Section I: Collaborative Learning
March 30: Greater Bay Area iGEM (IGBA) Human Practices Symposium
Explore, Reflect, and Collaborate: Advancing Synthetic Biology through Human Practices
March is traditionally busy for iGEM teams, yet opportunities for meaningful exchange focused on human practices have been limited. To fill this gap and strengthen collaboration within the community, we participated the inaugural Greater Bay Area iGEM (IGBA) Human Practices Symposium at Macau University of Science and Technology on March 30, 2025. Unlike traditional technically-oriented conferences, this symposium highlighted projects' tangible societal impacts and public science education, emphasizing the importance of community engagement.
Astrochemistry and Astrobiology Laboratory Visit
We kicked off the symposium with an insightful visit to Macau University of Science and Technology's Astrochemistry and Astrobiology Laboratory. The guided tour introduced teams to advanced experimental equipment and interdisciplinary research methods, sparking innovative ideas and emphasizing the importance of integrating diverse scientific fields.
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Expert Lectures
Two distinguished experts provided interactive and practical presentations, offering clear feedback and actionable strategies.
Our first speaker, Zixi Li, the Human Practices student leader from Beijing Normal University Zhuhai Campus, shared her team's journey toward achieving the Best Integrated Human Practices award in the 2024 iGEM competition. He provided practical tips on effectively identifying community needs, engaging stakeholders, and bridging scientific research with societal applications.
Instructor Yuhan Bao delivered an engaging talk on ethical considerations within iGEM projects. His presentation challenged teams to thoughtfully reflect on the ethical dimensions of their work, emphasizing how ethical awareness can enhance both the credibility and the broader societal impact of their synthetic biology projects.
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Open Networking
During the vibrant open networking session, we connected with peers from the University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen University, and Southern Medical University. Teams shared honest updates about their project progress, discussed challenges openly, and exchanged valuable experiences related to human practices. These dialogues encouraged collaboration and sparked innovative solutions to common problems.
This event clearly demonstrated how a community-driven approach, emphasizing practical insights, technical advice, communication strategies, and ethical guidance, can significantly enrich the iGEM experience. We look forward to continued collaboration and collective growth in the Greater Bay Area synthetic biology community.
May 17: Visit and Exchange at Asia’s Largest Cryo-EM Platform
Advancing iGEM Collaboration through Cutting-Edge Instrumentation and Team Dialogue
On May 17, 2025, students from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Southeast University, and Ocean University of China gathered at the Southern University of Science and Technology to visit and learn at Asia’s largest cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) platform. This activity provided participants with an opportunity to explore advanced experimental technologies, share experiences, and strengthen collaboration among iGEM teams. The event emphasized how cutting-edge scientific instruments and team cooperation can significantly enhance the quality and impact of iGEM projects.
Exploring the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Platform
The visit began with an in-depth tour of Asia’s largest cryo-EM facility, located at Southern University of Science and Technology. Participants were introduced to the platform’s advanced imaging capabilities and cutting-edge research applications. The visit highlighted the importance of leveraging world-class instrumentation to inspire innovation, improve experimental design, and expand technical horizons within iGEM projects.
Team Discussions and Knowledge Exchange
Following the tour, participants from SUSTech, Southeast University, and Ocean University of China engaged in open dialogue and collaborative discussions. Teams shared updates on their project progress, challenges encountered, and insights on integrating advanced tools into their work.These exchanges fostered mutual learning, promoted collaboration across institutions, and strengthened the collective spirit of the iGEM community in China.
May 17: iGEM Southern China Regional Meeting
Experience
For college students and university teams, we carried out publicity activities and popular science publicity for the project content and the role of intestinal flora in microecology.
Significance
Through discussion with each other, we learned from each other the important role of intestinal flora in human microecology, and also broadened our propaganda and education channels in college students, and achieved good results.
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July 14 - July 16: iGBA Forum
Experience
We focused on the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, elaborated several methods for the treatment of colorectal cancer combined with the characteristics of tumor cells, and also explained the mechanism and advantages of our project.
Significance
We comprehensively introduced the current treatment methods of colorectal cancer to middle school students and college students, successfully let students understand the current prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, and also combined with biomedical knowledge to convey our ideas and designs.
August 6 - August 8: The 12th Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC)
Experience
Combined with the content of our project, we will introduce the safety issues in the project (such as the design of suicide plasmids), so as to explain the important issues in biosafety to all parties in the form of a special topic.
Significance
We effectively delivered the relevant content of biosafety to the students, combined with our own scientific research experience, let everyone know a variety of ways to ensure biosafety in experiments.
