Overview
We placed great importance on sharing knowledge with a wide range of people and generating new insights together through that process. Synthetic biology is a field of study that can be utilized to solve various global issues — from familiar, everyday problems to rare and severe diseases. We planned and implemented educational events tailored to different audiences, from young children to adults with specialized knowledge.
Participants in our Education activities ranged widely in age, from preschoolers to adults. The table below summarizes each event and its participants.
In order to clearly convey the unique aspects of each of our educational activities, we use the following format to describe each event.
GENKI LABO FES | Lecture for Funabashi High School | Workshop with Funabashi High School Science Club | iGEM Internship | Workshop for New Members | Study Session with Keio | Founding of iGEM Keio | Homecoming Day | Scool Festival | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age Group | Preschool–Middle school | High school | High school | High school | University | University | University | All ages | All ages |
Participants | 10+ | 40+ | 5 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 60+ | 1000+ |
About the Activity
- Details of the Event and Workshop : Overview of the events and workshops conducted.
Resources and Guides
- Provided Materials : Guides, tutorials, and video recordings available for others to use.
Planning and Implementation
- Preparation and Execution : Summary of the planning stage and implementation process.
Impact and Participation
- Impact on Participants : How the activity engaged and inspired participants.
Conclusion and Future Plans
- Summary of Achievements : Overall outcomes, future plans, and outlook.
For Preschool to Junior High Students
GENKI LABO FES (Hands-on Experiment Workshop)
About the Activity
We held a DNA extraction workshop for participants ranging from preschoolers to junior high school students. This simple experiment allows even young children to perform it easily while learning about DNA — the foundation of synthetic biology. The workshop was conducted as part of GENKI LABO FES , hosted by GENKI LABO Inc. , a company dedicated to making science — chemistry, biology, and physics — engaging for children.
GENKI LABO is led by CEO Mr. Genki Ichioka , who is also a popular science communicator on various platforms such as YouTube. His channel has over 1.08 million subscribers and more than one billion total views , making him one of Japan’s leading science influencers.
Through this collaboration, we were able to use laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, enabling us to create a more advanced and enjoyable program.
Planning and Implementation
In planning the DNA extraction experiment, we focused on making it more memorable than a simple extraction process. We wanted participants to take home a tangible keepsake of their experience — something that would remind them of DNA and what they learned.
To achieve this, we decided to stain the extracted DNA , embed it in resin , and create a keychain .
We researched prior educational protocols and allowed participants to choose between extracting banana DNA or their own DNA from cheek cells. Bananas were selected for their low cost and ease of use compared to broccoli, which is often used in such experiments. Extracting human DNA was inspired by previous educational protocols [1][2], as it could be done safely and easily while also motivating children by making the experiment personal and exciting.
Given that the participants were children, we simplified the procedure and handled the complex steps ourselves. We also optimized conditions such as salt concentration, detergent volume and order, and the use of protease to increase DNA yield for keychain creation.
To enhance understanding, we distributed illustrated handouts that explained DNA and common questions in simple, intuitive terms. This not only helped reinforce learning but also encouraged participants to share what they learned with their families and friends. After the experiment, we conducted an optional survey to assess changes in interest and understanding of biology.
Ethically and safely, we ensured all human-derived samples were handled according to facility guidelines, with parental consent required for minors.
Resources and Guides
Below is an example of the DNA keychain created during the event.
We also provided illustrated guides explaining the experimental process and answers to common questions
Below are photos from the event:

Impact and Participation
Initially, we expected that it might be challenging for very young children to complete the experiment smoothly. However, many participants were more enthusiastic and capable than anticipated, allowing the event to proceed successfully.
This enabled us to engage in deeper communication with the children, including answering questions during the experiment.
From the post-experiment survey, we received feedback such as:
- “I learned a lot about DNA. I want to give the keychain I made to my grandmother.”
- “I didn’t know DNA could be seen. It was an amazing experience to extract my own DNA. I want to do DNA research in the future.”
- “It was interesting to learn that DNA determines our individual differences.”
Conclusion and Future Plans
Thanks to the cooperation of GENKI LABO Inc., many members of the public were able to participate in our DNA extraction activity.
