series of activities. We strive to build a self-sustaining cycle: allowing "small fry" to be nourished at different stages of growth, so that when they mature into "big fish," they may spawn a new generation of learners, carrying knowledge and passion to even more people. At the same time, whether in classrooms, communities, companies, or rural areas, we treat audience feedback as a new starting point, enabling education to iterate and flourish. Like waves surging endlessly through the ocean, this cycle of transmission ensures that the story of synthetic biology continues to expand and endure, crossing boundaries of people and places, alive and unceasing.

Img.1 "Life Cycle of Fish" education model

1 Seeding: Casting the Seeds of Synthetic Biology

The story begins with the release of fry. Only by casting them into wider waters can they follow the currents, embark on journeys of exploration, and embrace the possibility of growth. When placed in different waters, they adapt to the unique conditions of their environments, displaying diverse forms and weaving a rich tapestry of life. Our educational work follows the same path. It crosses cities and villages, classrooms and communities, reaching people of different ages, backgrounds, cultures, and regions, bringing the knowledge of synthetic biology and diabetes into the context of their everyday lives.

This moment is not about witnessing an immediate harvest, but about allowing the seeds of science to take root in people's hearts for the very first time. Perhaps it is a post they come across online, or an unexpected lecture they happen to attend, but it is in these small encounters that the beginnings of all future growth and dissemination quietly take shape.

1.1 Seeding Fry: Bringing Fry to Wider Waters

In the journey of education, the first step is not to answer every question, but to help more people's see the presence of science. We entrusted the introduction of synthetic biology to a series of outreach efforts, allowing it to set sail from Qingdao and flow into broader waters, whether reaching rural classrooms, urban communities, or brief encounters before a screen.

In this process, we do not expect the fry to immediately grow into great fish. Instead, we hope they find their own waters—to experience, to pause, to grow familiar. Just as the tides of the ocean carry the fry to distant places, our outreach brings the first sparks of science into everyday life, allowing those once unconnected to laboratories to sense, for the first time, the warmth and possibilities of science.

This is the meaning of "seeding". It is not an endpoint, but the beginning of a long journey.

1.1.1 Blue Fry · Voyage Initiative

As the Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh once said: "Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." Our story, too, begins with such small steps. We first turned our attention to university students, who are not only learners but also empowered communicators. Through training and dialogue, they were the first to encounter the spark of synthetic biology. Equipped with both the knowledge and the methods, they carried this flame beyond the campus to their hometowns.

Through their efforts, the fry were scattered into wider waters, into classrooms in rural towns, into the corners of communities, onto the streets of cities, and even into unfamiliar places. What began as the attempts of just a few students gradually rippled outward, spreading from a single campus to provinces and cities across the country, reaching more than 5,000 people. The students' growth became intertwined with their role in dissemination, forming an outward-expanding, step-by-step cycle that brought synthetic biology into the broader ocean of society.

Img.2 Reached other provinces and cities in China starting from Qingdao

Img.3 Grade distribution of paticipants

Img.4 The number of people reached by different audiences

Survey

Key Findings from On-Campus Research

Before launching our outreach activities, we first posed a seemingly simple yet crucial question: How much do the people around us actually know about synthetic biology?

To seek the answer, we began with the group most familiar to us—teachers, students, and their families within our university. Through a questionnaire survey that covered 20 faculties and nearly 500 respondents, we sought to systematically outline the landscape of public awareness of synthetic biology within our immediate community.

The results were thought-provoking. We found that many respondents remained largely unfamiliar with synthetic biology, and their understanding was often fragmented. Some associated it directly with "artificial life", without realizing that it is already quietly at work in areas such as food, medicine, and environmental protection. Meanwhile, from the perspective of certain industry practitioners, synthetic biology still seemed confined to the "ivory tower" of the laboratory, perceived as a distant research topic rather than a full pathway that spans from basic research to industrial application.

Throughout the survey, we remained committed to objectivity and rigor. Even though most of our team members have a biology background, we avoided making assumptions. Instead, we focused on uncovering the genuine gaps and misconceptions in public understanding. These overlooked biases became the entry points for our subsequent education efforts. By carefully categorizing and analyzing feedback, we not only obtained data-supported conclusions but also laid the foundation for tailoring science communication content to different audiences.

Survey Questions

1. Have you previously encountered the concept of synthetic biology?

2. How well do you understand the core principles of synthetic biology?

3. When hearing the term "synthetic biology", which of the following descriptions comes to mind first?

4. In which areas do you believe the applications of synthetic biology are primarily concentrated?

5. Have you paid attention to the potential risks associated with synthetic biology technologies?

6. Which aspects of synthetic biology would you like to learn more about through future outreach activities?

7. If the school organized science outreach activities on synthetic biology, would you be willing to participate?

8. In your opinion, what are the main problems in the current public perception of synthetic biology?

9. What is your overall impression of this survey on synthetic biology awareness?

Img.5 Whether have been heard of synthetic biology

Img.6 Common Misunderstandings of the participants about synthetic biology

Img.7 Major content participants want to know

Charting the Course

Confronted with the gaps in public awareness of diabetes revealed by our survey, we resolved to leverage the knowledge-sharing strength of university students by launching the "Blue Fry·Voyage Initiative", a special campaign of educational lectures. This initiative was not only about transmitting knowledge but also about promoting healthier lifestyles, with the goal of building a bridge between professional medical expertise and the general public.

We organized a campus-wide call for volunteers, inviting students who were eager to contribute to diabetes education and outreach. As expected, the response was overwhelmingly enthusiastic,and more than 400 students registered to take part in the initiative.

Embarking Ceremony

A good beginning is half the success. To help every participant understand the original intention of our initiative and to establish shared goals and beliefs before setting sail, we organized an "Embarking Ceremony". On that day, the lecture hall was filled to capacity. Students from different colleges gathered together, not merely to attend an introduction, but to jointly witness the starting point of a collective journey.

Img.8 Classroom filled with students

At the "Embarking Ceremony", we introduced students to key knowledge about diabetes and also shared the project our team has been advancing. The ceremony was not merely a formal launch, but a lively scientific dialogue. At that moment, the students in the audience were listeners. Yet soon, they would stand on the stage themselves, becoming "little teachers" who would carry knowledge back to their hometowns and pass it on to others. To make the upcoming journey more rewarding, every participant actively engaged in discussion, asking questions, exchanging ideas, and shaping perspectives together. Once the spark of scientific enlightenment was kindled, the boundary between learner and communicator began to dissolve.

Img.9 The team member was explaining the event details.

