Junior high students are at a critical stage of physical development and cognitive growth. Many Chinese students today are consumed by extracurricular classes and endless practice problems, limiting their understanding of natural sciences to textbook knowledge in subjects like physics and chemistry. This often leads them to focus solely on academic performance, overlooking the equal importance of physical health and environmental protection. Therefore, our team has collaborated with other organizations (including TJUSLS-China, NAU-CHINA, etc.) to produce a series of courses themed “From Nature, For Nurture.” Our goal is to broaden middle schoolers' perspective on science, introducing them to recent hot topics like marine microplastics, materials science, and gut health. This aims to foster conscious efforts in environmental protection and personal wellness. Many middle school students lack awareness in these areas, leading to lifelong unhealthy dietary habits. Within this series, we designed a colorectal cancer health education module. By explaining the definition, symptoms, risk factors, treatment principles, and prevention methods of colorectal cancer, we help students understand its dangers and learn how to prevent it. We emphasize the impact of lifestyle and dietary habits on health, ultimately guiding students toward adopting scientifically sound, healthy living and eating practices.
The team conducted activities through online recording. First, they meticulously designed the teaching content, transforming complex medical knowledge into vivid metaphors suitable for middle school students—such as explaining probiotics as “gut guardians”—and used data to illustrate colorectal cancer's high incidence rate (the third most common cancer globally). Then, during a 40-minute class, they systematically introduced basic knowledge, causative factors, and prevention methods for colorectal cancer through case studies and interactive Q&A sessions. Etiological factors were a key focus, categorized into lifestyle and other factors. Case studies illustrated the dangers of unhealthy habits like low-fiber diets and lack of exercise. Terms like “family genes” and “age progression” were used to explain genetic predisposition and aging as risk factors. Finally, a Health Habits Checklist was distributed to encourage students to apply their knowledge in daily life.
This science outreach session helped middle school students fill in many knowledge gaps, such as the importance of dietary fiber in the digestive system and the dangers of fried foods. Post-class feedback showed that students not only gained knowledge but also expressed intentions to change unhealthy eating habits. Some even volunteered to become “family health advocates.” Many students subsequently adopted healthier eating habits and more regular daily routines, while also advising their families to pay attention to daily nutrition. However, some students initially expressed fear of cancer after our session. Through our guidance, they overcame this fear and recognized the necessity of adjusting dietary and lifestyle habits to prevent cancer.
This set of science-themed aerobics was designed with special attention to the diversified characteristics of the audience. Through preliminary research, we found that modern urban people generally have fitness needs, but they are easily burned out by traditional fitness methods, and the integration of scientific elements into fitness activities can effectively enhance the interest in participation. Our audience has several distinctive features: they often face high work pressure and lack of time for exercise, so they prefer short, efficient and fun ways of fitness; moreover, most of them are active in social media platforms and are used to learning and sharing their exercise experience through videos. It is worth noting that there are differences in the way audiences of different ages participate: younger groups are more inclined to participate in interactive challenges through short video platforms, pursuing freshness and social attributes; while relatively older participants pay more attention to the standardization and health benefits of the movements, preferring to learn step by step through systematic instructional videos. Such audience characteristics prompted us to ensure the scientificity and safety of the movements while taking into account the fun and convenience of dissemination in the design. Collaborative recording with other iGEM teams precisely meets this diversified demand, providing personalized participation options for various audiences through different styles of teaching demonstrations.
During the implementation of the aerobics activity, our team members carefully designed a set of aerobics movements integrating scientific elements. After repeated discussions and many field rehearsals and tests, we constantly adjusted and optimized the rhythm and difficulty of the movements, and finally decided on the most suitable version for the public to practice. In order to expand the influence of the activity, we specially filmed and produced high-definition video tutorials, showing in detail the essentials and precautions of each decomposition movement, and at the same time, invited other iGEM team members to participate in the recording, resulting in a number of versions of aerobics videos with different styles and characteristics. These elaborate video contents are synchronously released and disseminated on multiple online platforms, with concise and easy-to-understand text descriptions and practice tips, making it convenient for netizens of different ages to learn and practice.
Through the evaluation of this science-themed aerobics education campaign, we found that the campaign achieved remarkable results in terms of participation and scientific communication effects, but also revealed some issues that are worth reflecting on. On the positive side, the creative fitness format we designed was effective in attracting public attention, and the collaboration with other iGEM teams not only expanded the impact of the campaign, but the different styles of demonstration videos also better met the needs of a diverse audience. In addition, through aerobics, we have made more people aware of our program and the iGEM competition. However, we also found that some of the scientific concepts are still hard to translate, and the correlation between some of the movements and the corresponding biological principles is not natural; in terms of the difficulty gradient of the movements, there are still barriers for participants who have no basic knowledge of sports to enter the program. In addition, although the online dissemination has a wide coverage, the lack of professional guidance may affect the standardization of the movements. These lessons provide important references for the design of future popularization activities: we need to more accurately grasp the balance between science and fun, and at the same time, establish a better grading teaching system, and consider the combination of online and offline promotion modes.
This small survey reflects several common phenomena: the majority of people are familiar with scientists who are predominantly male, female students in laboratories are more likely to perform basic operations and less likely to be involved in core des
ign work, and there is a general perception that female researchers face additional difficulties. These phenomena show that gender bias still exists in science, from popular perception to the actual division of labor. Changing the status quo will require both increased exposure for female scientists and a more equitable division of labor mechanism in the laboratory routine. Although this is a small survey, it reflects a problem that deserves attention.
In the process of implementing the series of tweets on women scientists, our team first carefully selected representative women scientists as writing subjects, and gained insight into their stories by reviewing the literature. Subsequently, we organized and summarized the materials and cooperated with other teams to collect article resources. In terms of content arrangement, we focused on combining scientific achievements with stories of people, and optimized the layout design to enhance readability. A systematic strategy was adopted for the release of the tweets: a preview tweet was first released, followed by a scientist story every two to three days, and finally summarized with a closing tweet. These carefully crafted tweets were widely disseminated through the WeChat public platform.
The series of tweets on women scientists has achieved good dissemination results, effectively stimulating readers' interest in the field of science by presenting the academic achievements and growth stories of a number of outstanding women researchers. The content of the tweets is both professional and readable, not only introducing the scientific achievements in different fields, but also showing the unique perspectives and resilience of women in scientific research through their personal experiences. Feedback from readers showed that this narrative style of combining character stories with scientific knowledge was particularly resonant, and many young female readers left comments expressing their inspiration.
However, through data analysis and reader interaction, we also found some room for improvement that is worth reflecting on. The use of jargon in some of the tweets is slightly stiff, which may affect the reading experience of non-specialized readers. In addition, the design of the interactive session is relatively single, failing to fully utilize the participatory advantages of social media. In the future, we will further optimize the balance of the selected topics, strengthen the popularization of the content, and design more interactive forms of communication, such as Q&A with scientists and sharing of readers' stories, in order to enhance the communication depth and influence of the tweet series.
Neuroscience has always been at the forefront of science and technology, and there are many unanswered questions and mysteries about our nervous system. Neuroscientists and synthetic biologists, among others, are trying in different ways to understand the nervous system, which controls all human activities, all decision-making, and the functioning of every organ. The nervous system is involved in the functioning of any organ in the human body, such as the gut, where the flora is associated with various mental illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases. However, in the public perception, the nervous system is limited to our brain, and the public does not realize that the nervous system is the center of the functioning of all the organs in our body. We, members of the iGEM team, seized this opportunity and together with other neuroscience enthusiasts from all over the country, founded NeuroGeneration, a non-profit public service organization for the public. Our goal is to build a neuroscience and psychology community for middle school students, to provide opportunities for academic sharing, social interactions, and self-presentation, and to encourage a scientific approach to mental health. We encourage a scientific approach to mental health and explore the mysteries of the brain. At the same time, we are committed to interdisciplinary popularization of science, so that more people can understand the importance and irreplaceability of the nervous system in all organs of the human body.
We have created an organization for all high school students who love psychology and neuroscience, and we provide a platform for academic exchanges; for anyone who is interested in neuroscience, our popularization of science is to let more people understand the fascination of neuroscience and the nervous system; for those who have neurological disorders or neurodegenerative disorders, we have prevention and treatment suggestions for those disorders in our popularization; for those who have non-neurological disorders or are interested in other organs and diseases of the body, we provide interdisciplinary science and humanistic care for those patients regularly. For people with neurological diseases or neurodegenerative diseases, we will include prevention and treatment suggestions for these diseases in our popularizations, and at the same time, we will regularly provide humanistic care for these patients; for people with non-neurological diseases or those who are interested in other organs and diseases of the body, we will carry out interdisciplinary popularizations, so as to make neuroscience linked with other branches of biology, and popularize a variety of diseases from a neurological point of view.