This collaboration allowed us to reach a broad audience beyond specific schools or communities and demonstrated the potential for a wide educational impact.
Although this was the first time our university’s iGEM team conducted such a collaboration, we plan to continue this partnership, taking into account GENKI LABO’s schedule and future opportunities
References
[1] https://www1.iwate-ed.jp/09kyuu/tantou/kagaku/h24_seibutsukiso/File/pdf/h24_0404_2_09.pdf
[2] https://benesse.jp/kyouiku/jiyukenkyu/cont/chugaku/002.html
[3] https://ncdnaday.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/5-minute-DNA-Extraction.pdf
[4] https://www.shinko-keirin.co.jp/keirinkan/kou/science/seibutsu-jissen_arch/201801/
High School Outreach
Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School
Lecture for High School Students
About the Activity
On Monday, June 16, 2025, we had the opportunity to give a lecture on synthetic biology to 25 high school students who aspire to enter our university. The audience consisted of students from Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School. During the session, we introduced metabolism related to this year’s iGEM project, explained what iGEM is, and presented our ongoing research. After the lecture, the students participated in a campus tour.
Planning and Implementation
When preparing the slides for the lecture, we structured the presentation to begin with a brief introduction to the iGEM competition, followed by an easy-to-understand explanation of metabolism related to this year’s project, and concluded with an introduction to the project itself.
For the section on metabolism, we used familiar examples—such as how food is digested and utilized in the human body—to make the topic relatable and easy to follow.
We hoped that even students without a background in biology would gain a basic understanding of what happens inside their own bodies and feel fascinated by the fact that ATP, produced through metabolism, serves as a universal “battery” for almost all living organisms.
Since most participants were beginners in biology, we minimized the use of technical terms. When specialized vocabulary was unavoidable, we checked whether the students were familiar with the words before continuing.
Resources and Guides
Below are the slides used during the lecture. The first half provides a brief introduction to iGEM and metabolism, and the second half focuses on this year’s project.
Impact and Participation
To ensure comprehension, we checked students’ familiarity with technical terms by asking for a show of hands. If any student appeared uncertain, we took time to explain the concept clearly.
In the post-event questionnaire, students provided positive feedback such as “It was easy to understand” and “I could follow along.”
They also asked thoughtful questions, including:
- How difficult is it to create bacteria with specific functions? (student)
- Among DNA, enzymes, and genetic recombination, which plays the most important role in converting xylitol to xylulose-5-phosphate? (student)
Conclusion and Future Plans
We believe this activity successfully conveyed the excitement of biology and iGEM to the participating students. Additionally, the experience provided valuable insight into how to effectively communicate scientific concepts to beginners, which we hope to apply in future outreach events.
Exchange with the Funabashi High School Science Club
About the Activity
On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, we held an exchange session with members of the science club at Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School. The session included an introduction to iGEM, a short lecture on biology beyond the high school curriculum, and a hands-on activity using AlphaFold3 , a protein structure prediction tool that received the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and has become a de facto standard in academic research.
Planning and Implementation
The primary purpose of this activity was to inform students about the iGEM competition, a global platform where students passionate about biology collaborate and compete. To make the session more engaging, we also gave them the opportunity to experience AlphaFold3 , one of the tools widely used in university research.
We hoped that witnessing such a cutting-edge tool firsthand would inspire curiosity and excitement. Since Japanese high school students learn about several enzymes, such as amylase and pepsin, we designed an activity where they could predict the 3D structures of these familiar proteins.
Two tools were used in the activity: the AlphaFold3 Server ( alphafoldserver.com ) for protein structure prediction and UniProt ( uniprot.org ) for obtaining amino acid sequence data. We selected AlphaFold3 for its global recognition and intuitive user interface, and UniProt for its accessibility—students could easily retrieve sequences using simple copy-and-paste operations.
Preliminary testing showed that predictions for proteins such as amylase and pepsin could be generated within approximately five minutes.
When explaining AlphaFold3, we focused not on the technical mechanisms but rather on why understanding protein structures is important. We also discussed the difference between learning science in high school and conducting research at university, encouraging students to think about their future paths.