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Session II: Public Engagement
March 16: Regional Cultural Festival Booth
Bringing Synthetic Biology to the Community
On March 16, 2025, we enthusiastically participated in the Regional Cultural Festival at Southern University of Science and Technology. Setting up our booth outside Dormitory Phase II, we aimed to creatively combine cultural exchange and science communication, fostering a deeper public understanding of synthetic biology and microbiology.
Promoting Synthetic Biology and Our Project
We introduced visitors to synthetic biology concepts and our team's innovative project on bacterial therapy for colorectal cancer treatment. To make microbiology more relatable, we showcased various fermented foods from around the world, highlighting everyday applications of microorganisms in human life and promoting cultural understanding through food.
Fun Games and Food Sampling
To enhance public biosafety awareness and introduce basic synthetic biology concepts in an entertaining manner, we designed an interactive trivia game. Our questions covered fermentation knowledge, essential laboratory safety practices, and fundamentals of the iGEM competition. Participants were rewarded with delicious fermented foods such as Japanese natto, yogurt, and Korean kimchi, creating an engaging atmosphere and boosting cultural exchange.
Questionnaire Collection
Recognizing the growing importance of science outreach for China's aging population, we conducted a detailed survey focusing on intergenerational communication. Our questionnaire assessed communication frequency between university students and elderly family members, elderly scientific literacy levels, and potential future directions for elderly-targeted science education. This valuable feedback will guide our future outreach efforts.
Social Media Engagement
To amplify our reach and enhance the public visibility of iGEMers and synthetic biology, we actively promoted our participation before and during the event via social media platforms like WeChat Official Account and Xiaohongshu. We documented our activities through photographs and videos, promptly sharing highlights and memorable interactions online. After the festival, we curated a compelling video summary for our Xiaohongshu account, capturing significant attention and fostering widespread community interest.
Our participation in the Regional Cultural Festival successfully attracted numerous attendees, effectively blending science education, cultural exchange, and community interaction. We look forward to building on this momentum in future outreach endeavors.
April 2: Tech and Culture Month Stall Setup
Disseminate knowledge of synthetic biology to the general public.
During the Science and Technology Culture Month at Southern University of Science and Technology, our Synthetic Biology Club set up a booth to promote the knowledge of synthetic biology to students and teachers from various disciplines.
Experience
At the event, we displayed a jigsaw puzzle with project introductions and invited everyone to complete it. With our enthusiastic explanations, teachers and students received brochures about our team and learned that synthetic biology can program cells as "living factories" by writing DNA to produce the substances we need on demand. Besides college students, many primary school students were also attracted by the various bacterial pendants and invited us to give lectures at their schools.
Significance
The event not only broke down disciplinary barriers by delivering cutting-edge knowledge of synthetic biology to non-specialist audiences in an engaging and lively manner, but also stimulated interdisciplinary exchange and the collision of innovative thinking. For primary school students, through hands-on popular science tools and interactive experiences, we planted the seeds of exploring life sciences in their hearts, helping to cultivate scientific interest and foster future research talent.
Summer Vacation: Community Health Lecture on Biomedical Fraud Prevention
Promoting Awareness and Protecting the Elderly through Joint Efforts in Science Education
During the summer of 2025, the SUSTech-Med iGEM team collaborated with the Fudan University iGEM team to organize a special training program aimed at preventing biomedical fraud among the elderly. The activity was held in the Fuguang community, combining free health lectures with interactive tools to raise awareness and equip older adults with practical knowledge. The event carried dual significance: enhancing public health literacy and fulfilling the social responsibility of iGEM teams through outreach and education.
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SUSTech-Med: Accessible Community Health Education
SUSTech-Med organized a free health lecture tailored for the elderly community.
The lecture was divided into two short sessions within one hour. The first addressed the proper use of antibiotics, while the second focused on healthy eating practices for seniors.
To broaden participation, the session was also livestreamed on TikTok, enabling those unable to attend in person to engage virtually. After the class, interactive quizzes were conducted to assess learning outcomes and encourage active participation from attendees.
Fudan iGEM: Addressing Pseudoscience and Ethical Awareness
The Fudan University iGEM team designed content that directly tackled issues of biomedical fraud and pseudoscience:
- Introduction to Synthetic Biology: A concise explanation of synthetic biology and its medical applications.
- Identifying Pseudoscience: Case-based analyses to debunk common “miracle drug” advertising tactics.
- Comparison with Real Science: A clear contrast between authentic advances in synthetic biology and exaggerated or fraudulent claims, helping seniors distinguish legitimate science from pseudoscience.
- Fraud Prevention Guidelines: Practical strategies for recognizing false advertising and avoiding scams.
