Our public education and science communication strategy was designed to break down the barriers of synthetic biology and engage in a meaningful dialogue with a diverse public. We believe responsible innovation begins with effective communication. Therefore, we organized multi-level outreach activities and actively collected public feedback, integrating these valuable insights directly into our project design.
We are committed to opening the wonderful world of synthetic biology and space exploration to kids, planting the seeds of science through interactive experiences.
We cooperated with CR LAND to deliver a captivating science lecture. Using vivid metaphors and engaging animations, we explained different types of microorganisms, the principles of synthetic biology, and how to produce nutrients in space. From the lecture, kids learnt why a tiny bacterium can be an astronaut's invaluable companion. The students were full of curiosity, asked enthusiastic questions, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively. Student leader Wang Jialu gave an interesting and informative lecture to the children.
After the lecture, children created artworks based on the microorganisms (various bacteria, viruses, etc.) they learned about in the lecture. The painting clearly shows features such as the virus's corona spikes, proving that the children have indeed gained knowledge from the lecture!
We partnered with Yunlu Community to host a space-themed carnival in Foshan, Guangdong province. At the beginning of the activity, we used the reaction between baking soda and vinegar to produce gas, conducting a mini "rocket launch" experiment. This led to the introduction of the crucial gas needed for our project - carbon dioxide, and it immediately lifted the spirits of the participants present.
We designed several simple science experiments and interactive games, allowing children and their parents to learn about the value of our project through play. The event attracted over 300 community residents, making advanced space technology tangible and relatable.
The event attracted over 300 community residents, making advanced space technology tangible and relatable.
Within the university community, we sparked interdisciplinary discussions by sharing our project through in-depth seminars and casual interactions.
We organized a project sharing session on campus. Team member Chen Hongjin introduced the iGEM competition and our project to students, detailing our technical roadmap, modeling process, and human practices considerations.
We held discussions with students from various majors, receiving numerous valuable suggestions. And many participants showed great interest in our "space protein" concept.
During this event, we underestimated the enthusiasm of the students. The classroom, which was originally reserved to accommodate nearly 300 people, was not large enough to hold everyone. Many students had to stand or even sit on the floor. After the event, we also conducted a review to analyze the situation.
We set up an informative booth on campus. We played our promotional video at the booth and designed interesting interactive games to promote our project. Team members Huang Yuhan and Sun Zhe were chatting with the students who were curious about the project at the booth.
We firmly believe the public is a key stakeholder in technological development. We used surveys to gather broad societal opinions on our project and its potential products.
We designed and distributed a questionnaire on "Public Acceptance of Engineered-Bacteria-Derived Food" and collected over 300 valid questionnaires answered by people of different age groups.
The data clearly revealed:
•Safety is the Key Prerequisite: An overwhelming majority of respondents indicated they would be willing to try or accept such novel foods only if their safety could be strictly guaranteed.
•Product Form Preference:Compared to liquid drinks or powders, the public showed a stronger preference for familiar and portable solid forms, specifically protein tablets and protein bars. This finding directly influenced our thinking about future product development.
Analysis of the survey results can be found below: Human Practice: General Public
To expand our project's reach, we maintained active presence on multiple social media platforms,including xiaohongshu, WeChat Official Account, Instagram, Bilibili. We regularly posted project updates, popular science articles, and event announcements, allowing our story to extend from offline to online and reach a broader audience.