In April of 2025, our team members found many high school students across the country who were interested in neuroscience and would love to come together to create a neuroscience-based nonprofit to build NeuroGeneration as an organization.
We started by creating a group chat in which we discussed the purpose of our alliance and what we wanted to do next (as mentioned in the text above). We divided our alliance into three departments, Operations, Academics, and Events, to carry out different tasks.
The Operations Department is responsible for the operation of our social media accounts (currently we have two accounts, Xiaohongshu and WeChat, for the domestic audience, as well as two accounts, Instegram and YouTube, for the overseas audience). At the same time, the art department of the Operations Department is responsible for the layout and design of our tweets on social media, as well as the layout and design of the magazine we will create in the future. Every tweet and every event is sent out by the Operations Department.
The Events Department is mainly responsible for organizing and arranging offline events within our organization, and its main duties include finding venues for events, finding sponsors to work with, finding volunteers, and event planning. NeuroGeneration has already successfully organized the 3rd National Middle School Neuroscience Forum (Shanghai) with CNYA (Chinese Neuroscience Youth Association), and we expect to hold our own summit in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen) in early 2026.
Group photo of all participants at the National High School Neuroscience Forum held by NeuroGeneration and CNYA in Shanghai
The Academic Department is responsible for writing content for our popularization and magazines, which includes but is not limited to popularization of brain science, interdisciplinary science, cutting-edge papers, and brain diseases. The content written by the Academic Department will be modified and edited by the Operations Department before posting on social media.
Our organization regularly recruits new students, and we hope that more students who are interested in neuroscience will join us. We started with 17 members and have now expanded to 44 members, who are in charge of their own interests in different departments. The main ways to recruit new members are through the publicity of Rednote, external publicity of members and offline activities.
Currently, we have published 12 tweets on different topics on platforms such as Xiaohongshu WeChat and other platforms, and are in the process of continuous output.
NeuroGeneration's Rednote number currently has 260 followers, and we know from our backstage data that more than 50% of our viewers have a deeper understanding of neuroscience after reading our tweets from a superficial understanding of the subject. Similarly, about 57% of our viewers found our tweets helpful in preventing brain diseases. However, upon deeper reflection of the campaign, we also found a number of areas for improvement. First, although the conversion rate was high, the follower base was still small, indicating that there was still room for improvement in the content distribution strategy and the use of platform algorithms. Second, the background interactive data shows that although the content on brain disease prevention is practical, the threshold of using specialized terminology may limit the depth of understanding of a part of the audience. In addition, we noticed that the completion rate of video content was significantly higher than that of graphic content, a finding that suggests the need to further optimize the content format and add more attractive multimedia presentations.
The public lacks understanding of the molecular mechanisms linking insufficient dietary fiber intake to colorectal cancer, as well as the carcinogenic pathways of environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. There is strong interest in methods to prevent cancer through modifiable environmental factors (diet, living environment) and in identifying carcinogens in their surroundings. We employed common case studies (e.g., comparing incidence rates between high-fiber and low-fiber dietary regions) and visual aids (e.g., pollutant metabolic flowcharts) to simplify complex mechanisms. Post-survey analysis revealed that participants generally recognized environmental factors influencing colorectal cancer, yet showed room for improvement in health knowledge reserves and lifestyle habits (e.g., sleep patterns, exercise, red meat consumption). Future efforts should focus on dietary guidance and health promotion initiatives.
To effectively raise adolescents’ awareness of the link between colorectal cancer and environmental factors, we designed an educational yet engaging campus poster campaign. The poster opens with a striking headline—“The ‘Environmental Accomplice’ of the Gut ‘Killer’—How Close Is Colorectal Cancer to Us?”—paired with a cartoon-style gut icon. This combination avoids discomfort associated with medical imagery while immediately capturing students’ attention. A guiding question, “Could Your Daily Habits Be Affecting Your Gut Health?”, is presented alongside playful data bubbles, such as“Eating one extra serving of vegetables daily reduces colorectal cancer risk by 18%.”* These elements spark curiosity and prepare students for deeper content.
In the knowledge section, complex ideas are explained step by step. Colorectal cancer is first introduced through a concise definition and a simplified diagram showing disease progression:“Normal intestinal mucosa → Abnormal hyperplasia → Tumor.”To emphasize the role of behavior, we employed a“switch”metaphor, illustrating how unhealthy habits can“turn on”risks while healthy habits“turn them off.”This visual framing helps students connect personal lifestyle choices with disease prevention.
Environmental factors were contextualized through three aspects of adolescents’ daily lives. Dietary habits were explained with a “traffic light food” system, warning against processed meats and fried foods while encouraging fiber-rich grains and vegetables, linked to the concrete goal of 25 grams of fiber per day. Lifestyle factors were represented with an “energy bar” metaphor, portraying exercise as “charging your gut” and sedentary behavior as weakening it, while also stressing the risks of smoking and alcohol consumption. Environmental threats such as smog and polluted water were depicted with simplified illustrations, paired with practical advice like wearing masks on heavily polluted days.
To promote retention and behavior change, interactive elements were incorporated. A self-assessment checklist enabled students to evaluate their own daily habits, while the“Gut Defense Campaign”offered actionable suggestions through cartoon icons, such as short exercise routines during school breaks. The poster concluded with the positive advocacy message“Healthy Gut = Happy Life”and a space for students to write personal health goals, encouraging them to transform knowledge into action.
This poster design exhibits three primary issues: First, there is a pronounced “text overload” phenomenon, with core content lacking effective layering. The text volume per section consistently exceeds the visual tolerance threshold of 300 characters for adolescents. For instance, the “Dietary Factors” section simultaneously includes professional mechanism explanations and numerous food examples, resulting in dense paragraph-style text that causes reading fatigue. Second, the accompanying illustrations lack functional purpose. Not only do they feature inconsistent styles (mixing cartoon and realistic elements), but they also fail to establish logical connections with the text through visual cues (such as arrows or symbols). Consequently, the illustrations become mere decoration rather than information carriers. Finally, the layout distribution is imbalanced: the “Dietary Factors” section occupies 40% of the space while other equally important content occupies only 20%. Simultaneously, the stark contrast between crowded core areas and empty margins disrupts the equilibrium of information delivery and reading comfort. Collectively, these issues prevent the poster from achieving optimal communication effectiveness in information presentation, visual guidance, and layout coordination.
Knowledge Gap:
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often face challenges in understanding and expressing their emotions and physical states. This is particularly true regarding digestive system issues, such as dietary sensitivities and gastrointestinal discomfort. These problems not only affect their physical health but can also negatively impact their emotions and behavior. Research indicates that interactive, sensory-rich teaching methods can significantly enhance ASD children's engagement and comprehension. However, many lack access to such educational resources.
Key Interest Points:
Integrating art and science education has proven highly effective in sparking children's creativity and interest in STEM fields. Creating models of the human digestive system using colored clay not only captures children's attention but also deepens their understanding of organ structure and function through hands-on exploration. According to situated learning theory, translating abstract concepts into tangible physical models helps children better grasp complex scientific knowledge and enhances their ability to apply it in real-world contexts.
Characteristics:
The child participating in this activity is an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), currently enrolled in first grade. This child demonstrates strong interests in specific subjects like insects and marine life and excels at expressing himself through visual and tactile means. Recognizing the significant individual differences among children with autism—each possessing unique interests, skill levels, and learning styles—we designed flexible and adaptable instructional content to ensure every participant could find the learning path best suited to them.
Participants: Organized by members of the ZQT Nanjing team, inviting an 8-year-old boy diagnosed with autism and his parents to participate together.
Opening Introduction: Briefly introduce today's theme, “Exploring Your Digestive System,” and explain why understanding one's body is important. Cite research indicating that self-awareness is crucial for boosting self-esteem and confidence.
Guided Questions: Before crafting each organ, pose two questions to the child: “What do you think this organ looks like?” and “What function do you think it serves?” This questioning method encourages active thinking and is a vital tool for developing critical thinking skills.
Hands-on Activity: Collaboratively shape digestive system organs using colored clay while explaining each organ's function, then attach them to a human body model. Practical engagement allows children to intuitively grasp complex biological concepts.
Discussion & Sharing: Encourage the child to share their understanding and feelings about the digestive system, boosting confidence in self-expression. Social interaction is recognized as a vital pathway for promoting development in children with autism.
During the clay-based science activity, the child demonstrated a strong level of concentration and enjoyment. The process of shaping specific forms with clay fostered notable engagement, and the child repeatedly expressed a desire to continue working with the material. This suggests that clay, as a sensory-rich teaching tool, successfully captures children’s attention while also cultivating patience and sustained interest.