In designing the "Embarking Ceremony", we considered the diversity of our audience and the varied needs of the students. To help those giving their first lecture quickly adapt, we prepared a "scenario-based, expandable" content framework. This was not a constraint, but rather a canvas upon which creativity could flourish. Students were encouraged to add their own interpretations and ideas, ultimately designing team-based lessons centered on synthetic biology.

Tab.1 Lecture content framework

Highlight

Img.10 Photo wall of the "Blue Fry·Voyage Initiative"

When we witnessed the influence of the "Blue Fry·Voyage Initiative" spreading from our campus to communities across the country, we were filled with indescribable excitement and pride. Centered on the dissemination of knowledge related to synthetic biology, this initiative ignited people's eagerness to learn about health in diverse regions and deeply touched every member of our team. With a well-structured plan and wholehearted participation, the program demonstrated remarkable social impact. What began on campus gradually drifted outward like dandelion seeds, reaching places as varied as the bustling cities along the eastern coast and the quiet, modest towns of central and western China, leaving behind the footprints of our speakers.

Feedback

After the event, we collected participants' feedback through questionnaires. The purpose was to gather suggestions on the activity process so that we could pay attention to details students cared about, as well as issues we might not have considered before. This allowed us to improve future educational activities, making them smoother and more effective.

1. How effective was the "Embarking Ceremony" in explaining synthetic biology, clarifying the goals of the outreach, and outlining the process?

2. How useful was the "scenario-based and targeted" content framework in helping you prepare your presentation and address questions from the audience?

3. How smooth was the overall organization when you conducted knowledge-sharing sessions in your hometown communities or villages?

4. Compared with before the activity, how has your understanding of "synthetic biology popular science" changed?

5. To what extent did this activity help you improve your public speaking skills and awareness of science communication?

6. Which part of this activity brought you the greatest gains?

7. If there were similar volunteer activities in the future with the theme of "popularizing synthetic biology knowledge," would you be willing to participate again?

8. How satisfied are you with the overall activity?

9. Do you have any other suggestions for optimizing future activities?

Img.11 Whether willing to continue participating in similar activities

Img.12 Scores from different dimensions

1.1.2 Four Provinces United · Flowing Together in Education

Research · Discovering Untouched Waters

On the journey of sowing fish fry, there are always waters yet to be reached. Education is the same: only by identifying these blank spaces can we truly carry the seeds of science to more distant corners. With this conviction, we conducted a systematic regional study to map the current landscape of synthetic biology education in Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, and Hebei. This survey was not merely about collecting data—it embodied our deep concern for educational equity and sustainable development. Through it, we aimed to identify the key factors hindering educational outreach and provide clear directions for subsequent action.

Our study encompassed three main dimensions: the distribution of iGEM teams, the availability of institutional resources, and the awareness and obstacles faced by students and faculty. The data revealed a striking contrast: among the eight provinces/municipalities directly under the Central Government we analyzed, Shanghai, Beijing, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang led significantly in the number of iGEM teams, forming clusters of active educational practice. For instance, Shanghai and Beijing each host nearly 30 active teams, while Zhejiang and Jiangsu have close to 10 and 20 respectively. These regions also benefit from interdisciplinary curricula, vibrant academic communities, and sustained project support mechanisms. By contrast, Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, and Hebei lagged behind, with fewer teams and less stable participation. To illustrate this gap more clearly, we created bar charts comparing team numbers across provinces, outlining the difference between "high-flow regions" and "untouched waters," and making visible the educational gaps that persist.

Img.13 The number of iGEM teams in the surveyed provinces

This distribution pattern prompted further reflection: why, in provinces not lacking educational resources, are iGEM teams so scarce? The phenomenon points beyond team numbers to deeper challenges in education and resources. It became the starting point for our later exchanges and discussions—driving us to ask how institutional systems, resources, awareness, and collaboration might be reshaped to provide practical solutions.

Our further investigation confirmed that this situation was far from accidental. We visited institutions such as Hebei Agricultural University, Hebei Medical University, Shanxi Medical University, and Zhengzhou University, while also collecting feedback from over 200 students and faculty through questionnaires and 10 in-depth interviews. From these, a comprehensive cognitive map began to take shape. The key findings can be summarized as follows:

Significant Cognitive Gaps

About 72% of surveyed students admitted to having "no clear understanding of synthetic biology," regarding it as distant from daily life and too conceptually difficult. This gap was also reflected among faculty: most existing curricula focus on molecular biology, cell biology, or clinical skills, while lacking synthetic biology–specific courses, case discussions, or practical projects. Without exposure to real-world examples, students struggled to connect theory with practice. To bridge this, we recommend structured entry-level courses such as "Foundations and Applications of Synthetic Biology," complemented by interactive outreach (e.g., online demonstrations, virtual labs), case-based learning (e.g., past iGEM projects), and tiered training programs that progressively transform abstract concepts into tangible practice.

Img.14 The cognitive status of synthetic biology among students

Narrow Disciplinary Focus

Most biology-related programs lean toward teacher training or clinical applications, with courses emphasizing basic experiments, cell culture, and medical diagnostics, but rarely design thinking or interdisciplinary teamwork. As a result, students have limited exposure to project-based experiences in synthetic biology. For example, some universities reported that even when students showed interest, the lack of courses, labs, or interdisciplinary mentorship made it difficult to form teams or develop proposals. Respondents expressed the urgent need for interdisciplinary education platforms, such as joint practice courses bridging biology, engineering, computer science, and design, or campus-based synthetic biology workshops where students can cultivate project design and teamwork skills in authentic contexts.

Funding and Resource Shortages

The most direct and widespread barrier to team formation was financial: more than 60% of respondents cited insufficient startup funding to purchase reagents, consumables, or cover registration fees. Nearly half also reported inadequate access to experimental facilities, such as DNA synthesizers, microfluidic systems, or cell culture platforms. Beyond this, 35% noted a lack of interdisciplinary collaboration experience, 32% a lack of conceptual awareness, 28% a shortage of external mentorship, and 22% conflicts with course schedules. These obstacles overlapped, creating systemic barriers to iGEM participation. Future support must therefore operate on multiple fronts: startup grants, shared laboratory resources across universities, and industry–academia joint mentorship mechanisms, in order to dismantle barriers and open viable pathways into synthetic biology practice.

