"True education is not confined to the transfer of knowledge — It is the awakening of attitudes and the nurturing of responsibility."
1. Introduction
Over the past few decades, diabetes has become one of the world's most pressing health challenges.[1] In China, however, awareness (36.7%), treatment (32.9%), and control rates (50.1%) of diabetes remain low and are improving slowly[2]. At the same time, adolescent obesity and physical inactivity are on the rise, leading to an alarming trend of earlier onset diabetes[3].
Our project aims not only to continue iGEM's vision—eliminating fear and misconceptions about synthetic biology and bringing it closer to the public—but also to take concrete action in raising awareness among young people about diabetes prevention and early screening. Inspired by the concept of peer education, we designed a series of tiered, engaging, and participatory activities that both spread scientific knowledge and subtly transform attitudes and behaviors.
[1] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes
[2] 中华医学会糖尿病学分会. 中国糖尿病防治指南（2024版）[J]. 中华糖尿病杂志,2025,17(01)：16-139. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn115791-20241203-00705
[3-1] MSD Manuals - Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
[3-2] https://www.dmcare.org.tw/article/259
[3-3] Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Ong, Kanyin Liane et al. The Lancet, Volume 402, Issue 10397, 203-234
2. First Step of Education: Learning and Preparation
As teenagers, we are more accustomed to being learners. Therefore, in the education part of our project, we take our first steps like infants learning to walk—step by step, with curiosity and courage.
During the design and implementation of our educational activities, we follow several guiding principles:
The LARS Principle
To guide our educational activities, we developed a principle we call LARS:
- L – Learn: Study strategies from previous award-winning iGEM teams, review educational theories from scholars, and analyze current methods, tools, and models.
- A – Adapt: Select and refine approaches that are suitable for teenagers, modifying them to better fit our educational goals.
- R – Realize: Put our education plan into action through engaging, age-appropriate activities.
- S – Summarize: After each activity, reflect and evaluate its impact, then optimize our plan for future iterations.
By following LARS (Learn–Adapt–Realize–Summarize), we ensure that our education strategy is not only well-informed but also dynamic, iterative, and impactful.
Figure 1. The LARS Educational Cycle
Respectful and Interactive Communication
We engage with adolescents in a manner that is respectful, equal, lively, and highly interactive. Our goal is not simply to "teach" them something, but rather to create an environment where attitudes and ideas can be transformed through interaction—ultimately leading to positive changes in behavior.
2.1 Education Strategies
Before designing our program, our team reviewed and studied various health education models. We carefully evaluated their strengths and weaknesses, and then refined and integrated them based on the characteristics of adolescent groups.
Table 1: Education Strategies Review
| Model | Brief Description | Advantages | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tiered Ladder Education[1] | Education is delivered step by step (basic → intermediate → advanced), based on learners' cultural background, health literacy, and disease stage. |
• Highly individualized, adaptable to different levels of understanding • Progressive learning builds a complete knowledge framework • Avoids "one-size-fits-all" overload |
• Complex to implement, requires accurate stratification • Demands more resources and trained staff • Learners may progress unevenly across levels |
| LEARNS Model[2] | A 6-step nursing education model: L – Listen to needs E – Establish partnership A – Adopt intentional approach R – Reinforce literacy N – Name new knowledge S – Strengthen self-management |
• Patient-centered, emphasizes communication & empathy • Structured and systematic for educators • Improves literacy & self-management skills |
• Requires strong communication skills • Time-consuming in busy contexts • Effectiveness depends on patient engagement |
| Teach-back Method[3] | After explanation, the learner (patient) repeats back the content in their own words; educators correct misunderstandings immediately. |
• Objectively verifies learning outcomes • Identifies blind spots in real time • Encourages active thinking, not rote memorization |
• Learners may feel shy or nervous • Hard to scale for large groups • Demands patience and communication skills from educators |
| Family Empowerment Model[4] | Families (parents, caregivers, children) are the core unit of education, sharing responsibility and decision-making in health management. |
• Strong adherence—family support reinforces behaviors • Reduces patient isolation • Easier to change lifestyle habits collectively (diet, exercise) • Improves overall family health literacy |
• Requires time and effort from family • Dysfunctional families may add pressure • Coordinating multiple members can be challenging |
| Interactive Education[5] | Emphasizes engagement and two-way communication through discussions, role-playing, simulations, and hands-on practice. |
• Increases attention & interest • Deepens understanding via experiential learning • Strengthens practical skills • Boosts confidence and self-efficacy • Builds stronger trust between educator and learner |
• Requires more space, time, and manpower • Hard to manage in large groups • Risk of becoming superficial if not well facilitated |
In our program design, we combined different models according to age groups: tiered and interactive methods for primary school, teach-back and board games for middle school, and ethical discussions with family empowerment for high school.