At the end of the session, a Q&A session allowed students to freely ask questions about iGEM, university entrance, and campus life.
Resources and Guides
Below are the slides used during the activity.
Impact and Participation
After demonstrating AlphaFold3 using amylase, we invited students to suggest proteins they were familiar with, and they enthusiastically predicted their structures. With minimal assistance, they quickly mastered the basic operations and explored AlphaFold3 independently.
During the Q&A session, students asked questions not only about iGEM but also about university entrance exams and student life. Some students mentioned that they learned about iGEM for the first time during this exchange and expressed strong interest in joining iGEM once they enter university.
Conclusion and Future Plans
This experience showed that even a short, in-person session introducing iGEM can make a strong impression on high school students, regardless of their prior interest in biology.
Students interested in computer science were also fascinated by AlphaFold3, which helped convey that cutting-edge life sciences rely on both wet-lab and dry-lab research approaches.
For our next visit, we plan to conduct another interactive session—different in content but similar in offering students a hands-on experience with the frontiers of synthetic and computational biology.
iGEM Internship
About the Activity
The iGEM Internship is a problem-solving–based program designed for high school students and others who are interested in biology. Its goal is to provide experiences that can help guide their future studies, research, or career paths.
Participants explored how biological approaches could be used to address real-world social issues. After a brief introduction to basic methods and concepts, they worked in teams to develop and present their own project ideas over the two-day program held on August 7–8.
Planning and Implementation
Although most participants were interested in biology, few had prior knowledge of synthetic biology. Therefore, we anticipated that developing a project entirely on their own would be quite challenging. To support them, members of iGEM Science Tokyo acted as mentors, facilitating discussions and providing guidance when needed.
We made sure to respond quickly to individual questions and created an environment that encouraged deeper learning. The internship proceeded according to the following schedule:
Day 1 (13:00–17:00)
-
13:30–14:00
Introduction and Icebreaker
- We explained the purpose and structure of the event, followed by a brief overview of iGEM (the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition).
-
14:00–16:30
Topic Selection, Research, and Discussion
- Each participant identified a social issue they wished to address through biology, using brainstorming and other techniques.
-
16:30–17:00
Midpoint Presentations
- Each participant gave a short update on their progress so far.
Day 2 (13:00–17:00)
-
13:30–15:30
Discussion, Slide Preparation, and Rehearsal
- Participants refined their ideas and deepened discussions based on the themes and information gathered the previous day.
- They created presentation slides and practiced individually.
-
15:30–16:00
Final Presentations and Q&A
- Each participant presented their proposed solution or idea, followed by questions from mentors and peers.
-
16:00–16:30
Overall Feedback
- Mentors provided overall comments on each presentation.
-
16:30–17:00
Exchange Session with University Students
- A casual round-table discussion allowed participants to ask about university life, career paths, and research experiences.
- Ample time was allocated to ensure all participants’ questions could be addressed.
Resources and Guides
Impact and Participation
Two high school students took part in the internship, each developing an independent project idea.
The following PDFs contain the presentation slides created by the participants.
This project focused on mealworms and waxworms, which are known to degrade plastics. The goal was to create a home system for reducing plastic waste. Since these worms lose their degradation ability as they mature, the project proposed identifying genes responsible for producing plastic-degrading enzymes and introducing them into other organisms. By enabling other microbes to produce the same enzymes, the team envisioned developing a household plastic composter.
This project addressed the growing number of patients with atopic dermatitis by focusing on dissolvable microneedles as a drug delivery system. The idea was to incorporate microneedle-based medicine into skincare products such as lotions, combining daily skincare with drug delivery. This approach could potentially reduce discomfort associated with injections while enhancing therapeutic effects.
In this internship, our goal was not merely to provide information but to give participants a genuine experience of conducting independent research. The two projects they created included original ideas and perspectives that even we had not considered, allowing us to gain new insights and grow together with them.
Conclusion and Future Plans
The two-day internship proceeded smoothly, and feedback from participants at the end of the program showed a high level of satisfaction. However, one major challenge was the small number of participants, mainly due to limited pre-event outreach.