Img.15 Proportion of hindering factors

The results revealed systemic gaps in Shanxi and Hebei: insufficient cognitive scaffolding, limited interdisciplinary collaboration, and scarce funding and experimental resources. These factors combined to weaken the momentum for team formation. While Shandong and Henan had a handful of active teams, they too faced challenges such as a lack of replicable models and limited regional exchange. In response, we convened the Four Provinces Exchange Conference, bringing together iGEM teams, students and faculty from these provinces, and iGEM Ambassador Zhang Xiaohan (Shandong), to tackle these issues, improve awareness, create a collaborative platform, and provide practical roadmaps for new teams.

Mainstream Guidance

At the conference's outset, we invited iGEM Ambassador Zhang Xiaohan from Shandong as a keynote guest. After learning our motivation, he strongly endorsed the idea of promoting synthetic biology education in the four provinces and offered to participate actively in the effort. Drawing on his own iGEM experience, he translated competition rules, evaluation criteria, and team formation processes into practical guidelines. He addressed regional gaps in awareness, illustrating with cases how scientific concepts can become actionable projects. Notably, he proposed a "rhythmic navigation" framework—breaking down the iGEM preparation process into week-by-week tasks aligned with deadlines—helping new teams align with institutional processes and mentors while minimizing delays and rework. After the event, we organized this navigation plan into a timeline and shared it with all participants.

Confluence of Currents

To maximize engagement, the event used a hybrid "online + offline" model with dual hubs and regional linkages. One week before, we circulated self-assessment forms to gather information on team structure, resources, research focus, and support needs. On the day, established teams dissected how to transform an idea into an executable iGEM project, and then opened the floor for questions. Departing from the traditional "presentation + Q&A" model, we introduced a collaborative whiteboard, where participants converted questions into actionable tasks with assigned responsibilities, linked to templates, method lists, and SOP references—synchronizing discussion with concrete outputs.

We also introduced a Regional Collaboration Toolkit, including survey templates, ethical interview guidelines, pitch templates, Q&A banks for defenses, Wiki architecture suggestions, budgeting models, and risk/emergency plans. The toolkit was shared both during and after the event, providing practical tools for participants to carry their learning forward.

Rippling Outward

After the project showcases, teachers and students discussed how to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and overcome resource shortages. Proposals included establishing cross-university resource-sharing platforms, building sustainable knowledge repositories, and seeking support through local/academic funds or industry partnerships. To extend the conference's impact, we initiated a three-month follow-up period with monthly online meetings and real-time consultation, ensuring continuity beyond the event. This approach allowed ideas to circulate not just within the conference but across networks, planting seeds of collaboration and embedding the exchange into a sustainable regional mechanism.

1.1.3 Hatching Hope: Fry Emerging in the Mountains

Activity Design

Location: Elementary school classroom in Lüchun County, Yunnan

Target Audience: 3rd–4th grade students

Duration: 90-minute

Lüchun County is located in the southwestern part of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, bordering Vietnam. The region is mountainous and remote, with inconvenient transportation and limited educational resources. As one of China's deeply impoverished counties, many schools here face a shortage of teachers and lack adequate facilities. Due to these constraints in staffing and curriculum, children's understanding of biology often remains at the level of textbook illustrations and text, relying more on imagination to fill in the gaps.

Img.16 Our picture book The Secret of Yeast

To extend educational resources to students in remote areas, we organized an online teaching activity that brought a biology class into the depths of the mountains. The lesson content centered on our self-developed picture book The Secret of Yeast. This book tells the story of how yeast works during the fermentation process of dough, linking the world of microorganisms to everyday life.

To make the picture book both engaging and easy to understand, we put considerable thought into the illustrations and story structure: the characters are vivid, the scenes are relatable, and each page contains a small piece of knowledge designed to guide children thinking. Considering young children's comprehension and safety, our design avoided complex experiments, instead using visual storytelling within the book to help them understand. This ensured the classroom atmosphere remained both relaxed and safe.

Activity Details

1. Online Reading and Explanation

Through live-streaming platforms, we brought the picture book into multiple remote elementary schools and village teaching sites in Lüchun County.

Volunteers read the book aloud page by page and explained the role of yeast with practical examples from daily life. Children could ask questions through live chat or video calls.

2. Interactive Assignments and Feedback

At the end of class, we assigned an online task asking the children to observe bread or other fermented foods at home, reflect on the changes they noticed, and write down their observations and questions.

3. Continuity of the Educational Chain

We encouraged the participating children to share the book's content or their own observations with friends and family. Local teachers also joined in by including The Secret of Yeast as optional reading material in their regular classes.

The self-developed picture book required no expensive equipment, and online delivery overcame geographical barriers, allowing children in Lüchun County to experience biology lessons just like students in urban classrooms. For them, it was not only a science class but also a new window through which they could explore knowledge and satisfy their curiosity, even while living deep in the mountains. On the other side of the screen, children raised their hands, asked questions, and shared their thoughts, turning the class from one-way transmission into two-way interaction and friendly exchange. Science was no longer a set of cold, abstract facts. It became a warm story that they could understand, retell, and even pass on.

More importantly, this online class brought hope to children in remote mountain areas. Just like the story of fish fry scattered into new waters, these children began to grow with their first taste of nourishment in the classroom. They saw that they, too, could understand and explain science. This newfound confidence will accumulate as they grow and will one day be passed on to their younger siblings, classmates, and families. Education thus ceases to be a closed endpoint and becomes a self-sustaining cycle. Generation after generation of "little fish" continues to grow in the ripples of knowledge.

Img.17 The university students were giving the online course to children

Img.18 Group photo of the university students who take on the role of teachers

1.1.4 Cross-Cultural Exchange

On the journey of "seeding fry," we not only brought synthetic biology into classrooms across China but also sought to cast these fry into cross-cultural waters. To this end, we specially invited a team of professors from the University of Adelaide, whose research focuses on metabolic biochemistry and immunovirology, to conduct an in-depth international seminar centered on our project.

The first part of the seminar focused on our project presentation. We elaborated on the research background, design concepts, and current experimental progress, including the envisioned applications of engineered yeast in diabetic wound healing and our antimicrobial peptide screening methods. After listening attentively, the professors offered extensive feedback. They affirmed our overall approach while offering crucial suggestions: in the study of wound healing, more attention should be paid to the immune microenvironment and mechanisms of chronic inflammation, and relevant inflammatory markers should be incorporated into project evaluation. Furthermore, they shared insights from Australia's experience in diabetic wound research and treatment, providing cross-cultural perspectives and scientific approaches.

This feedback had a profound impact on us. It prompted us to incorporate inflammatory marker detection into our subsequent experiments and refine our antimicrobial peptide screening strategies, making our research more systematic and rigorous. Beyond technical adjustments, it also sparked deeper reflection on how synthetic biology could adapt to different social contexts and healthcare needs. We came to realize that scientific research is not solely a technical endeavor in the laboratory—it must also integrate cultural, social, and policy dimensions.