[1] 贺晶,何招,刘佳.行为转变理论联合阶梯式健康教育在2型糖尿病中的应用[J].中国医学创新,2025,22(26):83-87.
[2] 周晓琴,王志平,豆欣蔓,等.LEARNS模式在2型糖尿病患者健康教育中的应用[J].中国护理管理,2020,20(04):564-568.
[3] 宿冰,范桂红,吴林雪,等.回授法健康教育对2型糖尿病患者自我管理能力及生活质量的影响[J].中国健康教育,2023,39(03):283-287.
[4] 郑雪景,陈淑娇,代莲,等.基于家庭赋权模式的老年糖尿病患者中医健康教育方案的构建[J].中国医药科学,2025,15(13):137-142.
[5] 孟宏音,张丰姣,李静.强化互动教育模式干预对2型糖尿病并骨质疏松患者健康知识水平遵医行为的影响[J].中国健康心理学杂志,2021,29(07):983-987.
2.2 Situation Review
Currently, diabetes health education in China is mainly focused on specific patient groups, such as women with gestational diabetes, elderly patients, and those already experiencing complications. For these groups, corresponding educational strategies have been developed. However, for high-risk or susceptible populations who have not yet developed diabetes but require attention, there is a lack of specialized educational programs. In most cases, education for these groups is limited to community or school-based approaches such as brochures and posters.
In terms of content, existing diabetes health education largely emphasizes disease management, rehabilitation, and complication prevention. By contrast, education on prevention and early detection of diabetes remains relatively limited.[1]
[1] 中华医学会糖尿病学分会. 中国糖尿病防治指南（2024版）[J]. 中华糖尿病杂志,2025,17(01)：16-139. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn115791-20241203-00705
Social Media Analysis
Xiaohongshu (also known as Rednote) is one of the most frequently used social media platforms in China. It integrates multiple functions, including lifestyle sharing, online shopping, search, and live-streaming e-commerce. With growing public attention to physical and mental health, many health-focused accounts have emerged on Xiaohongshu, using short videos and posts to popularize medical knowledge and raise awareness of disease prevention.
However, despite the platform's popularity in health communication, we observed that even on the account of Dingxiang Doctor—often referred to as China's "No. 1 medical media account"—there are only 23 posts related to diabetes among its thousands of publications. This indicates that diabetes-related education and outreach remain underrepresented on Xiaohongshu, highlighting a potential gap in public health communication.
When it comes to synthetic biology, posts on Rednote are even more scarce. The existing content is mostly limited to interpretations of cutting-edge research papers or discussions of scientific findings. While highly professional, such posts mainly target researchers and students within the field. As a result, they fail to reach the general public and cannot effectively improve ordinary people's understanding and awareness of synthetic biology.