We recognized this as a significant issue from the perspective of diversity and accessibility. To address this, we plan to broaden recruitment by promoting the program through various channels, including posters and social media.
In the future, we aim to inspire more students interested in biology to deepen their understanding of synthetic biology and to encourage them to view biology as a tool for solving social challenges. Ultimately, we hope this initiative will foster future participants and contributors to the iGEM community.
Activities for University Students
Establishment of iGEM Keio
About the Activity
Around the world, there are many students interested in synthetic biology who wish to participate in iGEM. To make participation more accessible for such students, we supported the establishment of a new iGEM team at Keio University in Japan.
Planning and Implementation
To support the launch of iGEM Keio, we held meetings and study sessions. For details about the study sessions, please refer to the section “Study Session with iGEM Keio.”
In addition, we invited the Keio members to visit our laboratory and club room, so that they could see our daily experimental work and team activities in person.
Impact and Participation
By supporting the establishment of iGEM Keio, we were able not only to help their members understand the yearly flow of iGEM activities, but also to share practical knowledge about experimental safety, team management, and fundraising.
Through this collaboration, we ourselves had an opportunity to reflect on our own team’s organization and discovered new ways to strengthen teamwork and improve our educational activities.
Conclusion and Future Plans
We successfully helped establish iGEM Keio, expanding the iGEM community in Japan.
This activity also provided valuable feedback to our own team, reminding us of the importance of reflecting on our internal management practices.
Having also supported the establishment of iGEM iCH in 2023, we hope to continue helping students who wish to start their own teams and thereby contribute to the growth of the iGEM movement. To achieve this, we will further strengthen our educational outreach to spread awareness and understanding of iGEM and synthetic biology.
Workshop for Freshmen
About the Activity
iGEM is an initiative to solve social challenges using the technologies of synthetic biology. To help newly admitted university students understand the philosophy and activities of iGEM, we organized a freshman workshop inspired by our “iGEM Internship” program that has been held since 2023.
Planning and Implementation
Since the freshmen had just joined the team, we aimed to help them develop the fundamental mindset behind iGEM by designing their own projects, conducting research, and presenting their ideas.
To achieve this, we adapted and expanded the methods used in our high school internship program, introducing both iGEM and synthetic biology in a more advanced format.
Over two weeks, freshmen formed groups of three to four members and worked together to design concrete iGEM-style projects. Senior members served as mentors, providing guidance throughout the process. Each group investigated all aspects of wet, dry, and human practices, which constitute an iGEM project, to create a well-rounded proposal.
On the final day, all groups presented their projects and engaged in active Q&A sessions.
Resources and Guides
To learn more about iGEM before the event and prepare for the final presentation, we referred the writing style and of the wikis of teams that were selected for the Top 10 or received Special Prizes at the iGEM 2024 Grand Jamboree to help create an original project proposal.
Impact and Participation
During the first week, each group brainstormed ideas by choosing a social issue of personal interest — such as food shortages or space debris — and discussed possible synthetic biology-based solutions. In the second week, they refined their ideas, conducted literature reviews, and created presentation slides.
Each group delivered a unique and creative presentation, and the sessions were followed by lively discussions led by the freshmen.
Below are the project ideas created by the freshmen:
Project 1:
Aiming to address the fact that about 40% of Japan’s population suffers from pollen allergies, this project proposed inducing male sterility in cedar trees (Cryptomeria japonica). By making the pollen sacs secrete a viscous liquid, the spread of pollen could be suppressed. Because directly modifying cedar genes would take a significant amount of time, the group proposed introducing genes responsible for secreting sticky mucilage from Drosera (sundew plants) into Agrobacterium, which would then infect the base of cedar male flowers.
Project 2:
This group focused on cypress pollen allergies (Chamaecyparis obtusa), which affect nearly one in two Japanese people. They proposed using the fungus Sydowia japonica, which selectively infects cedar male flowers but can also infect cypress with up to 55% mortality, to cause male flower death. By combining genes from rice blast fungus that enable plant invasion and enzymes that degrade cellulose in pollen walls, they aimed to increase infection efficiency in cypress.