In terms of conceptual understanding, the child initially lacked a scientific grasp of how the digestive system functions and tended to describe ideas vaguely. Through guided and repeated practice, however, they were able to identify several digestive organs and associate them with simple functions such as “the stomach holds food” or “the intestines absorb nutrients.” Although progress remained modest, the use of visual and tactile cues facilitated improvement in comprehension and memory.
A more specific learning objective was the ability to identify the location and function of at least three digestive organs. At the outset, the child could only vaguely name one or two organs, such as the stomach, and could not accurately indicate their positions or roles. After the activity, with assistance, the child was able to name and point out three organs, while also attempting to describe their functions. Although explanations were relatively simple, this performance under structured support revealed a certain degree of learning potential.
Regarding interest in the digestive system, the child initially expressed no particular curiosity, focusing instead on insects and marine life. After the activity, however, they demonstrated a limited but noticeable increase in curiosity, engaging with the digestive system model through touch and observation, and occasionally raising related topics. While the growth in interest was modest, the willingness to explore new subject areas represents a positive shift.
Through literature review and research, we identified multiple barriers for the hearing-impaired community in accessing scientific information, including lack of sign language interpretation, insufficient visualization of science communication materials, and imprecise subtitling. Simultaneously, individuals with hearing impairments demonstrate high demand for knowledge in health and environmental domains, particularly topics closely related to personal health and environmental safety. Given this context, we collaborated with multiple iGEM teams to select topics such as colorectal cancer awareness, plastic degradation, Helicobacter pylori, microplastics, and marine resource utilization. These subjects encompass health education while addressing environmental protection and resource utilization, aligning with the knowledge interests and societal concerns of the deaf community.
From May to August 2025, team members collaborated closely with sign language interpreters and partner teams. First, video scripts were drafted based on the established themes and refined through multiple rounds of review to ensure concise and accessible language. Subsequently, narration videos and synchronized sign language recordings were produced, ensuring high consistency between the sign language interpretation and the spoken content. Post-production focused on optimizing subtitle and sign language window layouts for visual clarity. Videos were uniformly released across major social media platforms and precisely promoted through deaf-related communities to ensure effective outreach to target audiences.
Post-campaign, we assessed effectiveness through three methods: surveys, playback data analysis, and interviews. Surveys covered both deaf and non-deaf audiences, evaluating video comprehensibility, scientific accuracy, and visual presentation. Playback data analyzed views, completion rates, and comment interactions per video to gauge dissemination impact. Interviews focused on collecting subjective feedback and improvement suggestions from deaf individuals regarding their viewing experience. The evaluation revealed that the videos significantly aided the hearing-impaired community in accessing health and environmental knowledge. However, challenges were identified, including extended production cycles, occasional overlap between sign language areas and visual information, and limited thematic coverage. To address these issues, we plan to integrate AI sign language generation technology to reduce production time, optimize screen layouts to prevent information obstruction, and collaborate with more hearing-impaired education institutions to continuously expand science communication topics and audience reach.
For the Human Practices component of the iGEM competition, our team chose to establish accounts and publish content simultaneously across five platforms: Douyin, Xiaohongshu, YouTube, Bilibili, and WeChat Official Accounts. The core value of this decision lies in precisely matching the audience characteristics of each platform to achieve broad reach and deep penetration in science communication. From an audience analysis perspective: Douyin users skew younger and show higher receptivity to lighthearted, lively content; Xiaohongshu has a higher proportion of female users who prefer interactive, lifestyle-oriented expressions; Bilibili attracts a large base of young learners interested in in-depth content; YouTube enables us to reach international audiences and expand the project's global influence; WeChat Official Accounts, meanwhile, attract a larger professional audience focused on education. This multi-platform collaborative dissemination strategy not only covers a broad spectrum from general public to specialists but also adjusts communication methods based on platform-specific user characteristics, avoiding the limitations of single-channel approaches. By constructing a communication chain—“Entertainment Attraction → Interest Cultivation → Deep Understanding → Value Recognition”—we achieved tiered coverage from casual entertainment users to professional communities.
Our team established official accounts across five platforms—Douyin, Xiaohongshu, YouTube, Bilibili, and WeChat Official Account—and developed systematic operational strategies. With clear division of labor, dedicated personnel manage content creation, data monitoring, and user engagement to ensure efficient platform operations. We regularly publish course videos and science-popularization articles, tailoring content formats to each platform's characteristics—e.g., short videos for Douyin and in-depth articles for WeChat Official Accounts. Simultaneously, the team closely monitors metrics like view counts and engagement rates to optimize content strategies in real time. We actively respond to comments and address inquiries to enhance user retention.
Through systematic evaluation of this multi-platform operation campaign, we identified areas for improvement despite successfully establishing a communication network covering diverse audiences. Operational effectiveness revealed significant disparities in user growth and engagement metrics across platforms, indicating a need to better leverage platform-specific characteristics. Noteworthy achievements include establishing a comprehensive account matrix that achieved full coverage of core audiences and implementing standardized operational workflows to ensure consistent content delivery. Regarding team collaboration, while a clear division of labor was established, the efficiency of cross-platform resource integration requires improvement, particularly in the coordinated operation between international and domestic platforms. These insights prompt us to further refine operational workflows, enhance data analysis capabilities, establish more agile response mechanisms, and strengthen cross-platform operational training for team members. These efforts will comprehensively broaden and deepen the reach and impact of our science communication.
In global colorectal cancer prevention outreach, distinct cognitive disparities and knowledge gaps emerge across regional audiences. For instance:
- In the U.S., incidence rates among those under 50 have risen significantly over the past decade, yet early screening participation remains low.
- Japan faces rising colorectal cancer mortality due to Westernized diets, yet the dietary-disease link is widely overlooked. Southeast Asia exhibits weak awareness of precancerous lesions like polyps and inflammation, and due to uneven medical resources, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages. In Europe, despite accessible screening technologies for the elderly, many proactively avoid them due to “fear of pain or inconvenience.” These phenomena reveal widespread public gaps in understanding colorectal cancer's pathogenesis, early symptoms, and screening importance globally. Simultaneously, audiences clearly prefer accessible, scenario-based knowledge dissemination—such as analogies like “plumbing and the gut” to explain disease causes—or tailored prevention advice aligned with local diets and lifestyles. Furthermore, platforms like OMETV, offering free, ad-free multilingual real-time translation, demonstrate strong audience preference for barrier-free, cross-language science resources, reflecting a desire for low-threshold access to reliable knowledge. Notably, despite regional cultural differences and varying cognitive levels, most audiences favor highly interactive and engaging communication formats. They also demonstrate a widespread willingness to disseminate knowledge within family and social circles, creating potential for a transnational, cross-cultural network of health knowledge dissemination.
On September 7, 2025, our team conducted a transnational online science outreach session on Ometv, focusing on colorectal cancer awareness as part of the iGEM initiative. The activity aimed to deliver accessible, culturally adapted science communication to participants from diverse backgrounds.
In preparation for the event, we carefully developed teaching materials that aligned with the characteristics of the target audiences across different countries. Comparative visuals of healthy and cancerous intestines were created, avoiding graphic ulcer imagery to reduce discomfort. To simplify complex concepts, we used metaphors such as tumor development illustrated through food items, for example, a “green bean” representing early tumor growth and a “rotten walnut” representing a late-stage tumor. Case studies and interactive questions were also adjusted to reflect local lifestyles, thereby enhancing cultural relevance.
The session opened with informal conversations to gauge participants’ existing knowledge of colorectal cancer. This initial interaction helped build rapport and created a comfortable atmosphere that facilitated subsequent science communication. By beginning with accessible discussion, we ensured that participants felt engaged and prepared for deeper learning.
The core content of the outreach was delivered in three steps. First, colorectal cancer was introduced in straightforward language, aided by analogies such as comparing the intestine to a water pipe, making the concept intuitive for learners. Second, the dangers of colorectal cancer and the importance of early screening were highlighted with references to country-specific contexts. For example, the rising incidence among Americans under 50 was contrasted with dietary influences in Japan and healthcare disparities in Southeast Asia. Third, visual demonstrations were used to illustrate tumor progression, including images contrasting healthy and cancerous intestines and the metaphor of tumor growth from a“mung bean” to a“walnut.”
