Educational programming and outreach sought to introduce synthetic biology concepts to community members through hands-on workshops and interactive activities. Learn more about the wide range of workshops and community programs we hosted in this page!
What is STEM outreach?
STEM outreach contributes to active educational programming in the life sciences and may take the form of educational workshops, community engagement, or other interactive activities. By creating opportunities for community engagement in the life sciences, students and community members gain exposure to a wide range of topics and skills that extend beyond the provincial science curriculum. Through encouraging scientific exploration, we strive to engage learners of all ages in the pursuit of innovation and research in synthetic biology.
What did our team deliver this year?
This season, UBC iGEM delivered a wide range of educational programs including:
3 Educational Workshops
2 Lab Tours
1 Information Session
What is a workshop?
A workshop features an educational presentation on select concepts in synthetic biology. To encourage maximum engagement, we take an active learning approach by not only teaching the knowledge but involving participant through lecture prompts and hands-on activities tailored to the learning goals.
What is a lab tour?
A lab tour provides participants with the opportunity to visit and learn more about a laboratory in life sciences research. Students gained exposure to a wet lab settings where they were shown common lab equipment, and experimental techniques applied in synthetic biology.
What is an information session and community outreach?
To reach the general public, we hosted an information session on the inner workings of UBC iGEM, covering fundamentals such as what is synthetic biology, and how iGEM addresses modern challenges through synthetic biology research. Other efforts to spread awareness about our work included hosting an educational booth at a local career fair, where we engaged with community members and gained insights into common assumptions about synthetic biology and space exploration.
UBC iGEM’s 2025 Workshops
How did we engage with the community?
To deliver our educational workshops, UBC iGEM partnered up with UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach. UBC Geering Up Engineering Outreach is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting science, technology, engineering and math to youth across the province of British Columbia. Affiliated with the UBC, all of Geering Up’s outreach initiatives are designed, organized and executed by UBC students. Through this partnership, we reached a diverse group of high school students who showed interests for the life sciences and engineering disciplines. We also connected with a local educational agency and a student-run community organization to spread information about synthetic biology.
Geering Up Intersections in Engineering Workshop: Bioreactor Demonstration + Microfluidics Chip
Follow Along the Slidedeck:
What was this workshop about?
At A Glance:
We organized an interactive workshop introducing students to the concepts of bioreactors and microfluidics chips. The goal was to highlight how synthetic biology research can be translated into practical technologies for healthcare, diagnostics, and industry.
How did we teach the Bioreactor and Microfluidic Chips?
This two-part lesson consisted first of understanding all the structural components of a bioreactor, such as:
Pipette
Motor PuMP
Culture Flask
Circuit Board
Control Switches
Photographs of workshop activities: demonstration of one of our first bioreactor models, and participants testing their microfluidic chip design by mixing two different mixtures of water and food colouring on wax pencil-drawn filters.
Since bioreactors primarily rely on maintaining a controlled environment, we highlighted the environmental conditions needed to successfully culture bacteria. The lesson was followed by a demonstration of our bioreactor model facilitated by our wet lab lead.
For the latter half of the workshop, we covered microfluidic chips by outlining the concept of mixing two solutions homogeneously at a high precision level and on a very small scale. Participants were then prompted to design their own microfluidic chips by outlining them on wax paper with coloured crayons. This exercise encouraged students to leverage their creativity and apply their critical thinking skills to optimize the mixing of Fluid A and B. Next, we melted the wax of the microfluidic chip using a Bunsen burner and tested each design by adding water droplets of two different colours, allowing participants to apply the Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle.
Why we did this?
Bioreactors and microfluidics are critical for advancing synthetic biology:
Bioreactors provide the controlled environments necessary for large-scale production of proteins, therapeutics, and engineered microbes. Bioreactors are a very useful tool in our project, and we wanted a way to tie in our education to some of the other crucial subteams like dry and wet lab
Microfluidics allows for rapid testing, diagnostics, and experimentation with minimal resources, directly connecting to the idea of point-of-care biosensors.
By engaging students with these technologies, we bridged the gap between theoretical biology and real-world engineering applications.
Geering Up STEM Leadership Program July Workshop: Introduction to Plasmid Editing & Design
What was this workshop about?
At a Glance:
In collaboration with the STEM Leadership Program (STEM LP) at UBC Geering Up, we hosted a workshop on synthetic biology through the lens of plasmid design, extremophiles and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for high school students. Our interactive component prompted learners to apply these principles to a case study by designing a molecular cloning strategy.
How did we engage with the community?
Geering Up’s STEM LP is an intensive six-month program where participants learn and develop essential engineering skills that go beyond the typical provincial curriculum. With guidance and mentorship, students developed skills to create a capstone project that met the standards of university-level engineering students. By facilitating multiple rounds workshops, we aimed to support students in building skills for their projects and introduce them to key concepts in synthetic biology.
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How did we teach Plasmid Editing?
