Education & public-engagement

As students, it felt essential for us to meet with high schoolers and other students. That's why we decided to visit two high schools in particular: Lycée de Montélimar in Drôme (26) and Lycée Champollion in Isère (38).
The first visit was aimed at juniors and seniors who were actively thinking about their future studies. Our goal was clear: to introduce the world of biotechnology in a region of France where these subjects are not taught. Two of our team members gave an interactive presentation about biotechnology in general and about another topic close to our hearts: taking an active role in shaping one's studies. Through the example of the iGEM competition, we showed that students can truly take ownership of their academic paths. As Lina said: "Don't stay on the dock. Take the train! Even if you don't know the destination yet!"

The second visit, at Lycée Champollion, was for first-year preparatory students (BAC+1). Our presentation once again promoted iGEM but also emphasized the importance of keeping an open mind: while we may graduate in a specific field, success often comes from multidisciplinary collaboration. Everyone brings something valuable to the table, and we learn from one another.

On June 5, 2025, we had the chance to be part of the team present at the inauguration of the BiotechLab at the UFR of Pharmacy.
It was a great opportunity to guide visitors and answer questions about both general facilities (laboratory rooms, brainstorming spaces) and specialized equipment (fermenters, biosafety cabinets, microscopes, and a flow cytometer).

We participated in the INP Foundation Gala on June 24, 2025. It was an exceptional moment where we could discuss our project with multidisciplinary students, industry professionals, and professors from the INP (Grenoble Polytechnic Institute) network.
The feedback was remarkable, many meaningful discussions arose around pancreatic cancer. We were deeply grateful to be able to address this societal issue with key data, patient testimonies, and of course, our solution: ExoSPY.

On July 28, we received an invitation to participate in a biology quiz, and we gladly accepted! A huge thank you to the iGEM Lund team for organizing the event.
We had fun competing alongside iGEM Prague, iGEM Frankfurt, iGEM Dresden, and iGEM Lund. It was a great way to exchange fun facts and scientific anecdotes (and enjoy a virtual snack with all the other teams!).

At the beginning of September 2025, a professor from the University Grenoble Alpes (UFR of Pharmacy) proposed a new way to bring ExoSPY to life, through the eyes of Master's students. We were thrilled by the idea because ExoSPY deserved to be expanded beyond our team!
Here's the plan: within the "Innovative Project" course, a team of six Master 2 students works on market analysis, strategic positioning, and identifying potential competitors for the ExoSPY solution. This project is developed over five months in collaboration with Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM).
A first success came on October 2nd, when the team won first place in a 3-minute pitch competition against 14 other teams, celebrated with a bottle of rosé champagne! This collaboration brings fresh perspectives and valuable market expertise. It's also very enriching for us, as three ExoSPY members are part of the six-student team, balancing roles as both project experts and students.

As our project neared its end, we held a booth at the University Grenoble Alpes Associations Fair. Science, awareness about pancreatic cancer, exchange, and sharing were at the heart of the event! More than 50 students visited our stand to learn about the iGEM competition.
We also met with various university stakeholders who proposed exciting opportunities for the 2026 iGEM Grenoble team, such as organizing a roundtable conference with former iGEMers to discuss synthetic biology.
In parallel, two of our team members were invited live on RadioCampus, an independent, curious, and alternative local media. We had a great 10-minute live discussion with the host, another fun way to make ExoSPY shine!

Later in the year, ExoSPY was selected by the INP Foundation for their Scholarship Ceremony on September 18, 2025. This was a wonderful opportunity to look back on the whole journey and thank the Foundation in person for their financial support.
We had enriching conversations during the cocktail, reflecting on future perspectives for ExoSPY.

Part of our team will participate in the National Science Festival in Grenoble, which will be held from October 9 to 12, 2025, where we will run a three-day booth.
The event's goal will be to promote science to all audiences. Over the first two days, we will welcome primary school students and will help them explore how genetics can be used to produce proteins—especially fluorescent ones.
We will introduce the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) through a fun Lego-based activity (a nod to iGEM!) to make understanding easier. Alongside, we will create a Twister-inspired game where two-player teams will race to collect the four key parts of a genetic construct: the promoter, RBS, gene, and terminator.
The last day, Saturday, will be open to the general public. Families will be able to visit freely. We will present the same booth, along with a poster about ExoSPY, providing another opportunity to showcase our project and raise awareness about how synthetic biology can help address societal challenges.
We don't have any photos yet, as we weren't participating in the science festival when the freeze occurred. However, we'll be happy to do so as soon as the sites reopen! Stay tuned.

Throughout the project, we met with journalists from Le Dauphiné. Initially, interviews focused on introducing ExoSPY to the public, and another article will soon feature one of our team members reflecting on the journey and discussing future perspectives.

To make our educational activities more engaging, we received a crocheted version of ExoSPY! With our mascot in hand, our team felt complete, and it became a fun and useful tool during our educational interventions.