Background
The world simultaneously exhibits a "technological frenzy" and a "prudent vigilance" towards synthetic biology: countries are all positioning themselves for influenza applications, yet the public remains more concerned about "artificial viruses." The lack of clarity in understanding synthetic biology leads to a lower acceptance of such innovative products.
In the context of influenza, children, the elderly, pregnant women, individuals with chronic diseases, and the overweight are the most susceptible. Although 80% are aware that vaccination is necessary each year, only 40% actually get vaccinated; 90% understand the need for masks, yet only 36% of children wear them, indicating a gap in protection for vulnerable groups.
It is crucial to weave the narrative of synthetic biology into prevention and control measures, emphasizing the additive approach of the “classic trio plus new tools”: Wearing of Medical Protective Masks, engineered probiotic nasaspray,and Influenza vaccne inoculation. We should promote these innovations through rural doctors and community leaders, demonstrating white-hat reverse safety testing and community rapid testing experiences. The aim is for susceptible groups to view "synthetic biology" as a helpful new tool rather than a foreign threat, while also establishing actionable activity indicators such as silver age lectures, children's classes, and online micro-courses. Our team focuses on three main directions in education: the promotion and dissemination of synthetic biology, influenza knowledge popularization for susceptible populations, and enhancing social/team collaboration.
Responsibility Indicator
We build an educational responsibility loop based on the C.A.R.E.S framework: Anchoring in community needs (C), adhering to biosafety and ethical bottom lines (A), iterating content and forms through two-way feedback (R), evaluating the dual effectiveness of knowledge enhancement and mask-wearing through follow-up visits after activities (E), and ensuring the long-term operation of the project through bilingual open-source and community co-construction (S).
● C-Community
During the six-month period, we visited five types of venues: Three high school open days (with over 200 registrations and nearly 100 participants), one children's carnival (attended by over 40 children, reaching over 120 parents, and featuring five hands-on booths), a lecture at Guangzhou Library (attended by over 80 people), and kindergartens and communities in Renhua County (attended by over 100 people, including several low-income households). According to household surveys, 68% of villagers cannot distinguish between influenza and the common cold and do not know how to protect themselves, indicating a clear need. During various activities and community visits, we distributed respiratory protection manuals (over 500 copies) and protective supplies (including thermometers, disinfectant wipes, medical gloves, and medical masks, with over 100 items in total).
● A-Accountability
All experiments at the Synthetic Biology Open Day were in compliance with BSL-1 safety standards. Before the class, participants received safety education and training, and were provided with lab coats, lab gloves, disposable masks, disinfectant alcohol and experiment manuals. Posters and leaflets were designed in colorblind-friendly versions; the pregnancy-specific manuals were reviewed by the team's professors.
● R-Response
During the open day, we distributed experiment manuals and collected feedback from participants. We learned that high school students, who were new to laboratory equipment, struggled to use it effectively, which significantly reduced the success rate of the experiments. In subsequent open days, we specifically added and implemented a practice session for using laboratory equipment, with one teacher assigned to each group for guidance.
After learning from the children's carnival that parents also had a need for scientific popularization, we contacted the Guangzhou Library to host a themed lecture and invited Professor Sheng Chenguang from Southern Medical University to conduct a knowledge popularization session.
Following the first round of door-to-door lectures, 37% of the elderly still refused to get vaccinated. We changed the message from "influenza mortality rate" to a story about "local village lockdowns due to the epidemic" and recorded videos in Cantonese and Hakka dialects. In the second round, the acceptance rate increased to 81% (n=27).
● E-Effect
In the education sector, we designed activities in two major areas: influenza knowledge popularization and the promotion of synthetic biology. We selected vulnerable populations (young children, pregnant women, elderly people, and patients with chronic diseases) and high school students (who are in a period of knowledge expansion and have a higher acceptance rate) as our target groups. Through the implementation of various activities, we increased the mask-wearing rate among vulnerable populations, helped pregnant women understand medication use during pregnancy and common pregnancy-related conditions and their management, and introduced high school students to a potential field of study, "synthetic biology." This provided them with a new direction during their period of future career choices and successfully promoted the field of synthetic biology.