Table 2: Comparative Analysis of Health Education Topics
| Topic | Educators | Target Audience | Content | Format | Platforms | Reach | Influence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Biology | Universities, research institutes, scholars | Students, researchers, professionals | Academic knowledge, research findings in synthetic biology | Papers, articles | Academic forums | Small | Small |
| Chronic Diseases | School doctors, community workers, hospital chronic disease departments, mainstream/state media, social media | General public | Types of chronic diseases, high-risk groups, early symptoms | Lectures, brochures, videos, articles, comics | Bulletin boards, newspapers, Douyin, Rednote, WeChat | Large | Strong |
| Diabetes | School doctors, community workers, hospitals, mainstream/state media, social media | General public | Causes, complications, prevention methods, early symptoms, treatments | Lectures, brochures, videos, articles, comics | Bulletin boards, newspapers, Douyin, Rednote, WeChat | Large | Strong |
| Insulin | Hospitals, social media | Patients, social media users | Mechanism of action, production, products | Brochures, articles | Bulletin boards, newspapers, Douyin, Rednote, WeChat | Medium | Medium |
| GLP-1 | Pharmaceutical companies | Medical professionals | Drug mechanisms | Articles | Small | Weak |
In China, diabetes education is widespread but focuses mainly on patients, with limited attention to prevention and early screening. At the same time, synthetic biology education remains niche, confined to academic circles and inaccessible to the general public. Our project hopes to bridge these gaps by combining diabetes awareness with synthetic biology outreach, tailored to engage adolescents through innovative and interactive approaches.
2.3 Findings on Public Research
Our public research investigated public perceptions of diabetes, synthetic biology, and educational methods. The results revealed several important insights:
1. Public Perceptions of Health and Disease
- A large proportion of respondents believed that obesity (91.3%) and unhealthy diet (88.5%) are major causes of diabetes.
- For diabetes management, the most recognized approaches were controlling diet (87.8%), keeping a regular schedule (75.9%), and appropriate exercise (73.4%).
- However, knowledge of synthetic biology and genetic engineering remained limited, with many associating these fields only with academic research rather than practical health applications.
2. Preferred Popular Science Methods
When asked which science communication methods were most engaging, the top responses were:
- Popular science videos – 57.38%
- Participatory activities (e.g., stalls, games, interactive formats) – 52.46%
- Lectures/speeches – 39.34%
- Promotional brochures – 32.79%
This clearly shows that gamification and interactive participation are more attractive to the public than traditional lectures or brochures.
The survey highlights both a knowledge gap in synthetic biology and a need for innovative, interactive education methods. Therefore, our project emphasizes gamified and participatory activities to better engage adolescents and improve awareness of diabetes prevention while popularizing synthetic biology.
2.4 Stakeholders Interviews
To better understand how to design effective health education and outreach for adolescents, we conducted a series of stakeholder interviews with representatives from different sectors, including the Sinocare Diabetes Foundation (Ms. Li Wenjie), high school biology teachers, and diabetes patients.
Our objective was to explore both the current level of health and science awareness among students and the needs and perspectives of patients and educators, in order to develop age-appropriate, empathetic, and impactful educational strategies.
Findings
Foundation's Perspective (Sinocare Diabetes Foundation – Li Wenjie)
- The Foundation emphasized that effective science communication must use clear, relatable language and real-life examples to make complex health concepts accessible to the public.
- They highlighted that patients often struggle with stress caused by dietary restrictions and side effects of medication, which negatively affects treatment adherence.
- According to Mr Li, VitaPop Jelly's snack-like formulation could improve adherence and acceptance among patients if its safety and efficacy are demonstrated.
- He also stressed the importance of building a cooperative ecosystem among foundations, communities, educators, and healthcare professionals to jointly advance public health literacy and diabetes management.
Teachers' Perspective (High School Biology Teacher – Wei Xingheng)
- Teachers noted that current health and biology education in schools is fragmented, lacking engaging, structured content.
- Younger students respond better to storytelling, games, and simple analogies.
- Middle school students prefer logic-based activities and interactive reasoning games.
- High school students are increasingly interested in hands-on experiments and case-based learning.
- They also pointed out that students' understanding of diabetes is largely textbook-level, focused on symptoms and insulin, while GLP-1 therapy and synthetic biology applications remain unfamiliar.
- Due to resource limitations, molecular biology experiments are rarely conducted; most schools rely on virtual labs, model buildings, or multimedia simulations to visualize biological processes.