Plasmids are cornerstones of contemporary research, as they enable artificial engineering of a model organism as translatable solutions to modern problems. With a learner centred approach, we envisioned the learning outcomes in accordance to Bloom’s taxonomy [1]. By the end of the session, students will be able to:
Identify five key components of a plasmid, namely:
Origins of replication (plasmid maintenance in cells)
Recognize extremophiles as organisms that can be engineered
Design a plasmid as a tool to address an open-ended real world problem
The workshop started with a lecture, followed by a learning activity such that our students can practice what they have learned.
iGEM team members are teaching the plasmid concepts in class.
Two guiding principles for creating teaching materials were simplicity and aesthetics. Simplicity ensures the language and visual aids were provided in a manageably parseable manner. An aesthetic presentation engages the audience with the material with clarity. We also included guiding questions throughout the presentation as a way to reinforce learning and to allow students to discuss their learning with one another.
Following the presentation, participants engaged in a hands-on design challenge where they created their own genetically modified organisms to address real-world problems. This activity reinforced key concepts in plasmid design, emphasizing the modular nature of genetic elements and how these components can be strategically rearranged for different applications.
As students worked through their designs, they thoughtfully considered several critical elements:
Identifying appropriate genes of interest for their target problem
Selecting suitable resistance markers for screening transformed cells
Choosing compatible origins of replication
Determining the optimal positioning of each component to ensure vector functionality This exercise bridged theoretical knowledge with practical application, helping participants understand the decision-making process that underlies successful genetic engineering.
This is the activity worksheet we designed for participants to design their own GMOs using plasmid design concepts.
These are some of the awesome plasmid designs participants came up with for the GMOs.
How did we collect feedback?
After hosting this workshop, we were eager to learn about what participants thought about this workshop and how it facilitated their learning. To collect feedback on instructing performance, we provided surveys for participants to fill out after their workshop experience.
The workshop was successful in introducing participants to synthetic biology and plasmid design. An area of improvement for future workshops consisted of including more interactive hands-on activities. With this feedback, we reflected on new ideas and potential activities that would integrate an active learning approach. We ensured to implement what we learned from these feedback surveys into our future workshops to provide an optimal learn experience.
Geering Up STEM Leadership Program August Workshop: Bacterial Basics + Agar Art
What was this workshop about?
At a Glance:
In our second workshop, we introduced students to the fundamentals of bacteria and antibiotics while combining classroom learning with hands-on activities.
Follow Along the Slidedeck:
How did we teach the Bacteria Basics workshop?
At the end of this workshop, learners would be able to:
Identify key components of synthetic biology workflows, including:
Bacteria
Antibiotics
Safe Biological Laboratory Practices
Appreciate the potential of synthetic biology in the place of modern science
Recognize the challenge of antimicrobial resistance and its significance in human health
Correlate zones of inhibition and antibiotic concentration as measures of antimicrobial potency
Execute aseptic techniques under the supervision of UBC Wet Lab iGEM members
Compute colony forming units (CFU)
Students were introduced to core concepts of synthetic biology through an introductory presentation and interactive workshops. Learners had an opportunity to apply these concepts by manipulating biological samples to produce works of art using agar plates.
How did we teach?
After the lesson, students rotated through three interactive stations, Colony Forming Unit (CFU) counting, Zone of Inhibitions and an Agar Art activity. In the Agar Art activity, participants used colorful E. coli DH5α strains to create designs on agar plates, learning aseptic technique and practicing good lab safety while exploring the creative side of microbiology.
Participants are wearing protective equipment including a lab coat and safety goggles, and are engaging with the agar art activity.
CFU Counting Station #1:
In the CFU counting exercise, students hypothesized which classroom surfaces such as desks, chairs, or shoes, would have the highest bacterial load. They compared their predictions against real data from the MICB 211 class at UBC, practicing how to quantify colonies and interpret results through basic graphs.
Zone of Inhibition Station #2:
At the Zone of Inhibition station, students examined antibiotic susceptibility plates, measuring the clear inhibition zones around antibiotic discs. This gave them a chance to directly observe how antibiotics affect bacterial growth and discuss how resistance develops over time.
Why we did this?
These two workshops were designed to make microbiology more accessible by blending theoretical learning with exploration and hands-on experimentation. Our goal was to help students see bacteria not only as microscopic organisms but understand their role as tools that can be studied, quantified, and applied to solve global issues.
In the CFU counting exercise, students hypothesized which classroom surfaces such as desks, chairs, or shoes, would have the highest bacterial load. They compared their predictions against real data from the MICB 211 class at UBC, practicing how to quantify colonies and interpret results through basic graphs.
At the Zone of Inhibition station, students examined antibiotic susceptibility plates, measuring the clear inhibition zones around antibiotic discs. This gave them a chance to directly observe how antibiotics affect bacterial growth and discuss how resistance develops over time.
Worksheets created to accompany the Zone of Inhibition and CFU Counting stations.
Agar Art Station #3:
The session began with an overview of bacterial cell structure, where bacteria are found, and how antibiotics function to target harmful microbes. We also emphasized the growing global challenge of antibiotic resistance, connecting these ideas to both public health and the applications of synthetic biology.
