First hand camp: 🟢 “Floating life beings” (representing vigorous beings such as nature, green algae, and green tide)

• Implication: Unintentionally disturbing, yet thriving and flourishing in response to environmental changes. Nature never intends to “win”, but always demonstrates its power in the process of evolution.

Backhand camp: ⚪ “shore keepers” (representing humans, managers, environmental engineers)

• Implication: It is not about opposing nature, but rather observing and responding to natural changes with human intelligence, seeking ways of governance and coexistence.

When you take a step forward, you will naturally respond to the frontline. In the next round, perhaps it will be closer to symbiosis.

In “Co-Domain Simulation”, there are no winners.
Just as the iGEM project pursues: Humans are not conquerors of nature, but understanders and partners.
In each connection, we simulate, fail, and simulate again…
Not for victory, but for the possibility of approaching the “common domain”.

Jinji Lake School Series: Enlightenment of Synthetic Biology

To promote the popularization and dissemination of synthetic biology among teenagers, the XJTLU-CHINA team has been carrying out a series of educational activities for lower-grade primary school students at Jinji Lake School in Suzhou Industrial Park since March 2025. The activity design follows the principle of "from simple to complex", starting from basic biological knowledge and gradually introducing the core concepts of synthetic biology and their application cases in reality. Up to now, we have completed four rounds of teaching practices, covering both the first and third grade groups. Through interaction, observation and discussion, students have initially established an understanding of synthetic biology and environmental issues, laying a foundation for their future scientific literacy and inquiry ability.

Phase One: Biology Introductory Class

On March 27th, the event was themed "What is Biology?" and "What is Synthetic Biology?" Members of XJTLU-CHINA provided basic science popularization explanations to two classes of grade one and grade three. Due to compatibility issues with the on-site equipment, the pre-prepared PPT and video materials failed to play successfully. The member then turned to the simple sketches drawn in advance and successfully completed the teaching task through interactive explanations.

On April 3rd, this course centered on "hands-on practice", organizing first and third grade students to freely create the "organisms" and "synthetic biology-related organisms" in their minds using materials such as plasticine and ultra-light clay. In a relaxed and lively atmosphere, students demonstrated extremely strong imagination and creativity, actively engaged in creation, and expressed their love and expectations for science.

After the event, we asked the students about their expectations for the next class. Many expressed their hope to learn more difficult knowledge, and 90% of the students raised their hands and said, I want to be a biologist in the future – the seed of the dream of synthetic biology has already sprouted!

This positive feedback fully demonstrates the positive role of early education in stimulating interest and establishing ideals.

Activity Content

• Synthetic Biology Lecture We introduced the basic concepts of synthetic biology in simple language, helping students understand terms such as “gene editing” and “cell factories.” Real-life examples (e.g., environmental management, medical treatment) were used to show the social value of synthetic biology.
• iGEM Competition Introduction We explained the features and appeal of the iGEM competition, including interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of Human Practices, and the advantages of its international platform. Students were encouraged to think about the possibility of participating in the future.
• Interactive Q&A During the lecture, we incorporated interactive questions such as:
  • “Can you think of ways synthetic biology could improve daily life?”
  • “If you designed a synthetic biology project, what problem would you choose?” Students actively raised their hands and shared creative ideas, such as using microbes to handle campus waste or genetically modifying plants to improve air quality.
• Small Group Discussion Students were divided into groups and given hypothetical topics (e.g., “How to use synthetic biology to improve the environment”). They brainstormed in a short time and selected representatives to present their ideas to the class.

Significance of the Activity

This class helped high school students gain a basic understanding of synthetic biology and experience the close connection between science and real-world issues:

• For students, it broadened their scientific perspective and helped build interest and confidence in advanced subjects during high school.
• For our team, it served as a nearly-stage science education initiative, allowing more young people to see themselves as potential future iGEM participants.

Feedback from the Activity

• Students: Many students said this was their first time learning about synthetic biology, and they found it very interesting. They also developed strong interest in iGEM. Some students even added our contact information after class to continue communication in the future.
• Teachers: SIPA teachers thought that this lecture-plus-interaction format was ideal for science popularization because it maintained scientific accuracy while increasing student engagement and critical thinking.

Our reflection: Compared to teaching younger children, high school students need more scientific logic and case support. In the future, we plan to further enrich the content, for example by introducing real research case studies, to help students understand the value of synthetic biology more deeply.

Multilingual Science Picture Books

As part of our Education project, we created an original picture book, now available in both Chinese and English, with plans to expand into multiple languages so children worldwide can access it. The story follows a little mermaid who rescues sea animals suffering from the harm caused by Enteromorpha prolifera (green tide). Through colorful illustrations and a touching narrative, we aim to help children understand the importance of ocean conservation and inspire awareness of ecological protection.

Fig13&14&15. Some images from the picture book

This picture book is not only a children’s story but also an extension of our iGEM project: while our research focuses on applying synthetic biology to address the green tide problem, the book communicates the same message in a child-friendly way—“science can bring hope to the environment.” By combining storytelling with education, we strive to share the spirit of iGEM with a wider audience, especially the younger generation

Community Platforms

To further promote cross-regional communication and global collaboration in synthetic biology, the XJTLU-CHINA team has developed an online community platform dedicated to building an open and co-creative science popularization network. The platform is not only accessible to iGEM community members, but also welcomes the general public who are interested in synthetic biology. Its ultimate goal is to remove barriers of geography and background, allowing more people to directly participate in science education and environmental discussions.