Prior to the event, the audience's overall awareness of colorectal cancer was relatively low. Regarding iGEM, most respondents indicated it was their first time hearing about the initiative. They struggled to connect it with synthetic biology and found it difficult to understand how a student-led international research competition intersects with healthcare issues. Some mistakenly perceived it as a commercial brand or an emerging tech product. There was a widespread lack of foundational knowledge about synthetic biology, with many simplistically equating it to genetic modification. Awareness of its potential contributions to disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention was notably low. When discussing colorectal cancer, respondents predominantly held the stereotype that it is an “elderly disease.” They could list only a limited number of early symptoms, typically mentioning only rectal bleeding, which was often attributed to hemorrhoids, dietary irritation, or temporary intestinal discomfort. There was a lack of awareness regarding non-specific signals such as changes in bowel habits, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Due to limited information channels, significant knowledge gaps exist across regions: While young people in Europe and America possess some health literacy, they do not consider themselves at risk. Respondents in Southeast Asia and Latin America, constrained by disparities in medical resources, hold negative expectations regarding the accessibility and necessity of early screening, fostering a psychological avoidance mindset of “no symptoms, no risk.” Overall, pre-event awareness of related topics remained marginal among audiences, characterized by knowledge gaps and misconceptions. Cross-border and cross-linguistic information barriers hindered effective communication between scientific advancements and public perception.
Post-event, audience perceptions underwent a marked shift. iGEM's image as an international academic platform was solidified, with respondents accurately articulating its core features—“student-centered, utilizing standardized biological components to solve real-world problems”—and citing synthetic biology's potential applications in cancer screening, targeted therapies, and public health interventions. This established a preliminary logical connection between scientific innovation and health issues. Regarding colorectal cancer, audiences gained a macro-level grasp of disease progression, broadly understanding the sequential process of “polyps → adenomas → malignancy.” They could describe the temporal dimension of tumor evolution using demonstration models like “mung beans turning into walnuts.” Recognition of early symptom patterns significantly improved, with key indicators such as blood in stool, irregular bowel habits, abdominal pain, and unexplained weight loss being incorporated into personal health monitoring checklists. More importantly, early screening awareness has shifted from passive to proactive: European seniors are reassessing the opportunity costs of “fear of inconvenience or pain”; North American youth indicate incorporating colonoscopies into their five-year health plans; Southeast Asian users propose leveraging community health volunteer networks to promote low-cost fecal occult blood screening. With the ongoing dissemination of real-time translations and multilingual resources, knowledge flow transcends geographical boundaries. Respondents spontaneously translate scientific content into their native languages, facilitating secondary dissemination within family and social circles. This creates a chain reaction effect spreading from “individuals to families to communities.” Consequently, colorectal cancer has transformed from an abstract disease symbol into a tangible, preventable, and controllable health risk. The scientific value of synthetic biology has also gained concrete representation in transnational public discourse, laying a foundational understanding for advancing global health equity and research sharing.
The results of this science interest survey targeting 5- to 6-year-olds provide valuable insights for audience analysis. The data indicate that children in this age group display a strong inclination toward natural sciences, with 87.5% expressing a positive attitude toward science-related content—45.8% reporting that they are “very interested” and 41.7% “somewhat interested.” This demonstrates a generally high level of enthusiasm for scientific exploration among young children.
When assessing scientific knowledge, however, the survey revealed clear limitations. In the case of the concept of “cell,” 66.6% of the children demonstrated only preliminary understanding or no knowledge at all. This suggests that while children are naturally curious about science, their grasp of specific scientific concepts remains underdeveloped, highlighting the importance of carefully scaffolded educational approaches.
Equally significant are the findings regarding learning preferences. A striking 91.7% of the children reported enjoying or accepting hand-modeling activities, with 62.5% indicating they “liked it very much.” Similarly, hands-on learning (89.6%) and animated videos (83.3%) were identified as the most favored teaching methods, far surpassing traditional formats such as storytelling or lectures (50%). These results emphasize the strong preference of young learners for interactive, sensory-rich, and visually engaging forms of instruction.
Taken together, the survey results highlight three defining characteristics of 5- to 6-year-olds as an audience for science education: a natural curiosity about scientific topics, limited knowledge of specific scientific concepts, and a pronounced preference for interactive and visual learning experiences. Based on these findings, more effective science initiation programs can be designed by prioritizing hands-on practice, animation-based demonstrations, and other methods that align with children’s cognitive development. Such approaches not only sustain children’s interest in learning but also enhance the effectiveness of science education by transforming abstract concepts into tangible and comprehensible content.
This biology popularization activity adopts a 65-minute scientific time schedule, which fully takes into account the cognitive characteristics and learning rules of young children. The activity kicks off with a 15-minute fun introduction, which captures children's attention through vivid and visual explanations. A 10-minute video and model demonstration session follows to pave the way for subsequent practice. A 35-minute hands-on student activity is arranged in the main part, allowing children to explore the mysteries of science through full hands-on experience. The final 5-minute presentation and summarization session gives children the opportunity to show their results and helps consolidate the learning points. This time allocation not only ensures the systematic transfer of knowledge, but also effectively maintains children's enthusiasm for participation through the combination of static and dynamic activities and the alternation of speaking and doing. The length of each session is carefully calculated to ensure that the teaching tasks are completed within the effective period of the children's attention and to achieve the best learning effect.
This biological science popularization activity adopts professional staffing and scientific teaching process design. Two volunteer lecturers work together to ensure a balance between classroom guidance and individual instruction. The teaching process adopts a step-by-step four-stage structure: firstly, vivid animation triggers the interest of inquiry and throws out the core question of body composition; then, we use intuitive pictures and analogies to explain the cell structure, and maintain the participation through instant quizzes and sticker rewards; and then we move on to the clay handicraft session.
The evaluation of this kindergarten Biology Enlightenment Program demonstrated that the activity was highly effective in stimulating children’s interest in science and fostering early knowledge acquisition. Through lively and engaging instructional design, children expressed a strong curiosity about microscopic life phenomena such as cells and were able to employ figurative language in describing basic concepts. Interactive components, particularly the use of handmade models, proved especially appealing, effectively encouraging active participation. The classroom atmosphere was dynamic, and the overall teaching objectives were successfully achieved.
At the same time, reflective analysis of the teaching process revealed several areas for improvement. While children responded enthusiastically to figurative metaphors, they encountered challenges in comprehending more abstract ideas, such as specific cell functions. Moreover, the curriculum design did not fully address the diverse cognitive developmental levels of individual children, leaving room for more differentiated instructional strategies. Another limitation concerned the connection between classroom learning and everyday experiences, which requires closer integration to enhance the relevance and applicability of scientific knowledge.
These findings provide valuable guidance for optimizing future Science Enlightenment Curricula. In particular, they suggest the need for continuous refinement in the presentation of abstract concepts, the incorporation of differentiated teaching approaches tailored to varying cognitive levels, and the explicit linkage of scientific content to daily life. By addressing these areas, future programs can more effectively sustain children’s curiosity while deepening their understanding of foundational scientific principles.
In Zhangjiajie's mountainous elementary school, science initiation activities face multiple challenges: children's knowledge of microscopic life science concepts is limited, the lack of experimental equipment restricts the opportunity for practice, the difficulty of understanding is exacerbated by the obscurity of specialized terminology, and the scarcity of exposure to cutting-edge technology restricts the expansion of scientific horizons. In response to these difficulties, we have innovatively integrated art into science education, helping children to understand abstract concepts through the intuitive form of drawing, especially using localized metaphors such as the gene map in the seed to provide storytelling guidance, which has effectively stimulated learning interest. Considering the cognitive characteristics of students from kindergarten to second grade - limited comprehension, varying language skills, and significant differences in personality - we designed an independent drawing session with no predetermined topic to ensure that each child can find his or her own way of expression and build up scientific cognitive self-confidence in an inclusive environment. This educational model combining art and science not only breaks through the limitations of educational resources in mountainous areas, but also successfully bridges the gap between abstract concepts and children's cognitive level through visualization and storytelling teaching strategies.
With the theme of Draw the code of life in your heart, this activity adopts an inspiring and interactive teaching design. After a vivid introduction to ignite the children's curiosity, the abstract concept of genes was transformed into a concrete expression that the children could understand by using close-to-life analogies such as the gene map in the seed. In the independent drawing session, children were provided with a wealth of creative materials and encouraged to combine the scientific concepts they had just learned with their own imagination to freely express their understanding of genes and life sciences through art. Finally, a sharing and discussion session is set up to allow children to practice their expression skills while displaying their works and to expand their thinking through peer exchanges. The activity process of concept introduction - artistic transformation - communication and sublimation not only respects the cognitive development characteristics of children, but also realizes the organic integration of science education and artistic creation, so that the complex concepts of life sciences can be understood and accepted by children in a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere.