● S-Sustainability
The bilingual booklets, editable PPTs, and our event planning proposals have all been uploaded to the education Wiki page for other participating teams to download. The picture books and influenza manuals that we designed and edited have been published on various media platforms, and the course content has been handed over to community workers and library staff to facilitate the continuation of related popular science activities. Regarding the open days, we plan to refine the entire process and hand it over to the association for ongoing event implementation.
Synthetic Biology
Core Design
Currently, synthetic biology and influenza prevention are at the intersection of a "technological breakthrough period" and a "fragile public trust period." The key to the success of our initiatives is not about showcasing technical skills, but rather translating "complex technologies" into the "perceptible sense of safety for vulnerable populations" — employing visible testing, tangible masks, and comprehensible explanations to ensure that "synthetic biology" becomes a "more practical new tool" in their daily epidemic prevention toolbox, rather than an "alien threat." Consequently, we have organized multiple open days for high school students and young children, creating science experiment kits that can be utilized with no background knowledge, enabling them to appreciate the allure of synthetic biology through hands-on experiments.
Why lock on
“Children + High School Students”
Dual Target Audience
open days
During the first event, we utilized the May Day holiday to issue invitations to high school students in Guangzhou. We let them perform PCR experiments that they had learned in high school biology with their own hands. This hands-on approach aimed to engage high school students' curiosity about synthetic biology through observable results. We also introduced the iGEM competition and the concepts of synthetic biology during our teaching sessions. This open day was specifically aimed at 30 high school students who had chosen relevant subjects (Chemistry/Biology) to provide them with guidance on PCR experimental procedures and explanations of the underlying principles.
Before the event commenced, we distributed an experimental manual to each student participating in the event to facilitate note-taking during the lectures and to foster an awareness of the importance of record-keeping in experiments.At the end of the manual, we included several questions related to this open day to gather feedback for the improvement of our activities.
After the first open day, we received good feedback, so on Children's Day, we held a second open day for younger children. This event was carried out in the form of a garden party, with the theme of "Little Scientist's Fantasy Adventure", cleverly integrating cutting-edge synthetic biology knowledge and practical influenza prevention and control science into the joyful garden party, and presenting a scientific feast integrating knowledge, fun and creativity for more than 30 "little scientists" of different ages and their parents, so that the seeds of science quietly germinated in the hearts of children ...
- Extracting Banana DNA
- The Principles of Vaccines
- Virus Mini-Painter
- Influenza Knowledge Card Q&A
- Gene Clay Assembly
- Hand Bacteria Cultivation
We are convinced that every child has a natural scientist living in their hearts. We hope to open a window for children on this special day to glimpse the magnificence and magic of life sciences.
The DNA threads extracted from bananas, the "bacteria" patterns blown out with straws, the microorganisms planted by ourselves, the "life forms" built from clay, and the health knowledge we remember in the game are all seeds we sow. We expect these seeds to take root in the hearts of children and eventually grow into a never-ending curiosity, a desire to explore, and creativity for the unknown. This is exactly the most meaningful Children's Day gift we give to children.
Based on the feedback we received from the first open house, we carefully launched version 3.0 of the open house event. For the first time, there were too many people to see the whole experimental demonstration, and I wanted to practice while lecturing, and I wanted more different experiments...... The third phase of our newly designed and upgraded activities was carried out smoothly with a streamlined number of people and more detailed explanations of principles. In addition, this time we have specially added pipette learning and practice to make it easier for students to get started.
This open day is centered on ELISA experiments. Under the guidance of the teacher, the high school students walked into the laboratory and operated it with their own hands. From reagents to results analysis, every step is full of challenges and fun. In addition to the detailed experiments, the first aid course was also a highlight of this open day. Under the patient explanation of the first aid teacher, the students learned practical first aid skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation and Heimlich first aid.
The students said that this activity not only learned rich scientific knowledge, but also experienced the fun of scientific research, and strengthened their determination to devote themselves to science in the future.By holding open days, we not only provide an opportunity for young people to understand and explore science, but also make positive contributions to cultivating their scientific literacy and innovative spirit.