Patients' Perspective
- Patients expressed concern about disease prevention, early screening, and daily self-management rather than treatment alone.
- They also underscored the emotional burden of living with diabetes — including anxiety from strict diet control and social stigma — and emphasized the need for empathy-centered education.
- Patients hoped that families and schools could play a stronger role in supporting emotional well-being and reinforcing consistent health habits.
Recommendations
Age-Tailored Education Design
- For younger students, adopt gamified and story-based approaches that simplify biological and health concepts.
- For middle school students, integrate reasoning games, simulations, and guided discussions.
- For high school students, emphasize case studies, hands-on experiments, and real-world biomedical applications, such as synthetic biology and diabetes research.
Holistic Health Focus
Educational programs should highlight not only disease management but also prevention, early detection, and healthy lifestyle habits, enabling students to link biological knowledge to personal well-being.
Science Communication Innovation
- Expand the use of social media (e.g., Xiaohongshu) and community events to reach broader audiences.
- Simplify scientific terms, use everyday metaphors, and integrate visual and experiential formats to make synthetic biology more understandable to the general public.
Stakeholder Interviews
2.5 Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum Visit
Our visit to the Shenzhen Science & Technology Museum was not just a casual tour, but a purposeful exploration for inspiration. Before departure, we designed a task sheet to guide our observations, listing what we needed to look for and reflect upon. After the visit, each team member completed the sheet to consolidate insights.
Table 3: Educational Devices Review
| Device | Photo | Brief Description | Educational Impact | Strengths | Limitations | Suggested Improvements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large DNA Double Helix |  |
Laser acrylic panels as the sugar–phosphate backbone; paired rods as base pairs. Suspended overhead; colors shimmer as visitors move, highlighting the elegance of the double helix. | Good | 1) High fidelity 2) Modern aesthetics 3) Different materials clearly distinguish structures |
1) Overhead placement makes close observation difficult 2) Few labels—artistic effect > educational effect |
Turn the helix into an entrance tunnel so visitors can observe twist and base pairing up close; add captions at corresponding positions. |
| Protein "Factory" Simulator |  |
Buttons for A/T/C/G → synthesize amino acids → peptides → fold into proteins; animations present the four structural levels. | Excellent | 1) Clear flow; intuitive animations 2) High interactivity; strong learning effect |
1) Lacks explanations for bases & amino acids 2) Too many buttons; operation is complex |
Offload tedious steps to animations; simplify controls to lower interaction difficulty. |
| Central Dogma Interactive |  |
Lower-left: DNA unwinding; middle: transcription; top: translated polypeptide. Touchscreen shows a full dynamic process. | Good | 1) High fidelity 2) Displays the entire central dogma |
1) Layout feels cluttered; unclear where to start 2) A few labels—must watch screen carefully to decode content |
Add labels ("polypeptide", "translation", etc.) and arrow guides to indicate viewing sequence. |
| Drug Journey in the Body |  |
Press a button; a ball travels from mouth → throat → stomach → intestine. The screen narrates changes along the path. | Excellent | 1) Combines kinetic device with explanation—novel 2) Simple & intuitive; strong learning effect |
(Potential) Oversimplifies pharmacokinetics; mechanical parts need upkeep during heavy use | Add branching paths for different dosage forms (capsule, sustained release); insert short quiz checkpoints at each organ to reinforce learning. |
| Gene-Research Attitude Poll |  |
Five holes from green→red indicate acceptance levels. Screen asks attitude questions on genetic engineering/research; visitors answer by tossing balls; balls exit below. | Excellent | 1) Anonymous → more honest answers 2) Novel form → higher participation |
1) Children may toss randomly → lower data accuracy 2) Balls can be lost |
Set age guidance; increase staff patrols; consider tethered balls or token system to reduce loss. |
Key Insights: We found that younger children are more easily attracted by bright colors and cute visual elements. When interacting with exhibits, they often do not initially understand the underlying knowledge but gradually acquire it through the process of playful, game-like experiences. Older students prefer challenging, hands-on interactive experiences. They tend to apply what they have learned, reasoning through the interaction and using the hints provided to complete tasks or achieve the final outcome, leading to deeper understanding and learning effects.
