In the wave of the 21st century, biology is booming at an unprecedented speed and has become a key force in driving the progress of the world. However, synthetic biology, this highly potential frontier field, is still little known to many people. In our school, there are many curious students eager to explore the mysteries of synthetic biology, but they have little to no opportunity to do so. Looking at the global level, even more people know little about the concept and application of synthetic biology, and in the field of space exploration, which is full of unknowns and challenges, the application of synthetic biology is even less known.
As a public welfare organization committed to promoting science education and innovation, we feel a great responsibility. We hope that through our efforts, more people can truly understand synthetic biology, unveil its mysterious veil, and feel its endless charm. At the same time, we also hope that more people can understand our projects and witness how we combine the theory and practice of synthetic biology to contribute to solving real-world problems and expand the boundaries of synthetic biology through our projects.
As a synthetic biology team, we strive to make a difference through education. First, we aim to demystify synthetic biology, making its concepts accessible to all. Second, we want to spotlight our projects, showing how they bring synthetic biology to life and address real-world challenges. And how do we expand the boundaries of synthetic biology through our projects.
We have come to deeply understand the importance of social media in promoting synthetic biology and iGEM projects. Therefore, we have established our own accounts on mainstream Chinese media platforms, including Xiaohongshu, Bilibili, WeChat Video Channel, and WeChat Official Accounts. Through these platforms, we share content on synthetic biology from previous years and demonstrate experimental procedures to promote a broader understanding of the field.
To date, our efforts have been met with positive responses, and we have garnered over 100 followers and more than 1,000 views across our channels. This growing engagement highlights the effectiveness of our approach and motivates us to continue creating valuable content to reach even more people.
After surveying the majority of students in our school, we found that a large majority of them are eager to learn about synthetic biology but have little to no opportunity to do so. Many expressed a keen interest in attending lectures on the subject.
Therefore, we hope to bring synthetic biology to life for students by sharing the stories of our previous SHSBNU iGEM projects. Through these real-world examples, we aim to make the learning experience more engaging and relatable. In addition to the lectures, we also provided opportunities for the students to participate in hands-on experiments. This hands-on approach allows them to see the practical applications of synthetic biology and gain a deeper understanding of the subject.
We designed three lectures on “previous synthetic biology projects” and held them on September 1st, 5th, and 15th, each lasting one hour. During these sessions, we showcased models of our past project designs, which were safely created using 3D printing to illustrate key concepts. We encouraged students to ask questions about these models, and we were there to clarify any doubts they had. This hands-on approach helped them see how synthetic biology can be applied in various aspects of life. Each lecture attracted over 70 participants, accounting for 75% of the entire grade 10 student body.
Lecture presentation 1 PDF:
Lecture presentation 2 PDF:
Lecture presentation 3 PDF:
In addition to the lectures, we also organized other activities to give students a taste of synthetic biology experiments. We taught them the basics, such as how to use a pipette accurately. These hands-on experiences helped them get a feel for what working in a synthetic biology lab is really like.
Before
What is Synthetic biology?
“Synthetic biology is the study of living organisms in nature.”
“As a branch of biology, it is a discipline that mainly studies basic elements to establish artificial biological functions.”
“Based on some information I have gathered, synthetic biology seems to have an interdisciplinary nature and requires the ability to master multiple disciplines to do well”
What is iGEM?
“A competition that requires participants to assemble artificial biological systems and perform manipulation and measurement”
“An international competition in synthetic biology, like synthetic biology, has the characteristic of being interdisciplinary”
Prior to engaging the students in hands-on experiences, we collected their initial perceptions of synthetic biology and iGEM. It was interesting to see that there was a notable discrepancy between their understanding and the actual essence of these fields. The majority of students associated synthetic biology solely with “genes” and saw iGEM as just “a competition”.
After
How do you all understand synthetic biology now
“I initially thought iGEM was just a boring and singular project aimed solely at competing each year. However, after attending the iGEM introduction on Tencent Meeting, I realized that iGEM projects are actually rooted in addressing real-world deficiencies and using synthetic biology to benefit humanity. It feels incredibly meaningful. While my initial motivation to join iGEM was to add something to my resume, now I genuinely want to use my knowledge to create something useful and make a difference.”
“I thought this was just a competition based on experiments and thesis defenses. I never expected that it could also incubate real biotech companies. I think it's very interesting”
“I will look for tools for practical operation. Those projects related to protein synthesis are all truly composed of amino acids to form proteins. Some projects are based on proteins during the experimental process and create for problems in different fields such as aviation suits and valves”
CCiC presentation PDF:
During these interactions, we emphasized the importance of our fermentation apparatus, which is designed to significantly increase bacterial yield. We explained how our device not only keeps the bacteria alive but also optimizes growth conditions to maximize productivity. This innovation was a key focus of our project, and the feedback from other teams in CCiC confirmed that such a device is highly needed in the field. Their interest and positive feedback further motivated us to refine and perfect our fermentation apparatus, ensuring it meets the needs of researchers and practitioners alike.
We engaged in a detailed discussion with Jilin University. They expressed high recognition and appreciation for our project. They were particularly impressed with how we incorporated project presentations into our educational activities. They highlighted that this approach is not only a novel method of education but also an effective way to attract a larger audience. They noted that by sharing real-world applications and engaging students through interactive sessions, we were able to make synthetic biology more accessible and appealing to a broader group of students. This method not only educates but also inspires, encouraging more students to explore the potential of synthetic biology in solving real-world problems.
Through communication with the team from Tongji University, they expressed great admiration for our creative ideas. They conveyed their belief that our project has the potential to become a reality in the future. They also highlighted that our project might not only be applicable in the near future but could also have significant implications and applications in the distant future.
In our exchanges, both our teams are exploring the limits of synthetic biology applications. We are working to expand the scope of synthetic biology and promote it through our efforts.
In our interactions with the BNDS team, they praised our project for its imaginative and ambitious nature. They acknowledged that our efforts to pioneer new application areas for synthetic biology not only push the boundaries of the field but also offer fresh perspectives for their projects in the coming years. Additionally, they highly commended our lectures for highlighting previous projects as an innovative theme, appreciating how this approach effectively conveyed the evolution and impact of synthetic biology.
In a collaborative exchange involving SHSBNU, KEYSTONE, BNDS, RDFZ, UCAS, and BJWZ, our project received high praise from the other teams. Notably, several undergraduate students from UCAS complimented our project, saying, "The application prospects of this protein glue are extremely broad, and the project is exceptionally well done." Our efforts have provided new application scenarios for synthetic biology, inspiring other teams to further expand the scope of its applications.