With this preparatory work completed, we moved into the second part of the seminar—a cross-cultural dialogue. Chinese students took the lead in raising questions grounded in everyday life: they spoke of the carbohydrate dilemma of rice and noodles, the inequalities in healthcare between urban and rural areas, and public skepticism toward artificial sweeteners and cultured meat. The Adelaide professors explored similar issues within the Australian context, where the challenges took different forms—such as high sugar dependence driven by fast-food culture, the demand for remote healthcare in sparsely populated areas, and the public's cautious attitude toward emerging technologies.

This cross-cultural comparison gave students their first deep impression that synthetic biology is not merely a laboratory solution but a set of tools capable of taking root in distinct cultural soils. Through dialogue, we came to appreciate both the commonalities and differences in scientific challenges, as well as the diversity and adaptability of potential solutions.

Tab.2 Cross - cultural Comparison

This exchange was not merely an attempt at knowledge dissemination but resembled a school of fry venturing into broader waters, extending from Qingdao to campuses across the ocean. The cross-cultural comparison made us realize that the value of synthetic biology education lies not in geography but in its ability to resonate and inspire reflection within different contexts, sparking new waves of communication.

To ensure this experience continues, we plan to transform this model of cross-cultural dialogue into a replicable framework that can be applied to more international exchanges and collaborations in the future, allowing the story of the fry to keep growing and spreading in ever wider oceans.

Img.19 The professors from the University of Adelaide were listening attentively

1.2 Diverse Waters: Seeding Fry Across Different Streams

The growth of fish depends on diverse waters. Promoting science on social media is like scattering fry into varied waters, each representing a different audience group. In their own environments, they are seen and embraced, eventually converging into a broader wave of education. Different media are like different waters, each carrying its unique ecosystem and mode of communication. To ensure that knowledge of synthetic biology and diabetes reaches every corner of society, we chose multiple platforms and presented content in ways suited to their characteristics, allowing more people to encounter science in forms they are most familiar with.

1.2.1 WeChat Official Account: The Rippled Current

In our educational landscape, the WeChat Official Account serves as a steady and powerful current. Each post of promotion is like releasing fry into the current, allowing them to flow naturally and carry knowledge and stories into broader waters. Activity summaries are like nutrients flowing back, passing along distilled information that nourishes more fry. Readers' comments and feedback resemble ripples spreading through the current, guiding us to adjust our direction and scatter new fry again. To date, related posts have garnered over 1,200 reads and more than 50 comments, making the WeChat Official Account a central and enduring force in our educational outreach.

In one preview post for a "Lab Talk" event, we received multiple comments, including suggestions from students to learn about the guest speaker's research in advance so they could prepare more targeted questions. This feedback was like a small ripple in the current, reminding us that event announcements should include not only time and location but also hints that spark anticipation. Consequently, in subsequent announcements, we added the speaker's research background and keywords related to synthetic biology and diabetes. The result was a significant increase in registrations and deeper questions during the interactive sessions. After the event, we compiled these insights and discussions into summary posts, returning them to readers and allowing those who could not attend to share in the ripples of knowledge. This process has continued, making our WeChat Official Account a steady and vibrant current that repeatedly carries fry into ever wider waters.

Img.20 Our WeChat account

1.2.2 Xiaohongshu: The Shallow Shoals

Xiaohongshu is like a bright and shallow shore. When we scatter fry here, the platform's mix of images, text, and short videos makes information easier to discover and share during everyday browsing. We condensed knowledge of synthetic biology and diabetes into relatable stories, illustrative diagrams, and practical tips. This accessible expression allows the content to quickly enter users' daily life scenes. Some save the posts, some take screenshots to share within their circles, and others become initiators of discussion. The current in a shallow shore is gentle, yet precisely because of this, it steadily carries the information that people recognize toward neighboring communities and channels, inspiring further communication and sharing.

In one post about "Practical Knowledge on Wound Healing for Diabetic Patients", a user commented: "This information is very useful, but could you include more intuitive comparison images, such as the changes before and after wound healing?" This suggestion was like a small ripple on the shore, making us realize that the platform's audience is more accustomed to receiving information visually. As a result, in subsequent posts we added diagrams and animations to illustrate the potential improvements that synthetic biology wound dressings could bring. The updated content was saved and shared by more people, and even sparked comments asking whether there was a way for elderly family members to see it. We then created simplified graphic explanations so users could easily share them with their families. Although the current on a shallow shore is gentle, it steadily spreads information to surrounding areas, allowing synthetic biology to gradually permeate more homes and everyday life.

Img.22 Our Xiaohongshu posts

1.2.3 Weibo: Rapid Currents

In the vast ocean, Weibo is like a swift current. When we release fry into it, they quickly swim with the flow toward distant places, reaching people who may have never heard of synthetic biology. Short and concise posts allow scientific knowledge to be seen in the most direct way. Shares and comments act like branching streams in the current, carrying fry into unexpected waters. Some readers encounter the term "synthetic biology" for the first time in the comments, while others share the posts with classmates or family, hoping to spread understanding further. The power of Weibo lies in its immediacy and broad reach, enabling knowledge to break boundaries at remarkable speed and create new ripples in wider waters.

One post about developing new wound dressings for diabetic patients through synthetic biology attracted a reader's question about whether this approach might carry safety risks similar to genetic modification. The comment was quickly reposted and sparked a wave of discussion, reaching many who had little knowledge of synthetic biology. We recognized this concern as common, so in later posts we added a simple and clear section on risks and safety, explaining how the technology works and how it is regulated, with everyday examples to make it easier to understand. These changes not only addressed the concerns but also brought in new followers, some of whom said they had not realized this research was so close to everyday life and shared the posts with diabetic patient groups they know. The swift current of Weibo makes it possible for information to break through circles quickly, spreading into new waters without delay.

Img.23 Our Weibo posts

1.2.4 Bilibili: Whirls of Light in the Deep Sea

In the depths of the ocean, Bilibili is a place where light and shadow flow. Communication here is no longer limited to text or images, but is shaped through videos, animations, and sound to create an immersive experience, allowing knowledge to penetrate like light through water. Viewers' bullet comments and replies resemble flickering spots of light in the deep sea, constantly responding and intertwining to form a unique atmosphere of interaction. It is this interplay of light and shadow that brings the once abstract field of synthetic biology to life, helping it reach farther waters and touch minds that had never encountered this discipline before.