Therefore, educational design should be age-specific. For younger children, approaches should emphasize visuals and fun elements, while for older students, activities should involve logical challenges and experimental practice.
2.6 Summary
In summary, current health education shows clear limitations:
- Target groups: It focuses on gestational diabetes patients, the elderly, and those with complications, while adolescents and high-risk groups are overlooked.
- Content: Emphasis is placed on disease management and rehabilitation, with insufficient coverage of prevention and early screening.
- Format: Education mainly relies on lectures, brochures, and posters, lacking interactivity and tiered design.
- Platforms: Schools, hospitals, and traditional media dominate, while self-media platforms (e.g., Rednote) are emerging but fragmented.
👉 These gaps highlight the urgent need for customized education programs for adolescents and for addressing the public's limited and often fearful perception of synthetic biology.
3. Step Two of Education: Building Our Educational Program
3.1 Educational Objectives
- Synthetic Biology Popularization: Eliminate public fear and prejudice, and improve understanding of its safety and application value.
- Diabetes Prevention & Early Screening: Raise awareness among adolescents, emphasizing healthy lifestyles and the importance of early screening.
- Project Case Demonstration: Use our bubble beads product as an example to show how synthetic biology can address real-world health problems.
3.2 Target Groups & Strategies
| Target Group | Characteristics | Educational Focus | Format/Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Students & Parents (K1–K6) | Weak knowledge foundation, strong curiosity; parents are high-risk groups | "Three Highs and One Low" symptoms (三多一少症状), healthy lifestyle habits | Picture-based cases, mini games, Q&A with rewards |
| Junior High Students (K7–K9) | Basic biology knowledge, high interest | Differentiate Type I & II diabetes; mechanism of bubble beads | Board games, Monopoly-style adaptations, experimental simulations |
| Senior High Students (K10–K12) | Able to understand complex knowledge, critical thinking skills | Full iGEM project, genetic engineering, ethics | Popular science lectures, ethical debates, case discussions |
| General Public | Fragmented information, some fear or prejudice | Basic knowledge of synthetic biology; diabetes prevention | Short videos, infographic posts, brochures |
4. Step Three of Education: Implementation
4.1 Community Fair — "A Journey into the Biology Book"
Target Group: Primary students (K1–K6, ages 7–12), with little to no prior biology knowledge, and unfamiliar with synthetic biology.
Venue: Jiuruifu Community Activity Center, Guangming District, Shenzhen
Objectives:
- Introduce the basics of synthetic biology
- Learn about cellular structures
- Gain an initial understanding of the Central Dogma (DNA-based heredity)
The entire series is designed across three levels of biological knowledge: Macroscopic Ecology (through "Creature Up Up Up"), Cellular Structures (through "Cell Squish Squish Squish"), and Microscopic Genetics (through "Gene Match Match Match"). By weaving complex biological concepts into interactive, hands-on games, we transform abstract textbook knowledge into lively experiences that children are eager to explore, enjoy, and remember.
Activity 1: Creature Up Up Up
How it Works:
- Card Selecting – Each child selects an organism card, a trait card, and an environment card.
- Creation – Using colored pencils, they imagine how the selected organism can acquire traits from other species to adapt to its new environment.
- Presentation – Children draw their "evolved species" and present it to the group, explaining its survival strategy.
- Reward – Participants receive small prizes for their creative adaptations.
Educational Goals:
- Knowledge: Understand biological adaptation and gain a positive impression of synthetic biology as a science that learns from nature to create useful solutions.
- Skills: Cultivate imagination, logical expression, and ecological awareness.
Activity 2: Cell Squish Squish Squish
How it Works:
- Selection – Each child chooses a microbial cell.
- Modeling – Using soft clay, they sculpting the basic structure of the cell, including the membrane, nucleus, and organelles.
- Creation – Children are encouraged to customize their cells, making them unique with imaginative details.