The Draw the code of life in your heart teaching activity effectively stimulated the children's enthusiasm for exploring life sciences through innovative forms. Before the activity, most of the children were unfamiliar with the field of life sciences, but through the lively and interesting interactive teaching, the children showed a new interest and curiosity in this discipline. Especially noteworthy is that in the cutting-edge scientific field of gene editing, the children gradually changed from the initial unfamiliarity to active exploration, showing their unique understanding of this complex concept. In terms of teaching methods, the program creatively combined artistic expression with science learning. Through the intuitive form of drawing, the children were able to show their understanding of microscopic life science in an imaginative way, which not only lowered the threshold of learning, but also made the abstract scientific concepts vivid and palpable. Feedback from the children showed that this innovative teaching method not only enhanced the fun of the learning process, but also deepened their understanding of scientific knowledge. Throughout the activity, the children showed a strong desire for knowledge and creativity, and the process of depicting scientific concepts through their brushes actually completed a journey of knowledge exploration from passive acceptance to active construction. This mode of integrating art creation with science education provides a new idea worth borrowing for science popularization education and shows the unique advantages of interdisciplinary teaching in stimulating learning interests.
Amidst the uneven development of education in China's remote mountainous regions, the shortage of educational resources is particularly acute in areas like Sichuan's Daliang Mountains. Survey data reveals that local school libraries hold an average of fewer than 500 books, with over 60% being outdated publications from a decade ago. Regarding teaching supplies, an average of three students share one set of basic stationery. This resource scarcity manifests not only quantitatively but also structurally—with severe shortages of age-appropriate reading materials for lower grades, popular science books, and modern teaching aids. To effectively address this issue, our team launched the “Knowledge Ark” public welfare project, focusing on a “targeted and sustainable” assistance model. By establishing a complete closed-loop system encompassing needs assessment, resource matching, and impact evaluation, we ensure the effectiveness and continuity of educational aid.
In July 2025, under the proactive coordination of team leader , all ZQT members jointly launched an educational aid initiative targeting the Daliang Mountains region of Sichuan. Through extensive coordination, the team successfully connected with Teacher Ma from a local school and swiftly implemented the donation plan: On one hand, the team transferred funds to the school's designated account to support urgently needed educational resources. On the other hand, they carefully selected age-appropriate reading materials spanning multiple disciplines and delivered them directly to the school via mail. The books were meticulously chosen based on two core principles: diversity and readability. The collection spans children's literature, foundational science knowledge, traditional culture texts, and art appreciation picture books, aiming to cater to the reading interests and cognitive development needs of students across different age groups. This donation initiative was not merely a transfer of materials but a sowing of compassion. We deeply understand that every book and every piece of stationery holds the potential to become an opportunity to change a child's future. Moving forward, we will continue to address educational challenges in remote mountainous regions by exploring sustainable support models, such as regular donations or remote tutoring programs. Simultaneously, we call upon all sectors of society to join us in lighting the flame of knowledge for more children, ensuring the sun of educational equity shines in every corner.
Post-implementation assessments revealed that while the project largely achieved its objectives, areas for improvement remain. Key issues include: insufficient research depth, failing to fully grasp students' specific reading preferences; inadequate consideration of grade-level differences in material allocation; and room for enhancement in follow-up tracking mechanisms. To address these, future efforts will focus on optimizing the following aspects: 1) Establish a tiered needs assessment system using online survey tools to collect detailed demand data by grade level; 2) Implement a “precision matching” approach, configuring differentiated resource packages based on age-specific characteristics; 3) Enhance the project evaluation mechanism by establishing a quarterly follow-up system to gather usage feedback; 4) Explore a “book renewal” initiative to establish a sustainable reading material rotation system. These improvements will further enhance the precision and long-term effectiveness of the assistance program, maximizing the impact of educational resources.
Elementary school students exhibit distinctive figurative thinking when it comes to understanding microscopic concepts such as bacteria. They are more receptive to colorful diagrams of bacterial structures and often have difficulty concentrating on purely textual descriptions. When a concrete analogy such as a sesame seed on a soccer field is used to illustrate the size of a bacterium, children are able to develop an accurate conceptual understanding. Interestingly, children naturally assign personality traits to bacteria, such as thinking that certain bacteria are smart or tricky. This anthropomorphic way of thinking, although not scientific, helps them to better remember the characteristics of bacteria. In addition, the cognitive process of primary school students is obviously emotional, and when they see cartoon images of good bacteria and bad bacteria, they will immediately have an emotional reaction of like or dislike. Their knowledge acquisition is also characterized by fragmentation, and they are able to remember interesting concrete facts such as how far can bacteria fly when sneezing, but they are not good at linking these knowledge points into a systematic knowledge network. These cognitive characteristics fully indicate that science education for primary school students needs to pay special attention to the intuitive, interesting and interactive nature of the teaching method.
According to the comparative analysis of the pre- and post-test data, the bacteria popularization activity has achieved remarkable results. The pre-activity interest assessment showed that students' interest in the topic of bacteria was generally low, with 52% of the students indicating that they were not interested at all (22%) or not very interested (30%), and only 14% showing positive interest (12% were quite interested and 2% were very interested). The post-event assessment data showed a significant shift, with 80% of students reporting an increase in interest, only 4% a slight decrease in interest, and no one reporting a significant decrease in interest. This significant change fully demonstrates the effectiveness of interactive science activities in stimulating students' interest in science and provides direction for similar activities in the future.
During the implementation of the Biology Enlightenment Program at Nanyuan Xianlin Elementary School, our team made sufficient preparations. In the course design stage, the team members carefully made a teaching PPT suitable for the cognitive level of first-grade students, and after many discussions and modifications, we constantly optimized the presentation of the content to ensure that the scientific knowledge is both accurate and interesting. a large number of vivid pictures of bacteria and cartoon animations were incorporated into the PPT to make abstract scientific concepts intuitive and easy to understand. In the classroom, we use simple and easy-to-understand language to explain the basic knowledge of bacteria, and maintain interaction with students through questions and discussions. In order to mobilize the classroom atmosphere, we designed a fun quiz session and gave small prizes to students who actively participated as an encouragement. The whole teaching process emphasizes on fun, combining scientific knowledge with practical life, such as explaining the existence of bacteria in life, how to maintain personal hygiene and other practical knowledge.
The Bacteria City science popularization activity has demonstrated significant advantages in children's scientific enlightenment. Through the creative metaphor and anthropomorphic character design of Bacteria City, the activity successfully transformed the abstract knowledge of microorganisms into a form that is easy for children to understand. The vivid and visual teaching method effectively stimulates children's interest in learning, and the design of interactive links fully mobilizes participation, making the process of learning science knowledge full of fun. This kind of teaching strategy not only cultivates children's interest in science, but also lays a good foundation for subsequent science learning. In terms of activity reflection, we noticed that the precision of conveying scientific concepts needs to be improved. Although the anthropomorphic expression was well received, there were ambiguities in conveying specific concepts such as the size of bacteria and the environment in which they acted. The design of the assessment session also needs to be further optimized to more accurately test the learning effectiveness. These findings suggest that future science popularization activities need to better balance creative expression and scientific rigor by introducing intuitive teaching aids and clarifying conceptual boundaries while maintaining fun, in order to create a more complete science enlightenment experience.
High school students show unique learning characteristics and interest orientation in biology science activities. They are at the critical stage of transition from concrete to abstract thinking, and are able to understand the cause-and-effect relationship and principles in biology, but also need to deepen their understanding of abstract concepts through concrete cases. In terms of science popularization content, they showed great interest in cutting-edge biotechnology and paid special attention to the practical application value of these technologies. In terms of the form of activities, the interactive practical sessions are most capable of mobilizing their enthusiasm for participation. These characteristics show that biological science popularization activities for high school students should adopt a combination of theory and practice, focusing on the systematic explanation of basic scientific principles and stimulating learning interest through cutting-edge scientific and technological cases, and at the same time, designing interactive practical sessions to cultivate their scientific thinking ability in discussions and exchanges.
This biology science popularization activity lasted 40 minutes and was conducted by members of the ZQT-Nanjing team during the life science club activity time, leading the life science club students from the first and second grades of the China-US Class at Jinling High School.
The course primarily introduced the transcription and translation processes of genes, as well as different transcription regulatory pathways and processes. First, the course provided an overview of several core concepts, such as how genes are regulated by promoters, how the various components of promoters function, and how positive and negative feedback pathways operate. Next, we provided a detailed explanation of various metabolic pathways and the process of bacterial promoter regulation of transcription and translation. Using the Trp promoter as an example, we helped students better remember the sequence and functions of each component. We then compared positive and negative feedback pathways with examples of the trp and lac operons to explain how transcription and translation of DNA are regulated. Finally, we introduced a special method to enhance translation efficiency: cAMP+CAP.
The Biological Science Popularization Activity for senior secondary school students has achieved remarkable results, and the evaluation found that the design of the activity better suited the cognitive characteristics and interest orientation of senior secondary school students. The activity successfully stimulated students' interest in cutting-edge biotechnology, especially in the exploration of topics such as gene editing and antibiotic research and development, in which students demonstrated a strong desire for knowledge and enthusiasm for participation. The design of the hands-on lab sessions effectively mobilized students' enthusiasm and helped them combine theoretical knowledge with practical applications. When discussing global issues, students' critical thinking and in-depth thinking skills were gratifying, reflecting the positive role of science popularization activities in cultivating scientific thinking.