In our popular science short film "A Day in the Life of a Diabetic Patient", we told a story illustrating small daily challenges faced by patients, such as wounds that do not heal and the need for dietary control. A viewer commented: "This story is touching, but could you also show how scientists solve these problems?" This remark was like a beam of light shimmering in the deep sea, making us realize that the audience wanted not only to see the problem but also the efforts and processes of scientists. As a result, in later videos, we added laboratory footage showing how our team develops new wound dressings using marine yeast, complemented by animations explaining the principles. The updated videos created a stronger sense of immersion. In the comments, viewers expressed sentiments such as, "I didn't realize scientific research could be so close to everyday life", and some actively shared the videos with classmates and even played them in class. Thus, the interplay of light and shadow in the deep sea extended further, spreading the story of synthetic biology more deeply among younger audiences.

Img.24 Pictures and videos of bilibili submission

Scattering fry across diverse waters means our communication is not confined to a single channel, but reaches different groups through different platforms. The WeChat Official Account acts like a steady ocean current, carrying fry far and returning nutrients. Xiaohongshu resembles a light and bright shore, allowing information to naturally seep into daily life. Weibo is like a swift current, quickly carrying fry to broader regions. Bilibili is the deep sea of light and shadow, illuminating and making abstract knowledge tangible. Fry no longer remain confined to a limited space but spread with the currents into a vast ocean, finding their own spaces and new opportunities in diverse waters. It is within this complementary network of waters that our synthetic biology education continues to spread, settle, and regrow, thereby achieving truly sustainable communication and outreach.

2 Rearing: Layered Learning and Deeper Growth

2.1 Layered Education: Different Nutrients for Different Stages of Growth

In our education journey, we hope that fry at different stages can find nourishment suited to them. Therefore, we designed a layered education system that spans the full age spectrum, from young children to community elders. Drawing inspiration from educational models, we ensure that learning at each stage aligns with the audience's developmental characteristics while remaining engaging and interactive. This approach allows different groups to encounter synthetic biology in their own ways and enables the impact of education to continue fermenting rather than remaining a one-time science outreach effort.

2.1.1 Kindergarten Children: Playful First Encounters

The first stage of a fry's growth requires the lightest and most delightful form of nourishment. At the kindergarten level, we organized a series of activities that offered children their first encounters with science through play and storytelling.

When designing these activities, we drew on the 5E instructional model proposed by Bybee and others (Bybee, 2014). Rooted in constructivist learning theory, this model is a widely applied framework in international science education. It emphasizes enabling students to actively construct understanding through exploration. The learning process is divided into five progressive stages:

Engagement: Spark interest and curiosity through relatable questions or scenarios.

Exploration: Encourage students to actively explore phenomena through hands-on practice and group collaboration.

Explanation: Build initial understanding through exchange and feedback, with teachers providing supplementary scientific principles.

Elaboration: Apply what has been learned to new contexts, deepening understanding and practical use.

Evaluation: Reflect and consolidate knowledge through retelling, demonstration, or discussion.

The core value of this framework lies in its focus not merely on what is learned but on fostering a complete cycle of learning that moves from curiosity to comprehension and from experience to reflection, thereby helping students gradually develop scientific thinking and inquiry skills. We applied this model to our teaching practice so that children could experience science for the first time with joy and wonder.

2.1.1.1 The Secret of Yeast

In this activity, we hoped children could discover the secrets of science within everyday foods. We created an original picture book, The Secret of Yeast, bringing the biology behind food into the classroom through storytelling. Bread is something children encounter almost daily, and its making process is filled with fascinating transformations, making it an ideal topic to introduce the role of microorganisms.

Design

Engagement: We began with familiar daily scenes and posed the question, "Do you know how bread is made?" to spark curiosity.

Exploration: Through the characters and scenes in the picture book, children follow step by step the processes of flour, fermentation, and baking, experiencing the biology of food within the story.

Explanation: Children discussed the phenomena they saw in the book, and we supplemented with age-appropriate explanations of the scientific principles. "There are tiny yeasts in the dough that breathe and make the bread fluffy."

Elaboration: We then pose the question, "Besides bread, what else can yeast help us make?" guiding them to connect with everyday examples such as steamed buns and pizza, thereby deepening their understanding.

Evaluation: Through children's retelling and simple quizzes, we assessed their grasp of concepts. Parents and teachers also reported that children continued to ask about "yeast's little secrets " after the activity, showing that their interest had extended beyond the classroom.

Educational Impact

Children showed high engagement with the story. They not only remembered yeast makes bread fluffy but also made connections, saying things like, "Does yogurt also have tiny things working inside?" Such associations show that the seeds of science have been sown and are beginning to sprout. At home, children would revisit the book and attempt to explain the role of yeast, actively sharing the knowledge they gained with their families.

This activity not only gave children their first encounter with science through storytelling but also demonstrated the power of extending and transmitting educational content. Since the picture book is an original creation, it can be reused in future activities and adapted for different science popularization themes, becoming a sustainable educational resource for our team.

Img.25 Kids were learning from picture books

2.1.1.2 Crafting Little Animals with Clay

Unlike the picture book activity, this time the children became little creators. We prepared modeling clay, allowing them to freely shape the animals in their imagination. Some made rabbits, others dinosaurs, and some even combined elements to create fantastical imaginary creatures. Amid laughter and chatter, their creations gradually filled the tables.

We seized this opportunity to guide them in observing and discussing: How do these animals, plants, and microorganisms differ in reality? Which are common, and which are unique? Children pointed to their creations saying, "This is a cat I've seen", or looked at pictures and asked, "Do these count as little animals?" Through such interaction, they naturally began to understand the diversity of life and to connect their creations with the real natural world.

Design

Engagement: We began by asking, "Can you make a little animal with your hands?" and showed pictures of plants, animals, and microorganisms to spark curiosity and creativity.

Exploration: Children freely molded various little animals, with some shaping rabbits, others dinosaurs, and still others creating imagined microorganisms, exploring endless possibilities of shape and color.

Explanation: During the sharing session, each child introduced their work. We guided them to think, "Why do animals and plants look different? How are microorganisms different from them?" and explained the concepts of diversity and classification in simple terms.

Elaboration: We further asked, "Why do some animals look so similar? Could they be related?" naturally extending their interest toward an introduction to species relationships.

Evaluation: Through the children's sharing and storytelling, teachers and volunteers observed their understanding and expression. Parents' feedback was also collected to evaluate the activity's lasting effect beyond the classroom.