The platform consists of two major functions:

• Activity Management: Users can independently create and publish events such as science workshops, outreach lectures, or academic discussions. They can also join and participate in activities hosted by others. In this way, education and outreach are no longer limited to the efforts of a single team, but are expanded into a global cooperative network.

The Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai iGEM meet-up

To promote cooperation and growth among regional teams, we organized a special iGEM meetup in the Yangtze River Delta area. The event gathered 16 teams onsite, and adopted a “Project Presentations + Project Fair” dual-track format, combining formal academic exchange with relaxed and interactive communication.

Project Presentation Session

In the formal session, each team representative went on stage to introduce their research background, project progress, and challenges. The focus was not only on presenting results, but also on sharing the thinking process and practical experiences.

We were honored to invite two guest speakers to give keynote talks, which brought valuable inspiration and guidance:

• Yuhan Bao (iGEM ambassador and Human Practices Committee coordinator)
  • Topic: How to conduct truly meaningful Human Practices (HP)
  • He emphasized that excellent HP should stay closely connected to the project’s core, showing the team’s journey of reflection, feedback from society, and changes of ideas during the process.
  • He reminded everyone that HP is not the same as Education, but should focus on deep interaction and two-way influence between the project and society.
  • He encouraged teams to explore creative forms, such as philosophical dialogues, role plays, or historical storytelling, to make HP more powerful and engaging.
• Ambassador Xiaohan Zhang (with 9 years of iGEM experience as participant and mentor)
  • He shared key insights on team building and project management.
  • From setting up efficient collaboration mechanisms, to promoting cross-disciplinary teamwork and making good use of school resources, he provided a full “experience roadmap” based on years of practice.
  • He highlighted that every team should find an operational rhythm and core values suitable to their own background, in order to achieve long-term development.

The two guest talks complemented each other: one focused on Human Practices and social interaction, while the other addressed team management and operations. Together, they offered comprehensive guidance to all participants.

Project Fair and Free Communication

The fair was designed like a lively knowledge marketplace:

• Each team decorated a booth with posters, banners, models, and creative mini-games to attract visitors.
• Participants could freely walk to any booth, talk directly with team members, and discuss research details or possible collaborations.
• The projects covered a wide range of topics: from yeast to cyanobacteria, from environmental remediation to disease therapy, from cell factories to space food.

During the presentations, teams showed very different styles: some were logical and to the point, while others were humorous and easy to follow. Complex scientific concepts were translated into clear and accessible explanations, which won applause and questions from the audience.

In addition, the fair included fun interactive activities:

• Every team prepared unique team stickers. Visitors could collect stickers as a “check-in task” and then exchange them for raffle tickets.
• Some teams also brought creative souvenirs and cultural products as small gifts, sharing their team spirit and project inspiration.

This relaxed and energetic atmosphere made knowledge and creativity flow naturally, achieving a true two-way exchange of “show” and “talk.”

Feedback from the event

• Participating teams: Many teams said that the “fair-style” exchange allowed them to have deeper face-to-face conversations with more people, rather than being limited to PPT presentations. They gained new ideas and even potential collaborations.
• Guest experts: The speakers commented that this format not only improved students’ academic presentation skills, but also trained their science communication abilities, which will benefit their future research careers.
• Our reflection: We realized that the format of an event directly shapes participants’ engagement and takeaways. In the future, we plan to add thematic workshops and round-table discussions on top of “presentation + fair,” to help teams explore cross-disciplinary collaborations and deeper issues.

English Enlightenment Activities

We visited a primary school in a southern ethnic minority area and conducted a class focused on English learning and environmental protection. Most of the children come from ethnic minority families.

Activity Content

• English learning: We wrote common English words on the blackboard (such as tree, river, bird) and explained them using examples from their familiar daily life. The children repeated the words with clear and earnest voices, and the classroom atmosphere gradually became lively from an initially reserved state.
• Environmental education: Using our current project on Ulva prolifera conservation, we explained why it is important to protect the environment and the ocean, highlighting the close connection between the environment and daily life.
• Cultural respect: To help children better understand, we incorporated local language elements and daily-life examples into our teaching. This approach avoided rigid “foreign” instruction and instead emphasized dialogue with equality and respect.

Significance of the Activity

Although the class was simple in format, its value went beyond knowledge delivery to promoting educational equity and ethnic equality:

• For children in ethnic minority areas, learning English is not just a subject, but also a window to the outside world.
• Environmental education helps them realize that the ecology of their hometown is closely linked to their future life.
• Our team conveyed the belief that science and education should not be divided by urban–rural or ethnic gaps, and that every child deserves the opportunity to understand the world.

Feedback from the Activity

• Students: The children showed strong curiosity. Even though their English foundation was weak, they actively repeated words and practiced. After class, some students greeted us enthusiastically with the word “hello.”
• Teachers: Teachers appreciated the new knowledge we brought and pointed out that students usually have limited access to external learning resources, so this activity helped broaden their horizons.
• Our reflection: Compared with other activities, this class was more straightforward. We realized that even simple lectures can have an impact. However, adding low-cost interactive elements (such as card games or drawing activities) in the future could make the class more engaging and memorable.