Using different coloured E. coli strains, sterile tools, and petri dishes, students designed artwork on agar plates. This activity allowed the students to see bacteria and its growth as both a scientific process and a way to show creativity. Our wet lab team supported the activity by preparing agar plates and providing the E. coli strains, which added an authentic laboratory element to the experience.
The workshop participants created unique designs through our Agar Art activity. The Agar Art workshop aimed to bridge creativity with science. By engaging both the cognitive mind (microbiological concepts) with aesthetics (agar art) students would have more tangible ways to appreciate the beauty of the life sciences.
Why we did this?
The Agar Art workshop aimed to bridge creativity with science. By engaging both the cognitive mind (microbiological concepts) with aesthetics (agar art) students would have more tangible ways to appreciate the beauty of the life sciences.
How we tested participants’ learning?
To test to see what they had learned, we concluded with a Jeopardy-style game that reinforced key concepts in an engaging and interactive way. Throughout the Jeopardy game session, small groups also rotated into our iGEM laboratory for a guided tour. With gloves, goggles, and lab coats provided, students explored the equipment in our lab. Members of our wet lab team explained how tools such as pipettes are used in daily synthetic biology research and linked them back to our project work, giving participants a tangible sense of how bacteria are studied and engineered.
Bacteria Bonanza Jeopardy
What iterations were made? What feedback did we receive?
Feedback indicated that the agar art and CFU counting were particularly memorable, while the lab tour helped make synthetic biology “feel real”. Some participants suggested including more visuals during the antibiotic resistance lessons, which we incorporated during later workshops to improve comprehension . The feedback helped us refine our teaching approach, making sure our future workshops in the iGEM Case Competition had a good balance between conceptual clarity and interactivity.
What were the outcomes of this workshop?
By combining creative exploration, quantitative exercises, and lab experience, students gained a tangible sense of how bacteria are studied and manipulated in synthetic biology.
UBC iGEM’s 2025 Lab Tours
What was the lab tour about?
At a Glance:
Another collaboration with Geering Up consisted of a laboratory tour to introduce high school students to a laboratory environment. In our previous workshops with this group, many students expressed interest in exploring the wet-lab aspect of science. We were excited about their curiosity, which inspired us to organize a laboratory tour of the UBC iGEM laboratory.
How did we run the lab tour?
Before the lab tour began, participants were introduced to laboratory safety. This included personal protective equipment based on different biological safety levels, hazard classes, as well as safety considerations about lab equipment and chemicals. During the tour, we explained the workings of an academic lab where we discussed different roles, including the principal investigators, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research assistants, design teams and more. We also toured the iGEM bench in the lab and introduced students to standard molecular & microbiology equipment like vortexes, micropipettes, and aseptic techniques with a Bunsen burner. Participants were taught about the differences between fume hoods and biological safety cabinets (i.e. who/ what they protect), proper methods of disposal for different materials, autoclaving principles, and the relevance of why we use different temperatures for different procedures.
The STEM-LP students attended the lab tour and gained insights into what a professional lab space could resemble.
After conducting these workshops, we received positive feedback & a great deal of excitement from the students. This feedback encouraged us to offer lab tours during our case competition so that more participants would have the opportunity to explore what a research laboratory is.
UBC iGEM’s 2025 Info Sessions & Outreach
PuMP Community Fair Outreach
What was the Information Session about?
We hosted a booth which presented information on our mission at iGEM and our project meduCA. We engaged with community members by putting together a mini trivia of commonly known facts in the life sciences and synthetic biology. We utilized this opportunity to gauge the public perception and understanding of synthetic biology but also space exploration. While most individuals were not familiar with synthetic biology research, we introduced this concept by first providing information on the costly and highly inefficient processes of transporting materials to space. Next, we highlighted how synthetic biology offers a more sustainable solution by modifying cyanobacteria to express the carbonic anhydrase enzyme, which in turn captures CO2 to create building living materials.
UBC iGEM boothing at PuMP community fair.
How did we collect feedback?
We distributed an anonymous survey where individuals rated their understanding of synthetic biology before and visiting our booth. Most responses showed more than a two-fold increase in their understanding of synthetic biology.
U Will Education Info Session
What was the Information Session about?
In partnership with U Will Education, a Vancouver-based educational agency, we hosted an information booth for about 20 students between Grade 8-12. The presentation outlined iGEM mission’s and learning objectives while also providing an introduction to synthetic biology. We focused on a giving a clear snapshot of how synthetic biology combines biology and engineering principles to solve real-world challenges. The presentation was followed by a lab tour, exposing students to the inner workings of a research space.
What’s next for UBC iGEM’s Educational Programming?
While a variety of educational programs were offered through workshops and community outreach, we found that we wanted to provide a more impactful learning experience. To incorporate more active learning, we organized a Case Competition which would allow participants to not only apply their understanding of synthetic biology but problem-solve a relevant industry problem.