Educational Impact

When they proudly held up their creations, we saw not only the shapes of animals and plants but also the process by which children naturally connected the scientific knowledge from class with their own imaginative worlds. Science ceased to be an abstract concept and became a vivid experience shaped by hands and extended by words. This activity revealed the unique spark that emerges when science education intertwines with childlike wonder, proving that learning can quietly happen through play and imagination.

Safety

We fully considered the needs of young children in the safety design of the activity. All materials used non-toxic, washable modeling clay to prevent risks of ingestion or contact. Teachers and volunteers accompanied every step from distributing materials to completing creations to ensure that children could explore freely in a safe environment.

Img.26 A team member was giving the lecture

Img.27 Volunteers were making biological models with kids

Extending Ripples

In these activities, we found that the children were not simply having fun in class; they carried the sense of wonder back home. Some even created new stories for their little animals. Feedback from parents and teachers echoed back to us, reminding us to include more interaction and questions so the children would have more opportunities to express themselves.

These responses made us realize that the meaning of education does not end on the day of the activity. Like ripples on the surface of water, its impact continues to spread. Our stories and methods have thus become adaptable and easy to share, ready to be reused and extended across different themes and settings, allowing the "young fry" to keep sensing the waves and resonances of science in the future.

2.1.2 Primary School: First Challenges for Growing Fry

Elementary school children are like young fish just learning to swim on their own. What they need are a series of opportunities that offer small but tangible successes, gradually building the confidence of "I can do it." In designing our program, we drew on Erikson's theory of psychosocial development, which highlights that children aged six to twelve are in a critical stage of "industry versus inferiority" (Erikson, 1968). At this age, they develop a sense of industry by completing tasks and gaining recognition, while repeated failure may lead to feelings of inferiority. With this in mind, we created classroom activities that are simple to carry out, highly interactive, and able to produce visible results. These activities are intended to help children gain a sense of accomplishment through small achievements, strengthen their willingness to participate, and carry the curiosity sparked in the classroom back into their homes and communities, extending the impact of education.

2.1.2.1 Origami: The Secret of Paper

In the elementary classroom, we aimed to give children a task that was both familiar and enjoyable, allowing them to experience the joy of small successes while naturally encountering biological concepts. Origami, a widely loved activity among children, was perfectly suited for this purpose.

As they folded a bird or a flower, the children not only felt the satisfaction of creating something with their own hands but were also guided toward an important question: "Where does paper come from?" At this moment, we shifted their attention from the sheet of paper before them to the natural world, explaining that paper is made from trees, which contain a substance called cellulose. Cellulose is a vital component of plants and the key raw material for papermaking.

In this way, the pleasant experience of folding paper became connected to the biological secrets behind paper, forming a complete cycle of learning. The task was of moderate difficulty and easy to carry out, so most children could finish their creations successfully and feel a sense of accomplishment from the recognition of their work. During the scientific discussion, their guesses and answers were listened to and affirmed, further strengthening their sense of self-worth.

After completing the origami, the children were visibly excited, with many eagerly holding up their creations to share. In the following discussion, they were able to link together the relationship of "trees–paper–origami". Some even asked, "Can all plants be used to make paper?" Such questions showed that they were beginning to actively connect their everyday experiences with the knowledge gained in class.

Img.28 The volunteer was helping kids fold paper

Img.29 The kids showed their paper-folding works

2.1.2.2 Leaf Art: The Colors of Autumn

In autumn the schoolyard is filled with leaves waiting to be gathered, providing the most natural materials for science education. We combined science with art through a leaf art project. As the children arranged their leaf designs, they not only felt the pride of finishing a creation but also, with guidance from the teacher, came to understand the natural processes behind the colors of the season.

Img.30 Volunteers were teaching the children

Img.31 Children's leaf painting works

Educational Impact

The children were deeply engaged while creating their collages, and completing their work gave them a strong sense of achievement. During the sharing session they spoke with enthusiasm, not only presenting their artwork but also raising unique questions such as do trees lose their leaves only when they get old or if there is no chlorophyll in winter does that mean the tree is sick. These questions brought new energy into the classroom and offered teachers valuable feedback. Even after the activity, the children continued to notice fallen leaves by the roadside and explained to their families that leaves turn yellow because they have less chlorophyll. Scientific knowledge had moved beyond the classroom and become part of their everyday lives.

Reusability and Adaptability

Safety The leaves came directly from nature, making the materials both safe and environmentally friendly, while the tools such as glue and paper were simple and easy to obtain.

Reusability Almost any school can repeat this activity during autumn with minimal cost and preparation.

Adaptability The same framework can be extended to other themes such as the colors of flowers or the changes that occur as fruits ripen, forming a series of activities that keep children curious about the natural world.

Extending Ripples

The phrase we heard most often from the children was "I did it." They folded a small bird out of paper, they pieced together a world from autumn leaves, and these small accomplishments lit up their eyes. They also gave them the confidence to ask questions and share ideas. In this way, science and self-belief became woven together. The connection between paper and trees and the secret behind the colors of leaves turned into stories they wanted to tell their classmates and families.

These activities used simple and safe materials that any school could easily put into practice. They were more than single lessons. They became pathways that can be repeated and expanded, allowing more and more young fry to swim into the ocean of biology with growing confidence and curiosity.

2.1.3 High School: Young Fish Exploring the Ocean

If primary school children are like small fish just learning to swim, then entering high school is like their first journey into open waters, where they begin to ask themselves who am I and where am I going. This stage corresponds to Erikson's theory of psychosocial development known as identity versus role confusion. Teenagers long to try, to explore, and to find a path that feels their own. Our educational design at this stage therefore went beyond passing on scientific knowledge. It emphasized interaction and experience, allowing students to find a sense of identity and personal value within science itself.

2.1.3.1 SynBio Talks Live

We organized science seminars in several middle and high schools, focusing on synthetic biology and its potential role in treating diabetes. We also introduced our own project to show students how science can respond to real-world challenges. Unlike traditional lectures where teachers talk and students listen, we built in time for interactive discussion and encouraged students to raise their own questions.

Their questions covered a wide range. Some wanted to know whether our treatment could truly be used in humans and whether it was safe. Others looked toward the future, asking if they could one day do this kind of research themselves. These questions reflected more than simple curiosity. They revealed how young people were beginning to link their own identity with the role of a scientist and test the possibilities of their future.

Questions from the Students

(1) Could this yeast-based dressing really be used on people, and is it safe?

(2) Why did you think of using yeast from the ocean? Isn't it very difficult to study marine organisms?

(3) What does diabetes have to do with synthetic biology? Isn't it a lifestyle disease?