Due to the strong public demand for popular science on synthetic biology and influenza prevention, our SMU-Union-China team, in collaboration with Guangzhou Library, launched the public welfare science popularization activity themed "Popular Science with Books, Health by Your Side". previous activities, citizens expressed their desire to systematically learn about vaccine knowledge and obtain health protection materials.
- Vaccine Science Lecture
- Extracting Banana DNA
- Health Guardian Station
- Synthetic Biology Popular Science
- Hands-on Experiment
We invited Professor Chenguang Shen from Southern Medical University to give a lecture. Using plain language, he started with the history of vaccine development (taking the smallpox vaccine as an example) and explained vaccine principles, types, the importance of vaccination, and how to deal with vaccine rumors. During the interactive session, he also answered questions such as "Do adults need influenza vaccines?" helping citizens establish a scientific understanding of vaccines.
After the activity, parents commented, "My child learned DNA extraction, and I gained influenza prevention knowledge—great gains." Some citizens said, "I used to think synthetic biology was distant, but now I know it’s related to health."
This activity provided citizens with a platform to learn knowledge and helped improve public scientific literacy. In the future, we will continue to carry out down-to-earth science popularization activities, combining cutting-edge knowledge with daily needs to provide quality services.
To help the elderly scientifically understand Alzheimer's disease, master early identification and prevention methods, and effectively protect the memory health of the elderly, the SMU-Union-China team, in collaboration with the Guangzhou Municipal Elderly Cadres University, jointly held a public welfare popular science activity themed "Guarding the Golden Years of Memory: Understanding and Coping with Alzheimer's Disease." This initiative aimed to bring professional health knowledge to elderly friends and embed the concept of "health around us" deeply into the lives of the elderly community.
As the core academic part of the activity, the team specially invited Linlin Zhai, doctoral candidate at the School of Public Health of Southern Medical University, to give the lecture. The expert, considering the cognitive characteristics of the elderly, used simple and straightforward language to build a bridge between "professional knowledge" and "elderly friends' understanding," dispelling the misconception that "it's normal for memory to decline with age" and further establishing a scientific understanding of Alzheimer's disease.
A "Health Protection Station" was also set up at the event site, continuing the warm-hearted tradition of public welfare popular science activities. Team staff distributed customized health epidemic prevention kits to the elderly attendees and interpreted the key points of influenza prevention and control, extending the warm touch of health protection to every participant.
The elderly attendees provided positive feedback, stating that the activity was practical in content and considerate in form. They not only gained a clear understanding of Alzheimer's disease but also received useful health supplies and services, truly experiencing the significance of the event: "Popular science protects memory and health accompanies the later years." In the future, the SMU-Union-China team will continue to focus on the health needs of the elderly, design more popular science activities tailored to the elderly, and visit more elderly institutions and communities to contribute to improving the health literacy of the elderly and safeguarding their happy lives.
Science Experiment Kit
We believe that the best science communication is not about lecturing, but about creating an experience that can be taken home. Thus, we have transformed the most fundamental yet fascinating technique in synthetic biology—recrystallization—into a 15-minute palm-sized experiment. In this tiny container, the supersaturated solution is like an unactivated code of life, while the seed crystal acts as a precise “promoter.”
We turn romance into science, and science into romance.
Using controllable recrystallization technology, we transform ordinary salt solutions into miniature greenhouses: in just 15 minutes, a crystal-clear rose will "grow" in the solution. Each petal is the result of precise molecular arrangement, just as synthetic biology reprograms life with code.
Roses are nature’s works of art and the next destination for synthetic biology. From the microbial synthesis of rose essential oil to biodegradable “rose plastic,” the flowers of the future will no longer bloom only in the soil but also flourish in fermentation tanks. We have made this crystallized rose a “teaser”—a sneak preview for children and enthusiasts to enjoy.