Session III: Student Inspairation
March 26: Exhibition at Shenzhen Experimental Middle School Science and Technology Culture Week
Middle school students are at a critical stage for developing scientific curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking. Therefore, during the joint exhibition at the school's Science and Technology Culture Week, SUSTech-Bio and SUSTech-Med teams introduced synthetic biology through interactive and playful methods, making complex concepts both accessible and engaging.
Experience:
At the exhibition, SUSTech-Med designed puzzle activities based on their project, enabling students to learn key concepts of synthetic biology while assembling the puzzles. The content was closely connected to the life science and experimental knowledge that middle school students have already learned, helping them grasp new ideas through familiar contexts. Students showed great enthusiasm toward the exhibits and interacted actively with team members. Custom-made souvenirs were also distributed to participants as keepsakes.
Significance
It was highly encouraging to see how gamification and hands-on activities stimulated the students' interest in synthetic biology. Their eager participation and insightful questions demonstrated that bridging cutting-edge science with playful learning is an effective way to inspire younger generations. The event also strengthened the outreach impact of iGEM teams and highlighted the value of university-secondary school partnerships in promoting scientific literacy.
May 22: Teaching at Nan Shan Second Experimental Primary School
Primary school students are in a crucial stage of developing creativity and interests. Therefore, for our class with the primary school students, our team used hot melt glue crafts as a method to teach them about bacteria and microorganisms.
Experience
In the class, we explained to the children what bacteria are, the basic knowledge of their morphological characteristics and growth environment. The children drew various-shaped bacteria on special paper, fully expressing their creativity. Then we used hot air guns to bake the drawings, and the drawings shrank into plastic sheets. Finally, we helped the children turn their works into keychains to keep them as souvenirs. After the activity, the children kept asking various questions, such as "How do you let bacteria enter the human body?" and "Are there really bacteria that are beneficial to humans?"
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Significance
It was incredibly rewarding to see how a combination of art and science sparked their desire to learn more. Their enthusiasm confirmed that making complex scientific concepts engaging and fun is one of the most effective ways to inspire the next generation of curious minds.
May 25: Exchange with Shenzhen Middle School
Middle school students already have a considerable understanding of scientific knowledge, and we broaden their horizons on the basis of their knowledge and lead them to a deep understanding of intestinal health, while also guiding them to lead the right lifestyle habits in their family life.
Experience
In order to broaden the level of education, we have carried out our popular science promotion and project introduction for middle school students. On the one hand, we guided middle school students to understand gut health and microbes, and on the other hand, we communicated with Shenzhen middle school teams on project design.
Significance
Since the middle school students already have a certain knowledge base, we take this way to strengthen their mastery of knowledge, but also broaden their horizons, guide them to guide the right way of life in family life; At the same time, we also communicated on each other's projects, mainly on the development of education and inclusivity.
Session IV: Digital Outreach
SUSTech-Med’s Outreach on Social Media
Expanding Influence and Promoting Ethical Reflection in Synthetic Biology
In 2025, the SUSTech-Med iGEM team actively expanded its presence on multiple social media platforms, including Xiaohongshu (Rednote), Instagram, and Douyin (TikTok China). These initiatives aimed not only to increase public visibility but also to foster collaboration with other iGEM teams and raise awareness of synthetic biology. Beyond outreach, the team also explored innovative approaches to discussing ethical issues in synthetic biology through interactive platforms.
Enhancing Impact through Social Media
SUSTech-Med leveraged a diverse set of platforms to communicate its progress and connect with a broader audience:
- Xiaohongshu (Rednote): The team regularly updated its feed with content such as logo design, the release of the promotion video, and educational posts on the iGEM competition. By September 15, 2025, these efforts had attracted over 12,000 views. Furthermore, Xiaohongshu became a valuable channel for building collaboration with other iGEM teams, including Fudan University, Jilin University, and Ocean University of China.
- Instagram: Updates on ongoing projects were consistently shared, engaging international audiences and broadening the team’s global footprint.
- Douyin (TikTok China): The team conducted live-streamed science outreach sessions, including popular science courses tailored for elderly audiences, thereby reaching demographics often underrepresented in science communication.
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Promoting Ethical Reflection through Interactive Games
In addition to social media outreach, SUSTech-Med developed an online gaming platform that integrates synthetic biology ethics into a quiz-based experience.
Participants encountered ethical dilemmas and questions in a gamified format, encouraging critical thinking while keeping the activity engaging.
This innovative approach allowed knowledge dissemination to go beyond traditional lectures, making complex ethical issues more accessible and stimulating broader reflection on the societal implications of synthetic biology.