However, through the implementation of the activity we also found some room for improvement that is worth reflecting on. First, although students showed great interest in cutting-edge science and technology, there was still an imbalance in their mastery of basic knowledge, which suggests that we need to better balance the content ratio between basic theories and cutting-edge advances in future activities. Second, when organizing the discussion session, the participation of some students needs to be improved, and we may need to design more attractive discussion forms and topics. In addition, the timing and guidance of the experimental sessions need to be optimized to ensure that each student can get sufficient practice opportunities. These reflections provide an important direction for us to improve our future science popularization activities, and we will continue to explore more effective forms of science popularization to continuously improve the educational effect of our activities.
In the preliminary student interviews, we learned that due to the limited equipment and insufficient conditions in school laboratories, many high school students lacked opportunities for hands-on experiments, especially in molecular biology and other experiments that require professional instrumentation support (e.g., gel electrophoresis, PCR, enzyme digestion, etc.). In order to fill this practical gap, we finally selected the high school section of Jurong Bijieyuan School as a pilot unit after a comprehensive evaluation, and organized students to go to Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences to carry out experimental learning.
In the professional laboratory of JASA, students participated in the whole process from DNA extraction to gel electrophoresis analysis under the guidance of researchers, and experienced PCR amplification, enzymatic reaction and other core technologies. This practice not only filled the blank of classroom experiments, but also allowed students to have an intuitive understanding of the application of modern biotechnology, laying a foundation for the subsequent cultivation of interest in the discipline and scientific research enlightenment.
8:30-9:30 a.m. | Uniform travel to Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS) - Organize students to gather at school and take buses to Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences to ensure safe arrival.
9:30-10:00 a.m. | Introduction to the experiment and explanation of principles - The teacher or researcher will briefly introduce the experimental content of the day, including the basic principles of enzyme digestion, PCR and gel electrophoresis, the operation process and the significance of the experiment.
10:00-11:00 a.m. | Ph. - A PhD student from Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences will demonstrate the standardized operation of the enzyme digestion and PCR experiments to ensure that students clearly understand the experimental steps and precautions.
11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Student Group Experiments (digestion + PCR) - Under the guidance of the researchers, students will work in groups to perform the enzymatic digestion (e.g. DNA restriction endonuclease treatment) and PCR amplification experiments and record the experimental data.
13:30-15:00pm | Gel electrophoresis and finalization of experiments - Finish the gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR products and digested samples, observe the experimental results and discuss them. Organize the experimental equipment and clean up the lab bench.
15:00-16:00 | Visit to other ASTRI laboratories - Take students to visit high-end laboratories of ASTRI (e.g. cell culture room, etc.) and learn about uncommon research equipment (e.g. ultracentrifuge, fluorescence microscope, etc.) to broaden their scientific horizons.
This Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences experimental activity has achieved remarkable educational results by allowing students to participate in molecular biology experiments first-hand. The most outstanding result of the activity is that it has successfully changed the students' cognitive way of biology, making them change from passive acceptance of textbook knowledge to active construction of understanding through practical operation. the hands-on operation of the experiments such as PCR and DNA electrophoresis allowed the students to intuitively observe the application of abstract biotechnological principles in practice, and this kind of experiential learning greatly deepened the depth of their understanding of professional knowledge, and several students mentioned in interviews that rote knowledge points became vivid and concrete through experimental operation. This kind of experiential learning greatly deepened their understanding of specialized knowledge, and many students mentioned in the interview that the rote knowledge became vivid and concrete through the experimental operation.
The activity also successfully expanded the students' disciplinary horizons and interests. Through interaction with researchers, laboratory visits and advanced equipment, students not only became interested in molecular biology, but also began to think about the practical application of biotechnology in agriculture and medicine. This connection from textbook knowledge to real-life applications opened up a broader view of the discipline for the students, and some of them even revealed their desire to engage in scientific research in the future in their interviews.
In terms of scientific literacy development, the activity helped students establish a preliminary cognitive framework for scientific research through rigorous experimental operation standards and data recording requirements. Students not only mastered the experimental skills, but more importantly began to understand the systematic and rigorous nature of scientific research. The cultivation of this scientific way of thinking went beyond the transmission of a single point of knowledge, and laid a more solid foundation for students' future learning and thinking. The students' attention to the details of the experiments and the importance of analyzing the results in the interviews reflect the initial formation of this scientific way of thinking.
From the point of view of educational practice, this activity also provided us with valuable experience. Positive feedback from the students indicated that the teaching method of combining theoretical knowledge with practical exercises is particularly suitable for biology education at the high school level. In the future, we can consider integrating more practical aspects into regular teaching, and at the same time establish a long-term cooperation mechanism with scientific research organizations to provide students with a better understanding of biology.
The target audience for this CCiC event is other iGEM teams, with knowledge gaps and points of interest centered on other teams' approaches and outcomes.
Interviews: Participate in high-profile roundtable forums such as “Frontiers and Future of DNA Synthesis Technology,” “Generative AI and Life Sciences,” “Biosafety and Responsibility,” and “Biology and Contemporary Art,” engaging face-to-face with industry leaders to gain insights into how synthetic biology is reshaping the future. The unique SynCamp Topic Bazaar and a series of self-organized sessions adopted the “unconference” model and adhered to the Chatham House Rule, encouraging open discussion on cutting-edge and even controversial topics/radical ideas. This fostered genuine intellectual exchange and expanded professional networks. These dynamic young teams represent the future of biotechnology. They will share innovative achievements and demonstrate their potential to tackle global challenges.
Exchange: By visiting each other's poster sessions, we gained insights into other teams' approaches. For instance, one team leveraged the Chinese fascination with culinary research to develop a project exploring the feasibility of sending crayfish into space. During these exchanges, we also promoted our project through merchandise distribution. Other teams expressed particular appreciation for our iHP stakeholder diagram, which employs picture book education techniques. Simultaneously, we deepened our own understanding of our project and enhanced our social skills.
Presentations: We listened to other teams' PowerPoint presentations and gained valuable insights. Many teams developed their own software and AI plugins to accomplish their tasks more efficiently. They also explained how synthetic biology cleverly connects with other disciplines to drive technological progress.
August 6–8
We kicked off with a pitch day on the first day, followed by campaigning on the second day, and concluded with final presentations on the last day.
Before the event, our focus was twofold: we were eager to see the solutions other teams had prepared, curious how they interpreted the theme and built their core logic; simultaneously, we anticipated the strategic and human-centered voting process itself, viewing it as a prime opportunity to observe dynamic team interactions and influence dynamics.
After the event concluded, we not only gained detailed insights into each team's final presentations and unique creative approaches—finding profound inspiration in the collision of ideas—but also experienced firsthand the tangible challenges of the campaigning phase. This proved far more than a simple contest of eloquence; it was a comprehensive test of team cohesion, expressive power, and adaptability. Consequently, our interest naturally crystallized and deepened around “the campaigning phase in Paris.” We yearned to dissect: What unique strategies enabled them to stand out among numerous competitors? What ingenuity lay in the design of their presentations and demonstrations? How did they forge emotional connections with judges and audiences to ultimately secure support?
The core audience for this lunchtime salon event consists of urban white-collar professionals aged 25-45. They generally possess higher education and stable career backgrounds, with a strong interest in cutting-edge technology and sustainable development topics. This group faces sub-health challenges in health management and seeks scientifically effective solutions. In the consumer sphere, they favor eco-friendly products but often struggle with decision-making due to information asymmetry. Their understanding of synthetic biology exhibits distinct tiers: most remain at a conceptual level with misconceptions, a minority grasp specific applications yet retain confusion, while a small number deeply follow technological advancements. Their core demand is to enhance quality of life through efficient access to practical knowledge while expanding social networks. Activity design must prioritize addressing key challenges like high technical barriers and insufficient information credibility, translating cutting-edge technology into tangible life benefits they can perceive.
This event centered on the theme “Synthetic Biology and Urban White-Collar Life.” It began by introducing the fundamental definition of synthetic biology and its broad applications across three major domains: healthcare (e.g., personalized vaccines, genetic testing), energy and environment (e.g., biofuels, biodegradable materials), and food and agriculture (e.g., plant-based meat, functional foods). The presentation elucidated its role in enhancing urban white-collar health, promoting green consumption, and safeguarding quality of life. Second, it delved into how synthetic biology concretely impacts white-collar daily life, including personalized health management, eco-conscious consumption choices, and emerging career opportunities. Finally, the event explored technological frontiers (gene editing, AI integration) and accompanying socio-ethical challenges, emphasizing the importance of public awareness and regulated development. The initiative aimed to enhance urban professionals' understanding of this cutting-edge technology and its potential to empower healthier, more sustainable lifestyles and career advancement.