Project 3:
This project proposed a therapeutic approach to pollen allergies by degrading allergen proteins directly. The group suggested genetically modifying lactic acid bacteria to secrete enzymes that specifically break down allergenic proteins and applying them nasally. Additionally, to prevent environmental spread, the bacteria would be engineered to survive only in the presence of specific inducers found in the nasal cavity.
Project 4:
With Japan’s aging rate reaching 29.1% in 2023, this project tackled aging as a major social issue. They explored the idea of extending lifespan by preventing telomere shortening using telomerase. However, since telomerase functions only in the 5’→3’ direction and poses cancer risks, they proposed creating a novel enzyme capable of synthesizing DNA in the 3’→5’ direction, similar to a reverse polymerase.
Project 5:
Currently, 41.3% of the Earth’s land surface is classified as arid, and 34.7% of the global population lives in such areas, making desertification a serious problem. Since nitrogen-fixing bacteria enter dormancy under dry conditions, nitrogen fixation activity drops dramatically. To address this, the group proposed introducing the global regulatory gene IrrE from Deinococcus radiodurans into nitrogen-fixing bacteria to confer resistance to desiccation and salt stress.
Conclusion and Future Plans
This workshop provided an opportunity for many freshmen to engage creatively in problem-solving. All participants later decided to officially join the iGEM team.
Although most groups produced impressive presentations, some projects faced biological feasibility challenges. Therefore, after the workshop, the freshmen were assigned to one of the three divisions — Wet Lab, Dry Lab, or Human Practices — where they participated in specialized study sessions.
We believe that increasing the frequency of such activities will help participants gain more practical knowledge and develop project ideas that could evolve into real iGEM initiatives.
Study Session with iGEM Keio
About the Activity
This study session was jointly held with iGEM Keio, a newly established team, in order to share both knowledge of synthetic biology and effective ways to conduct study meetings.
Among our new members, there were several who had never studied synthetic biology before. Since it is a core discipline for participating in iGEM projects, we organized this activity as an introductory study session to help beginners build a solid foundation in the field.
Planning and Implementation
Reading academic papers independently can be quite challenging and time-consuming for beginners. To make learning more approachable, we divided participants into three groups, each consisting of two to three people.
To encourage active communication both within and between teams, we intentionally formed mixed groups combining members from Keio and Science Tokyo.
This study session was held three times in total. Each time, the groups were reshuffled so that participants could interact with different members, facilitating smoother overall communication within and across teams.
For the main activity, we provided a list of selected introductory papers on synthetic biology. Each group chose one paper from the list, summarized its contents, and gave a presentation after about two weeks of preparation.
In the third round, participants were also encouraged to explore additional materials of personal interest, such as papers not on the list or iGEM team wikis.
Each group was assigned a second-year student as a mentor, who scheduled meetings and provided advice throughout the process.
Resources and Guides
The papers offered as options for selection are listed below
The papers were selected from those covered in previous synthetic biology courses and those recommended by alumni.
Title | Citation |
---|---|
Evolving a mitigation of the stress response pathway to change the basic chemistry of life | Ard J, Fitch A, Fruh S, Herman L. Weight Loss and Maintenance Related to the Mechanism of Action of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists. Adv Ther. 2021;38(6):2821–39. |
Total synthesis of Escherichia coli with a recoded genome | Fredens J, Wang K, de la Torre D, Funke LFH, Robertson WE, Christova Y, et al. Nature. 2019;569(7757):514–8. |
Conversion of Escherichia coli to Generate All Biomass Carbon from CO2 | Fraile S, Muñoz A, De Lorenzo V, Fernández LA. Molecular Microbiology. 2004;53(4):1109–21. |
Quick and affordable DNA cloning by reconstitution of Seamless Ligation Cloning Extract using defined factors | Liu AY, Koga H, Goya C, Kitabatake M. Genes to Cells. 2023;28(8):553–62. |
Phage-Assisted Continuous Evolution (PACE) | Esvelt KM, Carlson JC, Liu DR. Nature. 2011;472(7344):499–503. |
One-step Cre-loxP Organism creation by Tax9 | Casco-Robles MM, Echigoya T, Shimazaki T, Murakami Y, Hirano M, Maruo F, et al. Commun Biol. 2025;8(1):340. |