Influenza Knowledge Popularization
Every winter and spring, influenza viruses spread quietly between cities and rural areas with the cold air.It is like a silent storm that seems to treat everyone equally, but in the shadows, it quietly marks the truly vulnerable: school-age children who are growing, the elderly whose immune systems are showing signs of fatigue, expectant mothers who are particularly sensitive, and patients who are long troubled by chronic diseases. For them, influenza is not only a torment of high fever and cough, but also a potential trigger for pneumonia, myocarditis, or even multi-organ failure. One infection can push a previously stable life to the brink of the emergency room and the intensive care unit. During the flu season, the hospitalization and mortality rates of these vulnerable groups are several times higher than those of healthy adults, while the vaccination rate and the dissemination rate of protective knowledge are far below the average level. The gap in information and slow action still allow this "preventable and controllable" disease to take away lives that could have been saved every year.
It is precisely against this severe and real background that our team has decided to turn "influenza prevention and control" into a public popularization campaign that is both warm and in-depth: going online to transform vaccine hesitancy into lively and easy-to-understand knowledge courses; entering communities to use mobile booths to help the elderly assess their risks; and visiting obstetrics clinics to prepare pregnant women with maternity manuals and influenza prevention and treatment kits. We hope that every popularization effort is not a cold slogan, but a tangible form of protection; and that every vulnerable individual is no longer facing the virus alone, but is instead equipped with an invisible "armor" under the attention and companionship of the entire society.
We conducted thematic courses on influenza protection targeting three major social groups: children, adults, and the elderly.
1. On July 16, 2025, we held a special experiential learning course for children a rural kindergarten in Renhua County. We used our topic to teach kids how to protect themselves and the correct way to wear masks. We also showcased our picture books. The teaching combined with play.
2. On July 17, 2025, Professor Shen from SMU-Union-China gave a vaccine popularization course in a community. Adults gained a clearer understanding of its working principles. They took away the correct protective methods to build a new defense line for their families.
3. On September 29, 2025, we went to the Guangzhou Elderly University to hold a "Silver Age" course on health protection and Alzheimer's disease. We aimed to bring professional health knowledge to the elderly and make the concept of health nearby popular science deeply rooted in the elderly group.
AR Book
To address the real danger of influenza—not the virus itself, but the inability to "see" and "understand" it—we focused on the most vulnerable yet crucial group: children aged 3–8 and their parents, who often cannot perceive the virus, articulate symptoms, or consistently perform protective actions like handwashing and mask-wearing. To ensure that "vulnerability" does not equate to "susceptibility to harm," we created an influenza-themed AR picture book specifically designed for young children. By simply opening the accompanying mini-program, the paper pages transform into an interactive 3D stage, bringing the story to life; we also provided audio narration for key content to support children’s comprehension and engagement.
Hopefully, abstract concepts such as virus transmission and prevention become visible, tangible, and understandable for young minds, empowering both children and their parents with accessible knowledge. This innovative approach bridges the gap in health literacy at an early age, fostering habits and awareness that can offer lasting protection during flu seasons. In August 2025, we brought this "singing magic book" to the iGEM booth at the Beijing CCIC, where it was displayed and received praise from many iGEMer.
Online Courses
To leverage the convenience of information dissemination in the "Internet Plus" era and enhance public understanding of influenza prevention, our team established multimedia accounts on platforms such as Instagram, Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and WeChat Official Accounts from the very beginning of our project. Initially, we used these platforms to introduce our team, share project updates, and document the activities we conducted or participated in, effectively maintaining synchronized progress logs. As our follower count grew organically, we recognized the potential to transform "traffic" into "popular science energy." Therefore, in the middle and later stages of the project, we expanded our content to include "online popular science courses," in which we simplified complex molecular biology experiments into easy-to-understand language and used Q&A formats and comics to explain influenza-related hot topics. Team members divided tasks including topic selection, manuscript writing, illustration drawing, and layout design, and we delivered content through regular updates.
As a result, our social media accounts evolved from simple project logs into a "pocket influenza encyclopedia," making scientific knowledge accessible and engaging for a broader audience. This transformation not only strengthened public awareness of influenza prevention but also maximized the impact of our outreach efforts through scalable, digital means.