(4) If this research succeeds, will it change how hospitals treat patients?

(5) If I want to do this kind of research in the future, what subjects should I study?

(6) Is synthetic biology only for professional scientists, or can students also take part in small experiments?

(7) Did you ever experience failure in your research, and how did you keep going?

Student Feedback

(1) "I used to think biology was just memorization, but after this seminar I realized it can really help patients."

(2) "My question felt a little childish, but you answered it seriously. It showed me that scientists are willing to listen to us."

(3) "I never thought I would study biology in the future, but now I feel it could be something worth considering."

(4) "I liked when you talked about yeast from the ocean. It made me realize science is not only in the lab, it is also part of our environment and daily lives."

(5) "I usually don't dare to raise my hand in class, but during the Q＆A I gathered the courage to ask. Having my question answered made me so happy, as if I too could be part of a scientific conversation."

Img.32 Students answered the question actively

2.1.3.2 Science Debate: Opportunities vs Risks in SynBio

To give students a more open space to explore the connection between science and society, we organized a debate on the future of synthetic biology around the theme "Opportunities outweigh risks, or risks outweigh opportunities". The affirmative side spoke of the vast potential of synthetic biology in medicine, food security, and environmental protection. The opposing side urged caution, pointing to ethics, safety, and the possibility of unintended consequences.

The format gave teenagers a chance to try on different roles. They were no longer passive receivers of knowledge but active participants, standing on different sides and defending their views. In the process they were also asking themselves what do I believe in and what kind of person do I want to be.

After the debate, one student reflected, "Although I was on the opposing side, I realized that science is not only about creation but also about responsibility." That moment of recognition was exactly the spark we hoped to kindle at this stage.

Img.33 Debate judges and audience

Img.34 The debaters were speaking

Student feedback

(1) "I argued for the opportunities, but when I heard the points about ethics I began to wonder if science has more limits than I thought."

(2) "Before the debate I never considered the connection between synthetic biology and environmental protection. Now I think it could be an important direction."

(3) "Being on the opposing side showed me that disagreement does not mean denial. It can also mean reminding science to act responsibly."

(4) "This was the first time I spoke in front of my classmates. I was nervous, but I discovered that I can take part in these discussions too."

(5) "I used to think science was only about fixed answers, but this debate made me see that scientific questions can be viewed from different angles and positions."

Extending Ripples

Through seminars and debates, high school students not only learned the basics of synthetic biology but also found connections between science and their own identities. They began to imagine future roles, trying on different perspectives like young fish swimming in open waters, searching for their direction.

These activities were safe, low cost, and easy to bring into more schools and clubs. With student feedback and teacher evaluation, we improved the design to ensure lasting impact. More importantly, these exploratory experiences left an imprint on the students. Later in life, they may look back and remember that they too were once young scientists.

2.1.4 University Students: From Fry to Strong Fish

By the time they enter university, students have developed greater independence and a stronger sense of responsibility. They are no longer only learners but also young adults beginning to ask how their knowledge can turn into action and how their choices can influence others. At this stage we hoped they would be like fish growing strong and leaping into wider seas, swimming farther while bringing their peers along.

Our educational design therefore moved beyond classroom lectures. We focused on practice and shared experience. Through real participation and co-creation, university students could feel the warmth of science, understand how synthetic biology connects with everyday life, and gradually build a sense of responsibility as future members of society. With this idea in mind, we created the Glow Run, an event themed around healthy living and diabetes prevention, so that education in science would not stop at understanding but move toward action.

2.1.4.1 Glow Run: Lighting Up Health and Science

At the opening ceremony, participants wore glowing wristbands and together formed the word iGEM, captured from above by a drone in a moment filled with symbolism. Students then ran through the night, their lights weaving a shining river across campus. Along the route, health education stations shared knowledge about diabetes and ways to prevent it. After the run, volunteers explained how exercise can play a role in diabetes prevention and encouraged everyone to make these choices part of their everyday lives.

The interaction on site went far beyond our expectations. Many students raised questions during the discussion such as whether diabetes is necessarily related to genetics and how much regular exercise can actually reduce the risk. These reflections showed their genuine concern for health issues and turned science communication into a true exchange and co-creation.

The glow run was a novel and easy-to-replicate format that any university campus could organize at low cost. In the future this model could not only continue to serve diabetes education but also expand to more public health and science topics, allowing students to enjoy exercise while becoming active advocates for health and science.

After the event many students said it was the first time they had felt the warmth of science in a sporting activity. Some said that while running they suddenly felt science was close to them and truly part of their lives. Others admitted they had not paid much attention to healthy eating or exercise before but now felt inspired to start making small changes today.

Just as little fish grow into larger ones students are using their own actions to light up wider waters and inspire more peers to join in. They are not only learners of science but are gradually becoming leaders in health awareness and science communication.

Img.35 Participants formed the "iGEM" pattern

Img.36 Participants were arranging the pattern

Img.37 Participants were running

2.1.5 Community Elders: Guardians in the Gentle Bay

In our story of education, the elders in the community are like great fish gliding steadily through a sheltered bay. They carry the richness of a lifetime and long to embrace their later years with health and energy. At this stage, we hope to offer simple, everyday activities that reveal how science can touch their well-being, so that in caring for themselves they also become carriers of knowledge, passing it gently on to their families and the wider community.

2.1.5.1 Baduanjin Workshop: Science in Motion and Stillness

In our work with community elders, we chose to begin with Baduanjin , a traditional practice of health exercise. Its gentle steady movements have for centuries been cherished as a daily way to strengthen the body and soothe the mind making it especially suitable for older people. We brought this familiar tradition into the community activity center as a bridge to connect everyday life with health education and scientific insight.

On the day of the activity the hall was filled with elders. Volunteers led them through each movement with calm guidance, explaining in plain language how regular exercise can help regulate blood sugar , and how keeping active can lower the risk of diabetes. In that moment science became something living woven into the fabric of daily life.

The influence of the session reached beyond the classroom. Many elders expressed a wish to continue practising and to share what they had learned with their families. Community staff invited us to hold similar sessions regularly. For the volunteers it became a true exchange not only sharing knowledge but also learning from the elders' own health experiences and life wisdom.

Baduanjin needs almost no equipment and with simple training volunteers can bring it to many communities. It carries the warmth of tradition while offering the guidance of modern science. As these elders care for their own health, they spread ripples of knowledge to their families and neighbours, allowing the reach of education to extend far beyond the room where it began.