This lunchtime salon achieved its overall objectives, successfully engaging the target white-collar audience with lively on-site interaction. Post-event surveys revealed that 85% of participants reported significantly enhanced understanding of synthetic biology, with its applications in health management and green consumption receiving high recognition. However, reflection indicated that despite a tightly structured schedule, the event felt rushed, preventing thorough exploration of certain in-depth topics. Additionally, while case studies were engaging, the depth of technical explanations may not have fully satisfied some highly educated attendees. Follow-up tracking also indicated room for improvement in participants' behavioral conversion rates, suggesting the event needs to strengthen the “awareness-to-action” loop. Future iterations could consider adding a series of specialized events and incorporating practical guidance sessions to better bridge knowledge dissemination with behavioral change.
Elderly people may lack understanding of colorectal cancer pathogenesis and risk factors, and are not clear about the association between intestinal polyps, chronic inflammation and colorectal cancer, and do not know how diet and living habits affect the risk of developing the disease. They are not familiar with the early symptoms of colorectal cancer, such as blood in stool, change in bowel habit (e.g. increased frequency, constipation and diarrhea alternately), abdominal pain, etc., which are easy to be ignored as common intestinal problems. Elderly people will be interested in simple and uncomplicated prevention methods, like daily dietary adjustments and exercise choices, which are easy to practice in their senior center life. They are concerned about the long-term protection of their health after prevention, such as improving the quality of life in their later years after reducing the risk of disease and reducing medical expenses. Older age, with varying degrees of decline in physical function, some elderly may have underlying diseases, limited ability to understand complex medical knowledge, and memory may also be diminished. Living in elderly service centers, collective life, relatively fixed scope of activities, more concentrated social circles, limited access to health knowledge channels.
According to the analysis of the results of the questionnaire of the bowel health seminar, the activity has achieved remarkable results in enhancing the health awareness and behavioral change of the elderly. In terms of knowledge acquisition, the assessment one week after the event showed that about 75% of the older adults were able to name at least one early symptom of colorectal cancer, of which 35% were able to name three symptoms and 40% were able to name two symptoms, indicating that the delivery of core health knowledge was effective. In terms of behavioral change, 45% of the elderly increased their walking activities, 60% increased their vegetable intake, and 40% increased their intake of miscellaneous grains, reflecting that the promotion of healthy lifestyles has begun to bear fruit. It is worth noting that the content of the lectures was highly comprehensible, with 60% of the elderly indicating that they understood it completely or mostly understood it, while 75% thought that the lecture methods were very practical or relatively practical, indicating that health education for the elderly needs to be presented in an easy-to-understand manner and with practical guidance methods. These data provide an important reference for similar health education activities in the future, and it is recommended that, on the basis of maintaining the existing advantages, the content design be further optimized to help those older people (about 20%) who still have difficulties in understanding to better grasp health knowledge.
In our lectures for the elderly, our team uses an intuitive and easy-to-understand approach to raise awareness of colorectal cancer among the elderly in our senior centers. We translate professional knowledge into popular forms such as illustrated brochures and short videos, for example, using the image of intestinal polyps are like small bumps in the intestines to explain the process of the disease, and using the difference in the color of the blood in the stool to illustrate the danger signals. In terms of prevention, we focus on recommending simple methods suitable for senior living, such as consuming vegetables and grains daily to promote intestinal peristalsis, and arranging a moderate amount of walks in conjunction with group activities. The activities were organized in the form of group sharing sessions for 5-8 people, with on-site demonstrations of abdominal massage and symptom observation techniques by healthcare workers, while prevention tips posters highlighting key words were put up in the canteen, activity areas and other places to help the elderly grasp the core knowledge through repetitive reinforcement. This design, which is close to the cognitive characteristics and lifestyles of the elderly, ensures that the message is effectively communicated and promotes the daily practice of preventive measures.
A multi-dimensional and phased scientific approach will be adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of this colorectal cancer awareness campaign. At the knowledge level, within one week after the activity, the elderly will be tested on their mastery of core knowledge points, such as early symptom recognition and dietary prevention points, through concise questions and answers, so as to reflect the effect of knowledge transfer with quantitative data. At the behavioral level, the improvement of the elderly's living habits was systematically observed during the two-week period, focusing on the participation rate in walking and changes in dietary structure, and objective behavioral data were obtained through staff records. At the subjective level, face-to-face interviews were used to collect direct feedback from the elderly on the comprehensibility of the content, the practicality of the methods, and suggestions for improving the format of the activities. This knowledge-behavior-feeling trinity assessment system not only measures the effectiveness of the activities, but also provides a precise and optimized direction for follow-up health education, ensuring that the popularization of science and technology is truly transformed into health awareness and behavioral changes among the elderly.
Through interviews and research, it was learned from the secretary of the community party group as well as other staff members that since the science classes in elementary school have only a very superficial introduction to biology-related topics (e.g., what's inside a water droplet), primary school students generally have a strong interest in biology-related knowledge, so it is intended to take the form of lectures and crafts to carry out biology lecturing activities in the communities near the elementary school on Ruijin Road and in the north village of Ruijin.
From the parents' point of view, they preferred community programs to stimulate their children's interest in science; from the point of view of integrating the school curriculum, the students lacked sufficient hands-on knowledge and extracurricular extension materials. Students, on the other hand, are more interested in animals and microcosmic topics.
On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., our team conducted a biology lecture for elementary school children at the community party center in the Ruijin Xincun neighborhood. There were 26 children present as well as several volunteers and parents. In the course preparation stage, our team put a lot of effort into creating a teaching PPT suitable for the cognitive characteristics of elementary school students, and through several collective discussions and trial exercises, we constantly optimized the content of the courseware, adjusted the font size, image ratio and animation effects to ensure that each slide could clearly and intuitively convey the knowledge points. We pay special attention to transforming abstract scientific concepts into vivid visual elements, such as using cartoon images of bacteria and colorful diagrams to explain microbiological knowledge, so as to make complex content simple and interesting. During the implementation of classroom teaching, we use interactive teaching methods to enliven the classroom atmosphere through fun quizzes and role-playing. We use children's language and rich body movements when explaining, and interspersed with small games and physical demonstrations, so that the children can maintain a high level of participation throughout the whole process. Students who actively answer questions are given stickers and other small rewards to create a relaxed and pleasant learning atmosphere. This kind of teaching method not only ensures the effect of knowledge transfer, but also fully stimulates the children's interest and curiosity in science.
The Biology Enlightenment Course for Primary School Students conducted at the Community Party Service Center achieved positive teaching outcomes. Through engaging and interactive instructional methods, the program successfully stimulated children’s interest and curiosity in the life sciences. The use of cartoon illustrations of bacteria, combined with simple experiments, proved particularly appealing, encouraging active participation in interactive quizzes. Children were able to describe observed phenomena in childlike yet accurate language, suggesting that foundational scientific concepts had begun to take root.
At the same time, reflective analysis of the teaching process highlighted several areas requiring further improvement. Some experimental procedures remained too complex for younger students, indicating a need for greater simplification to match their developmental level. Time allocation during lessons was not always optimal, which occasionally limited the smooth execution of all teaching components. Furthermore, while children demonstrated strong enthusiasm, there was insufficient guidance on how to extend classroom learning into daily life contexts, limiting the practical application of newly acquired knowledge.
These insights provide valuable direction for refining future science popularization curricula. Moving forward, the program will place greater emphasis on simplifying experimental design, strengthening connections between classroom content and real-life scenarios, and introducing after-class extension activities. Such improvements will contribute to making science enlightenment education more systematic, sustainable, and effective in nurturing children’s long-term interest and understanding of the life sciences.
In my preliminary research, I found that sedentary behavior enhances the risk of rectal cancer. First, sedentary behavior leads to decreased intestinal smooth muscle tone and prolonged fecal retention time in the rectum, increasing the contact time of carcinogens with the intestinal mucosa. The increased risk of rectal cancer due to sedentary behavior may also be related to delayed bowel emptying. Sedentary behavior triggers metabolic abnormalities such as obesity and insulin resistance, which itself is an independent risk factor for rectal cancer. Long-term sedentary can inhibit immune cell activity, reduce intestinal mucosal barrier function, and promote chronic inflammatory response, these factors may accelerate the proliferation of tumor cells. These factors may accelerate the proliferation of tumor cells, and the urban elite office population, with their long sedentary time and high risk, have a need for prevention in this area. Therefore, I decided to launch this campaign to produce a popularization video to publicize the relationship between rectal cancer and sedentary lifestyle, and to promote the urban elite office population to pay attention to the risk of rectal cancer and to be able to reasonably prevent it.