Genetically programmed synthetic cells for thermo-responsive protein synthesis and cargo release | Monck C, Elani Y, Ceroni F. Nat Chem Biol. 2024;20(10):1380–6. |
Dependence of post-segregational killing mediated by Type II restriction–modification systems on the lifetime of restriction endonuclease effective activity | Kozlova S, Morozova N, Ispolatov Y, Severinov K. mBio. 2024;15(8):e01408-24. |
Autoregulation of mazEF expression underlies growth heterogeneity in bacterial populations | Nikolic N, Bergmiller T, Vandervelde A, Albanese TG, Gelens L, Moll I. Nucleic Acids Res. 2018;46(6):2918–31. |
Delivery of Biologically Active Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines IL-10 and IL-1ra In Vivo by the Shigella Type III Secretion Apparatus | Chamekh M, Phalipon A, Quertainmont R, Salmon I, Sansonetti P, Allaoui A. J Immunol. 2008;180(6):4292–8. |
CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing for Sickle Cell Disease and β-Thalassemia | Frangoul H, Altshuler D, Cappellini MD, et al. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(3):252–60. |
How ‘elite controllers’ tame HIV without drugs | Cohen J. Science. 2020;369(6507):1045. |
Multi-arm RNA junctions encoding molecular logic unconstrained by input sequence for versatile cell-free diagnostics | Ma D, Li Y, Wu K, et al. Nat Biomed Eng. 2022;6(3):298–309. |
Impact and Participation
Each group summarized key sections such as Abstract and Experiments and gave a presentation within two weeks.
During the Q&A sessions, participants actively exchanged questions and insights about experimental design, methodology, and background knowledge, deepening their understanding of synthetic biology.
The papers selected and presented by each group included:
Conclusion and Future Plans
Through this study session, participants deepened their understanding of synthetic biology and learned effective study and presentation methods, which we were also able to share with iGEM Keio.
By rotating group members over three cycles, we promoted open communication and broke down barriers between participants. The increased number of presentation opportunities also helped members improve their presentation skills, which are essential for iGEM activities.
However, since all presentations and materials were created in Japanese, participants had limited opportunities to practice English presentation skills. Considering that this program is intended for beginners, we plan to gradually introduce English in future sessions—for example:
- Cycle 1: Presentation and slides in Japanese
- Cycle 2: Slides in English, presentation in Japanese
- Cycle 3: Both slides and presentation in English
We also hope to increase the total number of sessions beyond the third cycle, to allow participants to become more comfortable and confident in giving presentations in English.
Activities for All Age Groups (Preschool to Adults)
Homecoming Day
About the Activity
Homecoming Day is held annually as an opportunity for interaction between alumni and current students. It not only encourages alumni to revisit the university but also includes campus tours for local residents and visiting junior and senior high school students.
To effectively communicate our activities at this event, we created posters introducing both our previous and current projects, as well as a simple slideshow presentation.
Planning and Implementation
As in previous years, we were given the opportunity to present as part of student activities during Homecoming Day.
Although there were various presentation styles, such as stage talks, we chose a booth-style poster session to encourage casual discussions with a wide range of visitors.
The posters were arranged so that visitors could naturally learn about iGEM, view our past projects, and finally move on to our current project.
To provide more detailed explanations to those who were interested, we also set up a monitor displaying a simple slide presentation about this year’s project.
Resources and Guides
We displayed one poster each from the iGEM Tokyo Tech teams of 2021, 2022, and 2023 (before the university’s reorganization), along with posters introducing iGEM as an international competition and the broader synthetic biology community in Japan and abroad.
Below is the poster we created this year.
We designed it to be easily understood by people with diverse backgrounds and made efforts to explain our project in accessible terms using relatable analogies during discussions.
Impact and Participation
A wide range of participants, including the general public, university alumni, and elementary to high school students, visited our booth.
We introduced synthetic biology in an approachable way and explained our current project to visitors. We also collected feedback, answered questions, and engaged in discussions about the social impact and potential of our work.