Img.38 Volunteers were teaching elderly community residents Baduanjin

2.2 Deepening Knowledge: Swimming from the Shallows into the Deep

In the story of the fry, a shallow shore can give only the first taste of nourishment, while true growth comes when they enter the deep sea where richer currents await. Our approach to education follows the same pattern. Once curiosity is awakened, what matters most is offering a clear and structured path that guides learners ever deeper.

This is why we created the Synthetic Biology Communication Handbook. It is more than an activity guide, it is a chart for the deep sea. From teaching philosophy to course design, from safety practices to evaluation tools, each part offers careful guidance so that education moves beyond isolated efforts to become a complete system that can be shared , expanded , and sustained.

In the deep sea, the currents run steady and the water is rich, with nutrients just as the Handbook offers not fleeting fragments of knowledge , but lasting and structured support. It allows learners to dive further into the vast ocean of knowledge gathering both insight and strength along the way.

3 Spawning: Echoes and Inheritance

In the life cycle of the ocean, great fish return to their native waters to lay eggs and give rise to a new generation of fry. For us, education holds the same meaning as this cycle of renewal. Through learning, growth and reflection, the knowledge, experience and passion we gather do not end with a single competition, but flow back into communities, campuses and teams sparking fresh beginnings.

This is where the continuity of education comes to life, embracing both the passing of experience between generations within the team , and the transformation of learners into messengers who carry the seeds of synthetic biology ever further. Just as schools of fish multiply and journey onward education grows and spreads from one generation to the next forming a living cycle that never ceases.

3.1 Team Legacy: Fish's Story Continued by the Next Generation

The educational work of OUC‑Haide is not a single year's undertaking, but a living chain of inheritance that grows deeper with time. For three years, we have held fast to the belief that education is the foundation for the lasting growth of synthetic biology, placing science outreach and talent cultivation at the heart of our mission.

In 2023, we began where the ocean meets health, creating original picture books, comics and board games, and launching a regular column to give people of all ages their first glimpse of synthetic biology.

By 2024, we introduced questionnaire surveys and the "GENE Cycles" model, using data to identify cognitive gaps across regions and audiences. We expanded our approach with debates, interviews and educational toys, spreading our reach to multiple provinces and adding an international perspective to parts of our work.

In 2025, we wove the ocean as a guiding thread into everything we did, bringing science closer to everyday life. From campuses, communities and villages to online events, we offered many paths for people to meet synthetic biology in their own time and way. At the same time, we distilled our experience into resource kits and activity guides, so that our work would endure beyond the present team carrying sustainability and adaptability forward.

More importantly, this legacy is not confined to documents and records, but is rooted in the team through the continuity of people and the establishment of systems.

In 2023, we passed on experience and enthusiasm within the team by guiding new members through the iGEM Club and peer-mentorship. By 2024, some of our activities had already included sharing experiences with teachers and senior students, helping new members quickly adapt and take part in planning.

We plan to institutionalize an "Annual Experience Sharing and Transition Session", so that each team can, at the end of the season, reflect, summarize, and hand over their knowledge to the next cohort.

Just as fish return to the bay to spawn, a new generation of fry is nurtured here. They inherit the efforts of those before them while bringing fresh innovation through their own practice. We believe that this combination of results, methods, and mechanisms will enable OUC-Haide's educational work not only to endure but also to grow in influence.

Img.39 2023 OUC-Haide Team Photo

Img.40 2024 OUC-Haide Team Photo

Img.41 2025 OUC-Haide Team Photo

3.2 Ripple Effect: Inspired Learners Begin Hatching New Fry

In nature's cycle, fish return to the waters where they were born to lay new eggs. In that moment, they complete the passage from growth to legacy. From these eggs, new fry emerge, carrying forward life and the promise of renewal. Our educational journey is now experiencing the same kind of resonance.

The fry we once released were first seen only in classrooms, in communities, and on screens. Yet when audiences begin to tell, share, and practice on their own, these fish have quietly begun to nurture new eggs, with fresh life arising in their waters.

In a Green Spring classroom, a child, after class, imitated our way of storytelling and retold The Secret of Yeast to younger siblings. After a university lecture, a student volunteered to join the next round of outreach, carrying what they had learned back to their hometown. In community science sessions, residents spontaneously passed on the health and scientific ideas we had shared. These small yet touching moments are but a few among many, like countless eggs sinking gently to the bottom of the water, quietly waiting to hatch.

This is the true power of education. It does not end with a single class or event, but through the stirring of hearts it creates cycles of self-renewal. Just as the return of fish is not only an individual journey but the continuation of an entire species, our educational work does not cease with the close of one iGEM season—it continues to ripple outward through each new generation of learners.

We may not witness every moment when an egg hatches, yet we believe that the hearts once touched are already nurturing new fry. In time, these young fish will grow in their own waters, and some will themselves seed and echo anew. In this way, education ceases to be a one-way transmission and instead becomes the ocean's most natural rhythm, a cycle passed from generation to generation and flowing endlessly.

Conclusion

The Ocean of Life: The Cycle and Continuity of Education

Over the course of this year's educational journey, we have come to see ever more clearly that education is not a fleeting event but an ocean vast and boundless. Every time we release new fry, it marks the beginning of hope; every step of growth adds nourishment; every generation that returns to spawn carries on the legacy. It is within this natural cycle that the knowledge and values of synthetic biology can truly take root and continue to spread across broader communities and generations.

The Synthetic Biology Communication Handbook that we have compiled serves as a kind of deep-sea chart for this cycle. It not only records experiences and methods but also provides future learners and educators with a pathway that can be reused and refined, ensuring that each new "fry" receives initial nourishment, finds direction in its journey, and, upon maturing into "big fish", begins once again to seed and to share.

This cycle is not a mere metaphor but a practice we have witnessed firsthand. From kindergarten classrooms to community squares, from online platforms to rural schools, we have seen the seeds of science take root in different waters, spreading outward in ripples. More importantly, when learners themselves share what they have gained with peers, families, or communities, education transcends our direct actions and enters a phase of self-propagation and self-renewal.

Thus, our work in education is no longer just an experiment for the competition but a living ocean in which knowledge grows and multiplies. Within this sea, the stories and insights of synthetic biology travel with each returning generation of fish, while our efforts are magnified through the rhythm of the cycle. We believe that as long as this ocean continues to flow, the power of education will remain ceaseless, allowing synthetic biology to blossom and bear fruit in an ever-expanding future.

References

[1] Bybee, R. W. (2014). The BSCS 5E instructional model: Creating teachable moments. Science and Children, 51(8), 10–17.

[2] Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. W.W. Norton & Company.

[3] United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda