EDUCATION

Our project's goal is not only to advance scientific research but also to enhance public understanding of synthetic biology and encourage more people to participate in the synthetic biology research. To this end, we have adopted different activity formats tailored to different demographics, and have conducted as diverse a variety of science outreach activities as possible to reach a wider audience. In selecting education activity topics, we carefully considered the results of our preliminary research and chose Helicobacter pylori as the primary topic, including its prevention methods and causes. Furthermore, we will also include the therapeutic mechanisms of nanoantibodies explanation in some education activities.

2.1 Activity for general public

2.1.1 Rednote

The rednote platform mainly faces young Chinese user groups, which is suitable for more visual and life-oriented science communication. We systematically popularize the basic common sense, transmission routes, clinical manifestations and prevention methods of Helicobacter pylori through graphic and text. We plan to produce cartoon illustrations to vividly show the destruction process of Helicobacter pylori on the stomach, so that the content is more easy to understand.

2.1.2 WeChat Official Account

WeChat official account is one of the most important Chinese platforms for our educational communication. It is not only easy to edit and push timely, but also has a wide user base covering all age groups. There are two reasons why we chose the official account. First, the official account is closely related to WeChat, and its user base is extremely large. Second, people of all ages will use the official account, so our information dissemination will be very convenient. At the same time, we want to publish educational propaganda and medical popular science articles to make people aware of the harmfulness of Helicobacter pylori. In addition, in the article, we used easy-to-understand articles with cartoon pictures to introduce various common sense of Helicobacter pylori. The above introduces some reasons for choosing the official account as the main propaganda channel. The following is a part of the introduction to the content.

Contents:

● Article 1:

○ Title: What is Helicobacter pylori?

○ Summary: Introduce what Helicobacter pylori is, its infection rate in China and its common complications (such as stomach pain, acid reflux, heartburn, loss of appetite, etc.), and remind readers to seek medical treatment as soon as possible if they feel uncomfortable

● Article 2:

○ Title: Five Key Details for Preventing Helicobacter Pylori

○ Summary: Focusing on common but easily overlooked infection scenarios in life (such as shared tableware, poor oral hygiene, etc.), a variety of prevention suggestions are proposed, such as the seven-step hand washing method, washing hands before meals, not drinking raw water, using public chopsticks, etc. The article is accompanied by illustrations to facilitate reading and understanding by young readers

We plan to publish an introduction to existing treatment options, such as the advantages and disadvantages of antibiotics, drug resistance, and the working principles of nanoantibodies.

2.2 Activity for abroad

2.2.1 Insta

As a global social media platform, Instagram is mainly used to promote English education to overseas audiences. We plan to post content about synthetic biology on Instagram to increase the exposure of the science around the world.

2.2.2 YouTube

In order to convey the project content more effectively to an international audience, we chose YouTube as the main platform for publishing videos in English. Compared with Chinese media such as WeChat public accounts and Rednote, YouTube is more suitable for publishing systematic English video content to disseminate Helicobacter pylori related knowledge and the solutions proposed by our project to a global audience.

Content:

●Video 1:

○ Title: The 5 Major Symptoms of H. pylori Infection

○ Synopsis: The video focuses on the five common symptoms of Helicobacter pylori, and helps the audience understand the main manifestations after infection through easy-to-understand language and vivid metaphors, including abdominal pain, persistent bad breath, digestive disorders, abnormal weight loss, and possible systemic effects. We hope that through this relaxed and interesting way of science popularization, we can raise public awareness of Helicobacter pylori and remind everyone to pay attention to their own health, early detection and timely treatment.

3.1 Activity for children

3.1.1 Beijing Science Center

We designed three small games for the possible groups of Beijing Science and Technology Center.

1-public lecture

The first one is public lecture. Considering that the main groups of Beijing Science and Technology Center are children who are still in school and parents, a short and effective lecture can make parents and children concentrate well without taking up too much time. The overall lecture introduced three small knowledge about Helicobacter pylori, what is Helicobacter pylori, how to treat it, and how to prevent it. After discussion, we believe that most of the audience do not involve the treatment aspect, so we spent more energy and time on prevention, trying to let the audience know how to avoid Helicobacter pylori to the greatest extent in a short time. In the prevention part, we introduced how to wash hands correctly (the seven-step hand washing method), and should frequently change personal items such as toothbrushes and bedding, not eat raw food, not drink raw water, etc. During the on-site lecture, parents and children showed great interest and interacted with us very well. Although the whole lecture was only five minutes, I believe that this lecture at least made the audience interested in understanding Helicobacter pylori.

2-Picture book learning

The second activity was to have an in-depth exchange with parents and children who visited the Science and Technology Museum. We brought the picture book manual made by our team member, and showed our manual to the audience while explaining. Parents and children said they benefited a lot from listening and reading. At that time, an aunt hurried to share her experience with us after hearing the purpose of our trip - to introduce and explain Helicobacter pylori to the public. Their family was one of the families that realized Helicobacter pylori very early. They realized that the cause of Helicobacter pylori was actually tragic. The aunt's grandmother and mother both died of diseases related to Helicobacter pylori, one of which was gastric cancer and the other of intestinal cancer. "Before the child was born, our whole family went to check for this disease, for fear of infecting the child." This aunt said when sharing with us. This aunt also praised our event, and she also believed that it was necessary for the public to recognize Helicobacter pylori.

3-Knowledge review questionnaire

The third activity was to collect feedback questionnaires. After the audience read our picture book, we asked them if they could fill in some questions about Helicobacter pylori. The questions were not difficult, after all, time was limited. After checking the answers to the questionnaire, we found that the overall correct rate of the questionnaire after reading our picture book was very close to 100%. I believe this shows that our picture book and lecture are effective. In addition, we gave the children who finished the questionnaire small stickers drawn by classmate Zhang Zilin, and everyone liked them very much. In the whole activity, we had embarrassing moments and moments of encouragement. This is a very meaningful activity. The overall impact of our activities may be only about 100 people, but I think these people will also share their experiences today in the Beijing Science and Technology Center with the people around them, so that more and more people will be aware of Helicobacter pylori.

3.2 Activity for student

3.2.1 Interaction with university students

During the communication with the iGEM team of Peking University, we also showed our education material card "Guardian of the Stomach". We explained the gameplay of the whole game to the igem team of Peking University. We played two or three rounds together, and the members of the igem team of Peking University also expressed their high love for our game and had a deeper impression of our project. They think that our way of expression is very novel and interesting, which can let the public understand the impact of Helicobacter pylori and nano antibodies on the human body. (the details of the card came is shown in the material part.)

3.3 Activity for marginalized group

3.3.1 Beijing Tianyun Disabled Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center

Our project also focuses on science education for marginalized groups. We chose Beijing Tianyun Disabled Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center for science education activities. Most participants had intellectual disabilities, along with a smaller number of children with autism spectrum disorder and hearing impairments. In terms of activity design, considering the particularity of this group, we hope that this education activity will emphasize practicality and help their lives, rather than abstract scientific knowledge transfer. Every activity component was tailored to deliver immediately applicable skills for daily hygiene and disease prevention. This approach ensured participants could apply the knowledge into concrete actions to safeguard their health.

1-"Invisible Bacteria Friends" Painting Workshop

First, before the official science education began, we conducted a painting workshop activity. We asked them to draw the image of "bacteria" in their minds, and encouraged and guided them. Through the intuitive form of painting, they became interested in the popular science content of the day. To spark interest in the science outreach, we began with an interactive drawing session where participants were encouraged to illustrate their own interpretations of "bacteria." Through this creative exercise, we fostered engagement and gained insight into their existing knowledge of microbes.

2-Interactive Role-Playing Theater

For children from special groups, they may not understand abstract and complex concepts such as "how does Helicobacter pylori enter the human body" and "how to prevent it", but "seeing, imitating, and feeling" are effective ways for them to understand the world. For this reason, we designed a interactive role-playing theater, in which one team member played Helicobacter pylori and one member played a person. The story told how Helicobacter pylori would infect people through different scenes and how we could prevent it.

3-Hands-On Hand Hygiene Training

Considering the actual problems faced by marginalized groups, the team focused on the prevention of Helicobacter pylori and the content of the WHO's 7-step handwashing technique. The activity is practical and guided where participants mirrored each step. The slides are designed with high-contrast colors and minimal text to accommodate cognitive and visual needs. After the activity, most of the participants learned and mastered 7-step handwashing technique.Their enthusiasm and interest were significantly improved during the interaction.

4-Helicobacter pylori model teaching

For children in marginalized groups, listening to descriptions is far less intuitive than touching with their own hands. Therefore, we made models of the stomach and Helicobacter pylori to show on site how nanoantibodies attack Helicobacter pylori in the stomach and how the Helicobacter pylori affect stomach. Specifically, we used a red cardboard box to make a model of the stomach. Then, we use a brown pen to draw the folds in the stomach, and cut channels on both sides of the cardia and pylorus to imitate the cardia. We use a green paper tube as a basis to make Helicobacter pylori, and make flagella to ensure the accuracy of the shape. The team members first demonstrated how Helicobacter pylori enters the human body and where it lives in the human body through the model, and introduce the potential effects of Helicobacter pylori on the stomach. Then the team members let the children operate it by hand. In the process of touching the model, they will actively think about what this part is called and what it is used for.

4.1 Stickers

We created stickers expressing the appearance of nanobodies and Helicobacter pylori, and made them into online WeChat emoticons. The aim was to make more people aware of the appearance of nanobodies and Helicobacter pylori, achieving effective popularization and adopting a combination of offline and online methods to widely disseminate. The offline activitiy is mainly at the Beijing Science Center. During the explanations, we distributed the stickers to the children who answered correctly in the form of a reward quiz. This not only motivated the children to study the related knowledge of Helicobacter pylori but also ensured that they received correct scientific knowledge without any misunderstandings or confusion. We can promptly provide explanations to enable the audience to understand correctly. The online release of the emoticons is to allow people to send the emoticons for entertainment while also correctly understanding the appearance and functions of Helicobacter pylori and nanobodies, (for example, the nanobody is in the shape of the letter Y, and Helicobacter pylori is green and irregular with green flagella) (One of the emoticons shows the embrace between the nanobody and the stomach, indicating that the nanobody plays a protective role for the stomach) to achieve effective popularization. The dissemination method of the emoticons is simple and rapid, and can achieve effective dissemination in a short period of time.

4.2 Brochure

We produced a four-page popular science brochure, mainly covering the definition, symptoms, causes and treatment methods of Helicobacter pylori. It was used for the promotion activities at the beijing science center. Through reading the brochure, the audience could quickly and clearly understand Helicobacter pylori. So that we could continue to introduce to the audience how nanobody therapy and probiotics work. At the same time, we also launched an online e-book version of the popular science brochure for promotion. To achieve wider dissemination of the popular science about Helicobacter pylori.

4.3 Card Game

Our primary goal in designing this card game was to break the dullness of popular science through fun interactions, allowing people to naturally absorb knowledge through play. Each card in the game is assigned a unique character: there's the "Helicobacter pylori card" with a spiral pattern, and the "Nanoantibody card" with a blue nanoparticle pattern.
The deeper purpose is to use the cards to visually demonstrate the process of "nanoantibodies eliminating Helicobacter pylori." We've broken down complex medical principles into card rules: "Play this card whenever you play Helicobacter pylori King." "Nanoantibody cards" must accurately monitor players for cheating. "Guardian" characters correspond to the monitoring function of nanoantibodies. The transfer of cards when successfully defending the stomach and intestines simulates the body's equilibrium after antibodies eliminate the bacteria. "Potential Helicobacter pylori" cannot be played normally and must disappear secretly, just like the stealthy nature of Helicobacter pylori. When players exclaim, "You've got a potential Helicobacter pylori! I caught you!" they're subconsciously deepening their understanding of the core concept: "Nanoantibodies can detect stealthy pathogens." From a interactive perspective, the game's rules themselves are highly engaging. We integrated card games into offline education activities and received positive feedback. After the game, everyone remembered the basic forms of Helicobacter pylori and nanoantibodies, and the relationship between them.

All activities involved in our education program are accurately recorded and archived.

5.1 Beijing Science Center

In this activity, we adopted various formats such as lectures, picture book explanations, and feedback collection, which received positive responses. The event was compact and efficient, directly reaching about 100 people.
In addition, our activity focused heavily on prevention knowledge that was highly practical and aligned with public needs. During the lecture, we introduced what Helicobacter pylori is, how to treat it and how to prevent it. In the picture book learning session, we obtained real cases related to Helicobacter pylori. In the feedback collection stage, we had children who had finished the picture book fill out a questionnaire, and the results showed that they had a very good overall grasp of the knowledge we shared.
Our activity concluded efficiently and compactly, with the overall design covering knowledge dissemination, interaction, and feedback collection. Based on the results, our activity was both useful and effective. However, upon reflection, we realized that in future activities we could add more interactive elements, such as having children demonstrate the seven-step handwashing method, and share the activity content through social media to expand our reach.

5.2 Interaction with university students

During our exchange with the Peking University iGEM team, we presented our educational card game Guardian of the Stomach, explained the gameplay in detail, and played two or three rounds together. The team showed great enthusiasm for the game and was deeply impressed by our project, believing that this innovative and engaging approach helps the public understand the impact of Helicobacter pylori and nanobodies on the human body.
We transformed complex scientific concepts into an interesting interactive game. This gamified design breaks the one-way communication model of traditional science popularization and achieves two-way interaction.
The entire trial session was relaxed and enjoyable, with every participant actively engaged. The game mechanics not only helped deepen understanding of our project but also created a positive atmosphere for communication. In the end, the Peking University team gained a deeper understanding of the interaction between Helicobacter pylori and nanobodies through the game, confirming that our educational goals were achieved. However, after the event, we still believe there is room for improvement. For example, we can develop different versions of the cards adapted to different age groups.

5.3 Beijing Tianyun Disabled Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center

We would like to specifically highlight our team's activities at the Beijing Tianyun Disabled Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center.
Most of our team members had no prior experience in direct communication with marginalized groups. To ensure the success of this activity at the Beijing Tianyun Disabled Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, our team researched extensive communication techniques for marginalized groups and rehearsed the activity content multiple times beforehand. After the activity, we will summarize our experience with this marginalized group, including communication techniques and activity design, to help future teams seeking to conduct science education activities with marginalized groups, break down communication barriers, and promote understanding of synthetic biology among a wider audience.

5.3.1 Drawing Workshop

Summarized By Drawing Workshop Leader: Zhang Shiqi

When we first arrived at the Beijing Tianzhu Elderly Care and Rehabilitation Center, we were still quite unfamiliar with the children there. Considering that children from marginalized groups often feel nervous or defensive when faced with strangers and situations—perhaps fearing saying or doing the wrong thing, or feeling pressured by being expected to cooperate—we included a drawing warm-up session at the beginning of the activity. The ingenuity of the drawing warm-up is that it bypasses the barrier of verbal communication: children don't need to speak or follow complex rules; they simply pick up their brushes and paint freely, naturally participating. This "no-right-or-no-pressure" format allows them to gradually adjust to our presence in a relaxed state. One example was at the event: a child discovered that even if their drawings were shaky, they would receive praise and even receive stickers as small rewards. As a result, they gradually let down their guard and even actively interacted with us through eye contact or gestures. For children, this silent interaction is far more reassuring than forced conversation.

For example, when children were asked to draw "little bacteria in their hearts," their wrists would follow the lines, their eyes would follow the trajectory of their hands, and their tense shoulders would gradually relax. This physical relaxation in turn has a psychological impact, shifting them from "resistance to participation" to "willingness to try."
Our drawing warm-up isn't simply "drawing for fun"; it's designed to engage children in a way they can relate to. For children from marginalized groups, respecting their pace and gently guiding them is far more important than simply "stuffing" them with content. We believe drawing is the most effective, gentle way to do this.

5.3.2 Scenario Interpretation Activity

Summarized By Scenario Interpretation Activity Leader: Xie Jiazhao

Compared to one-way presentation, such as simply reading from a PowerPoint presentation, scenario-based demonstrations allow children to quickly engage with the content and subconsciously imitate it. Through dialogue, interaction through actions, expressions, and body language, the scientific content naturally resonates with them. For children with disabilities, abstract and complex concepts like "how Helicobacter pylori enters the body" and "how to prevent it" may be difficult to grasp. However, "seeing, imitating, and feeling" are effective ways for them to understand the world. Scenario-based demonstrations can transform these concepts into observable behavioral details, allowing children to understand knowledge through participation and creativity, making science activities lively and engaging.

When watching scenario-based demonstrations, children's attention shifts from "other things" to the story we've designed. This shift in focus can subtly break down their defensiveness and even encourage them to actively discuss the character's actions with us. We remember a child laughingly saying during this segment, "Their actions are so funny!" Children with disabilities are often more sensitive to genuine emotional interaction and require more time and patient guidance. Therefore, we specifically designed familiar everyday scenes into the script, such as "brushing teeth together" and "eating together," so that they could see reflections of themselves in the characters.