Examples of comments and impressions from visitors:
- “I have atopic dermatitis, which is a different but related autoimmune disease. I hope your project will also contribute to treating other autoimmune conditions.” — Adult woman
- “I’m interested in fields like synthetic biology, so I’m glad I could hear your presentation.” — High school student
- “Since the university now has a medical faculty, I hope you’ll collaborate with medical researchers and students to develop even better projects.” — University alumnus
Conclusion and Future Plans
We had the opportunity to communicate with alumni, their families, and visitors of all ages while introducing our team’s activities.
Although poster sessions can be challenging, the discussions helped deepen public understanding and gave us valuable insight into how to better explain our research to non-specialists.
School Festival (iGEM Festival Booth)
About the Activity
We hosted an iGEM-themed festival booth at our university’s annual cultural festival to promote synthetic biology and iGEM to a broad audience.
In Japan, festival booths (called ennichi) are traditional and popular, featuring small games and activities.
Building on the previous year’s experience, we designed games related to our current project so that visitors — from children to adults — could enjoy learning about iGEM in a fun, hands-on way.
The booth featured three main attractions inspired by our project: Ring Toss (Plasmid Toss) , ATGC Puzzle , and Microbe Fishing .
Planning and Implementation
When planning our booth, we focused on two key points:
- What theme we wanted to communicate , and
- Whether our activity encouraged effective science communication.
We decided to continue with three popular activities from the previous year, improving their design to make them more enjoyable and educational.
1. Ring Toss (Plasmid Toss)
This game used rings about 20 cm in diameter, which participants threw toward targets to earn points.
We likened this to the process of introducing a plasmid into E. coli. The difficulty of landing a ring on a target symbolized the challenges of successful transformation.
Since last year’s version was too difficult, we introduced three throwing distances and adjusted the scoring system so that even elementary school children could enjoy it.
2. ATGC Puzzle
Inspired by DNA base pairing, participants matched complementary nucleotides — A with T and G with C — in the correct sequence.
Unlike last year, where points were based on relative ranking, this year’s scores were determined by completion time.
This change made the game fairer for children, allowing everyone to enjoy it regardless of age.
3. Microbe Fishing
We modified last year’s fishing game to feature microbes, making it easier for children to understand the theme.
Participants used magnetic fishing rods to “catch” paper microbes with attached clips.
They scored points based on how many microbes of the same color they caught within a time limit.
Resources and Guides
To handle large crowds more efficiently, we introduced a three-color ticket system to organize visitor flow.
Last year, the booth was overcrowded, so this improvement allowed staff to manage participants more smoothly.
We also set up a donation box to help fund booth materials and improved the prize selection — in addition to snacks, visitors could take photos wearing the 2024 Gold Medal replica.
Finally, we conducted a short exit survey to collect feedback.
Impact and Participation
Most of our visitors were young children (elementary school age and below), but parents and other adults also enjoyed participating.
Over two days, the booth attracted more than
500 visitors each day
1000 visitors in total, making it one of the most popular student-run exhibits.
In fact, our booth placed 3rd in the midterm ranking of all student exhibition categories.
Among the three activities, Microbe Fishing received the most positive feedback.
Examples of feedback from visitor:
- “I learned a lot about different types of microbes.”
- “It was great to see students explaining science in ways that captured children’s interest.”
The event allowed us to introduce synthetic biology and iGEM to the public in a fun and engaging way.
Conclusion and Future Plans
Our festival booth provided a valuable opportunity for children and parents to learn about synthetic biology and iGEM in an enjoyable environment.
For future events, we plan to further improve space management and visitor flow control , ensuring a smoother experience for both participants and staff.
参考文献
- ブロッコリーの DNA を取り出す【中学生自由研究】|ベネッセ教育情報サイト [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 5]. Available from: https://benesse.jp/kyouiku/jiyukenkyu/cont/chugaku/002.html
- 普通教室で行うDNA抽出実験~自分のDNAを取り出してみよう~ | 生物授業実践記録 アーカイブ一覧 | 理科 | 高等学校 | 知が啓く。教科書の啓林館 [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 5]. Available from: https://www.shinko-keirin.co.jp/keirinkan/kou/science/seibutsu-jissen_arch/201801/index.html