- Exhibition – Finished models are displayed in a "cell gallery," and each child introduces the components they created and the DNA in the nucleus.
Educational Goals:
- Knowledge: Learn the structures of animal, plant, and microbial cells, and understand the role of DNA inside the nucleus.
- Skills: Enhance observation, three-dimensional spatial thinking, and creativity through hands-on modeling.
Activity 3: Gene Match Match Match
How it Works:
- Challenge – Children toss rings onto four "gene cups" labeled A, T, C, and G.
- Transcription – Using base-pairing rules, they transcribe the DNA sequence into an RNA sequence on the activity board.
- Decoding – As an advanced challenge, children use a codon table to decode RNA into amino acids and build a short peptide chain.
- Success – Those who complete the challenge successfully receive small prizes.
Educational Goals:
- Knowledge: Understand base pairing, transcription, and the genetic code (Central Dogma).
- Skills: Develop problem-solving, logical reasoning, and information retrieval abilities.
Public Health Outreach for Parents
According to the China Diabetes Prevention and Control Guidelines 2024, individuals at high risk of diabetes should begin screening as early as possible. For the general population, screening is recommended starting at the age of 35. If the initial screening result is normal, the test should be repeated at least once every three years[1].
In our community activity, most parents and grandparents accompanying children aged 7–12 were already over 35 years old. For parents and grandparents (mostly >35 years old), we distributed diabetes prevention brochures based on the China Diabetes Prevention and Control Guidelines 2024. It emphasized early screening for high-risk groups, recommended screening every 3 years for those over 35, and explained diabetes symptoms and disease mechanisms. By linking children's activities with family participation, we promoted awareness of diabetes prevention among adults.
[1] 中华医学会糖尿病学分会. 中国糖尿病防治指南（2024版）[J]. 中华糖尿病杂志,2025,17(01)：16-139. DOI:10.3760/cma.j.cn115791-20241203-00705
Summary & Optimization
At the end of our community fair, we distributed feedback stickers to the children who participated. Most of them expressed great enjoyment of the games we designed, while many parents also praised the educational value of our activities. Despite this positive response, our team carefully reviewed the event to identify areas for improvement and to ensure that future activities would be even more effective.
From this reflection, we summarized several key optimizations for our upcoming school-based sessions:
- Small class size — Limiting each session to 20 participants or fewer to ensure that every student has ample opportunity to interact.
- Balanced timing — Adjusting the schedule to maintain a 1:1 ratio between theoretical instruction and interactive activities, balancing knowledge input with playful engagement.
- Enhanced guidance — Increasing the ratio of instructors, with one iGEM member supporting every six students, allowing for closer mentoring and personalized assistance.
- Improved environment — Moving activities to enclosed classrooms, which reduces distractions and fosters a more focused and immersive learning atmosphere.
4.2 Campus Outreach
Our campus education program was designed as a layered outreach system, tailored for different age groups — primary school, junior high, and senior high school. By progressively deepening both content and methods, we ensured that younger students developed basic awareness, while older students were able to critically engage with synthetic biology and our project.
- Primary School: Simple awareness of diabetes and healthy living.
- Junior High: Interactive and gamified understanding of diabetes management, with a bridge to synthetic biology applications.
- Senior High: Advanced exposure to iGEM-style research and critical engagement with ethical debates.
Primary School
Educational Goal: Establish fundamental health awareness among children with little prior biological knowledge.
Implementation: In the primary school sessions, our team focused on presenting basic facts about type II diabetes in a way that was visually clear and engaging. Using child-friendly slides with bright illustrations and simplified diagrams, we introduced:
- The global situation of diabetes and its rising prevalence.
- The "Three Highs and One Low" symptoms (frequent urination, excessive thirst, excessive eating, and weight loss).
- The importance of healthy habits such as balanced diet, exercise, hygiene, and sleep.
To make the learning more interactive, we included reward-based Q&A quizzes, encouraging children to actively recall and answer questions while receiving small prizes. This approach not only reinforced memory but also boosted enthusiasm.