When children feel warmth and security within the scenes, they transfer this trust to the real us. One child took our team member's hand and said, "I can't see clearly, I want to sit up front." This kind of resonance created within the scene can bring hearts closer together more than any deliberate attempt to bring them closer. Finally, we believe that the design logic of scenario-based performance is to experience the world from a child's perspective. We convey information in a way they can understand, invite participation in a way they feel safe, and build trust with the emotional warmth they need. For children with disabilities, the most effective interaction is "being seen, accepted, and guided to experiment," and scenario-based performance is a great way to achieve this.

Scenario-based performance can transform abstract concepts into tangible scenes. For example, if we want to teach children about preventing Helicobacter pylori, we don't just teach them the seven-step handwashing method. Instead, we have team members demonstrate the handwashing steps step by step, allowing children to imitate. As children watch and even participate, they can directly see each handwashing action, the corresponding facial expressions, and the results of proper handwashing in preventing germs. This makes it easier for them to understand the "how to do it" approach than simply listening to instructions. This approach, which uses images instead of words and actions instead of principles, perfectly suits their cognitive characteristics, which prioritize concrete thinking.

5.3.3 Hands-On Hand Hygiene Training

Summarized By Hands-On Hand Hygiene Training Leader: Wang Miaolin

For slides and presentations for children with intellectual disabilities, autism, and hearing impairments, our initial plan focused on lowering the barrier to understanding and strengthening visual guidance. They are less sensitive to long sentences and abstract language, but naturally gravitate towards color, pattern, and rhythmic changes. Therefore, the content should be primarily visual, supplemented by language, and structured to create a predictable and easy-to-follow information path.

PPT Design:

We use large font for titles, bold keywords, and images that make up at least 60% of our presentation as a fixed structure. For example, on our inspiration page, the title is "Invisible Bacteria" in large black font, with a presentation image below: We use large font and saturated colors to emphasize key points, such as washing hands before meals, to create a more impactful contrast with verbal repetition. This allows children with hearing impairments or language impairments to understand the meaning through visual association. Our PPTs utilize multiple color, smooth fonts (avoiding sharp edges), and a cartoon-like, hand-drawn style (with exaggerated and friendly expressions), ensuring children feel at ease within a familiar visual environment.

Preliminary learning about communication skills for children with special needs led us to design our slides as a "talking visual guide": a clear structure lets children know what's being discussed, concrete symbols help children with different disabilities grasp the core message, and a steady rhythm gives them a sense of control over the process. We use visual symbols to help them understand the concept of prevention step by step, allowing learning to occur naturally in a safe and relaxed atmosphere.

5.3.4 Helicobacter pylori model teaching

Summarized By Helicobacter pylori model teaching leader: Zhang Shiqi

For children with special needs, hearing a description is far less intuitive than experiencing something with their own hands. For example, if we want to teach them about Helicobacter pylori, instead of describing it as a cone, we can hand them a green model and let them touch and roll it.
As they touch the model, they'll actively explore its name and function. This desire for exploration is more valuable than a standard answer. Models are like interactive toys, turning learning into a playful experience.

5.3.5 Q&A Session

Summarized By Q&A Session Designer: Zhang Shiqi

At the rehabilitation center, our core goal in designing Q&A sessions for children is to create low-pressure interactions and responsive communication, giving them opportunities to be valued. This not only addresses their need for a sense of security before opening up, but also subtly guides them to actively express themselves and build trust.
For children with special needs, being directly asked to "say something" or "share with everyone" can be unnerving, but "one-on-many, quick-answer questions" are more accessible. During the Q&A session, questions are broken down into specific areas.

Many children in unfamiliar situations observe whether their reactions are being noticed. If their gestures or glances are ignored, they may become more withdrawn. However, if their questions receive a serious response, they will gradually let down their guard. Our team members praise and reward each child whenever they respond to our topics.
The key to the Q&A session isn't "getting the right answer," but rather ensuring that the child feels that "everything I say and do is seen." If they point to a slide, we'll follow their lead; if they smile, we'll compliment them, "You think that's interesting, don't you?"
This non-coercive, non-comparative approach allows each child to participate at their own pace, allowing us to recognize each child's uniqueness and letting them know that even if they're different from others, they still deserve attention.

In conclusion, our educational activities were rich and diverse, breaking down communication barriers and effectively delivering scientific knowledge. However, looking toward future development, we believe there is still room for improvement. For example, we could design simple activity assessments to record learning changes, and add short breaks or stretching sessions to maintain children's attention.