By the end of the activity, students were able to identify the key symptoms of diabetes and recognize how everyday lifestyle choices affect their long-term health.
Junior High School
Educational Goal: Deepen biomedical understanding and introduce synthetic biology applications in disease management.
Implementation: At the junior high level, students already had basic biology knowledge. We therefore introduced advanced concepts through structured presentations and games:
- The difference between Type I and Type II diabetes, focusing on their mechanisms and causes.
- An explanation of our team's innovative solution: engineered probiotics delivered in "bubble tea beads" that secrete GLP-1 in the intestine, offering a convenient and long-term method of blood sugar regulation.
🎲 Featured Activity: Diabetes Monopoly (血糖管理大富翁)
One highlight of the junior high program was our originally designed board game, modeled after Monopoly, but adapted to simulate blood sugar management in real life.
- Basic Rules: Players roll dice to move around the board, and can purchase properties. Unlike traditional Monopoly, properties could be converted into fast food restaurants (increasing blood sugar risk) or private clinics (helping reduce blood sugar).
- Blood Sugar Mechanism: Every player has a dynamic "blood sugar index." If their glucose level goes too high (>11.1 mmol/L) or too low (<2.9 mmol/L), they are "hospitalized" and must answer biology-related questions or pay a fee to be discharged.
- Chance and Fate Cards: Special cards present real-life scenarios about diet, exercise, or health decisions. Correct answers lead to rewards, while poor decisions raise risks.
- Victory Condition: After 20 rounds, the player with the highest assets (both financial and health-related) wins — symbolizing how healthy management is as valuable as wealth accumulation.
Through this game, students did not simply learn about diabetes; they experienced the trade-offs between health choices and disease risk. The strong interactivity of the game made abstract biomedical concepts tangible, memorable, and fun.
Senior High School
Educational Goal: Expand scientific horizons, stimulate critical thinking, and introduce bioethics.
Implementation: For high school students, we presented the entire workflow of an iGEM project, using our own work as a case study. Students were guided through:
- The basics of genetic engineering and how engineered bacteria can be applied to real-world health problems.
- The detailed mechanism of our GLP-1 project, including the design of plasmids and host strains.
- A discussion session on bioethics and responsibility in synthetic biology, where students debated questions such as:
- "Should genetically modified organisms be released into daily healthcare?"
- "How can we balance scientific innovation with public concerns and regulation?"
By combining technical knowledge with ethical reflection, high school students were encouraged not only to understand science but also to consider its social implications and responsibilities. Many expressed strong interest in exploring synthetic biology further in their future studies.
Summary
These activities allowed us to reach students at multiple cognitive levels, ensuring that education was not only informative but also age-appropriate, engaging, and inspiring.
4.3 Public Communication
We documented each of our activities on our Rednote (Xiaohongshu) account, aiming to extend the impact of our work far beyond the physical events themselves. By sharing stories, photos, and reflections from our workshops, we hoped to make knowledge about synthetic biology and diabetes prevention accessible to a much wider audience.
At the same time, we actively encouraged viewers to leave comments, share their own perspectives, and ask questions. These interactions not only helped us spread awareness, but also provided valuable feedback that allowed us to refine our educational design and make the activities even more engaging.
5. Last Step of Education: Summary & Outlook
Our education program centered on three themes: eliminating fear of synthetic biology, raising awareness of diabetes prevention and early screening, and demonstrating real-world applications through our Vitapop Jelly project.
We learned that education transforms attitudes as much as it transmits knowledge. Younger children respond best to playful visuals, older students prefer challenges and reasoning, while parents and patients emphasize prevention and family support. We refined our approach with smaller classes, balanced timing, closer guidance, and focused learning spaces.
Future Directions
We will continue to:
- Improve interactive tools and educational materials based on feedback
- Expand to more schools and regions across China
- Promote diabetes prevention awareness among youth through social media and community engagement
- Develop new educational resources for synthetic biology communication
By keeping education engaging, layered, and responsible, we aim to lower barriers to synthetic biology understanding and inspire healthier choices in society.