On July 13th, our team filmed a science video and produced it from July 14th to 16th, and on July 16th, we sent out the video to the group and asked the participants to fill out a questionnaire after watching it. Participants included white-collar office workers from various industries such as banking and securities. The content of the video included the symptoms of rectal cancer, the relationship between sedentary lifestyle and rectal cancer, and the preventive measures of rectal cancer.
This colorectal cancer popularization campaign has achieved remarkable educational results through health knowledge dissemination in the form of video, which has made more people aware of our program. The video content explained the relationship between sedentary behavior and rectal cancer in an easy-to-understand manner, which effectively raised the level of public awareness of the related risk factors and prompted most of the participants to develop a willingness to change their sedentary behaviors, reflecting the actual impact of health education.
In terms of activity reflection, we noticed that the adaptability of the video content to audiences of different age groups needs to be strengthened, especially the attractiveness to the younger group is insufficient. Meanwhile, the coverage of the campaign was relatively limited, failing to fully reflect the characteristics and needs of different occupational groups. These findings suggest that our future health popularization work needs to further optimize the content design, enhance the relevance to different populations, expand the dissemination channels and coverage, and establish a long-term tracking and feedback mechanism to continuously improve the precision and effectiveness of health education.
Centered on the theme “Microbes Fighting Tumors,” this initiative leverages artistic expression to popularize the principles behind engineered E. coli and canine uricase in cancer treatment, enabling high school students to grasp cutting-edge life sciences through interdisciplinary engagement. Students required accessible scientific guidance and creative freedom with thematic prompts, while the team provided resources, mentorship, and platform support. The process included preliminary outreach and announcements, mid-term student creation and engagement, and post-event judging with an online exhibition. Outcomes comprised original artwork with creative explanations, alongside public-facing online exhibitions and promotional materials, designed to enhance student comprehension and public awareness.
The activity is organized and executed by the ZQT-Nanjing2025 iGEM team, responsible for science content production, creative guidance, submission collection, judging/exhibition, and promotion. The timeline is as follows: Announcement and submission opening on August 5; creation period from August 5 to 15; review and curation from August 16 to 20; online display and promotion commencing after August 20. During implementation, the team first releases text/image and video science communication materials, along with a prompt sheet containing theme examples and creative suggestions. Students created submissions within the deadline, submitting works and explanations via email or questionnaire while adhering to naming conventions and attaching originality pledges. Submissions underwent preliminary scientific and compliance reviews, followed by scoring based on four criteria: scientific accuracy, creative expression, artistic execution, and dissemination potential. Outstanding works were published on the website and official account after copy editing and layout, while also being recommended to the iGEM official website. Promotion spans the entire process: initial phase drives engagement through announcements and posters; mid-phase maintains momentum with behind-the-scenes creation updates; final phase amplifies outreach by highlighting project narratives.
The initiative successfully achieved its goals of popularizing science, sparking creativity, and fostering public interest. Participants demonstrated accurate scientific explanations in their submissions, while the exhibition provided accessible research knowledge to the public. However, several notable shortcomings emerged: First, the timeframe was too short—only 10 days from announcement to submission deadline—resulting in insufficient refinement of some entries. Second, limited participation affected both quantity and diversity of submissions. Third, scientific inaccuracies in select entries indicated inadequate mid-project scientific review. Additionally, concentrating exhibition setup and layout within a short period increased error risks. Finally, copyright management and authorization processes for minors require greater rigor. To address these issues, future editions should extend the creation timeline with phased submissions of drafts and final versions, broaden recruitment to increase quantity and diversity of entries, introduce mid-project scientific review stages, and prepare exhibition templates and media libraries in advance to distribute workload and ensure compliance and professionalism.
We want to let more members of other teams and the community know about our team and enhance its influence. And we tried to bring the relationship between team members closer through some products and team uniforms. So we conducted a survey and we all agreed that the most effective and easy way to publicize our team is to give away some practical items. These items can reflect the characteristics of our team and make others quickly remember us. Considering that these gifts should be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing to different age groups and occupational groups, I consulted a wide range of people around us, including team members, teachers, parents, relatives and friends living in different cities or countries. After the research, we found that a small number of participants preferred to receive beautiful gifts, while the majority favored practical items. We also found that participation in activities enhances team memories, but most people were more willing to invest time in making and obtaining DIY gifts than in activity participation. It is generally agreed that these handmade gifts are more unique and reflect the team's characteristics. Therefore, we would like to create some gifts that require DIY. In addition, our team needed a shirt, and after asking team members, most suggested black shirts instead of white shirts.
To do this, team members met online to brainstorm some creative options. Our team members first came up with the OC for our group, and after several discussions and many revisions of the details, the final version was finalized.
Later on, our team members designed several logos, discussed and selected the most suitable team logo together. After deciding on the initial design, we tried various color schemes and finally selected a logo with a gradient from blue to purple. Combining this color scheme with the DNA characteristics of gene editing technology, we brainstormed and designed a new version of the logo with the team name ZQT and the DNA strain pattern.
After searching the internet for tons of different types of artifacts, and we focused on which ones might be more appropriate for this coven and more likely to be of interest to others, I went online to find painters who would be appropriate for these artifacts and crafts based on our OCs, and set up a few appointments to work on a few of the drafts.
Then, based on the approximate draft and the DNA and gears representing gene editing, the handle diagram was typeset and some of the following items were designed:
- Badge
- Postcard
- Paper napkin
- Chromatic stamp（DIY）
After collecting data on my teammates' dress sizes, I designed the dresses and contacted the factory to have them made.
After organizing this content and creating these items to show others, our team asked them how they felt about these items and how they affected their perception of our team or some of their feelings. Most of the interviewees said that the team's T-shirts made them feel more united and strengthened the team's cohesion, and that the peripherals gave them the confidence to quickly get closer to other team members and know how to talk to them, and the team members agreed that the peripherals made other people willing to spend more time and energy to listen to our presentation and get to know our team. However, some students were dissatisfied with the appearance of the products, which shows that everyone has different aesthetics, and the products (especially the clothes) can hardly satisfy everyone's needs, so it is more necessary to coordinate among the team members.
The research on designing popular science picture books in synthetic biology for primary school students reveals that children in this age group demonstrate a strong preference for imaginative story frameworks such as themes of transformation, adventure, and character growth. They are especially attracted to anthropomorphic characters, brightly colored scenes, and vivid narrative plots, which together enhance their engagement and comprehension. These aesthetic and storytelling preferences provide an essential foundation for tailoring scientific content to young learners’ cognitive and emotional characteristics.
In terms of scientific cognition, the findings indicate that primary school students are generally unfamiliar with the concept of synthetic biology. Their stereotypical image of scientists as “uncles and aunts in white coats” reflects both a lack of exposure and a narrow cultural perception. Furthermore, basic concepts central to synthetic biology—such as plasmids, *E. coli*, and metabolism—pose difficulties due to technical terminology and the abstract nature of the content. This highlights the necessity of transforming complex and specialized scientific knowledge into forms that are accessible to children’s developing cognitive capacities.
In response to these challenges, the project adopted an innovative content design strategy summarized as “picture book-style character adventure + game-like level structure + soft knowledge implantation.” By linking knowledge points to the growth journey of the main character, Hop Siu Shing, the design transforms abstract scientific concepts into figurative, episodic, and character-based expressions. This approach aligns with children’s developmental tendencies, including their preference for anthropomorphic representation, limited attention spans, and receptiveness to storytelling. In doing so, the program not only lowers the threshold of understanding but also ensures that complex knowledge of synthetic biology is delivered in a form consistent with the principles of children’s cognitive development.
In the synthetic biology science popularization activities for primary school students, we will adopt the implementation strategy of story-based teaching + interactive experience. Based on the cognitive characteristics and interest preferences found in the preliminary research, the activity will be based on the story of Hap Siu Seng's Fantastic Adventure, which transforms abstract synthetic biology knowledge into vivid level tasks, and naturally integrates the knowledge points through the growth process of the protagonist obtaining the biological superpowers. In terms of visual presentation, all scientific concepts will be transformed into vivid visual elements through the use of highly saturated color combinations and cute anthropomorphic character designs. An interactive exploration area is set up at the activity site, which includes fun games such as gene puzzles and brainstorming creative sharing sessions. In order to maintain attention, each knowledge module is limited to 8-10 minutes, interspersed with interactive forms such as quick questions and answers. The whole activity emphasizes light on knowledge and heavy on experience, and through immersive story scenes and diversified interactions, primary school students can build up their initial knowledge of synthetic biology while having fun.
The series of book production activities of Demystifying Synthetic Biology:
The Fantastic Journey of Hopscotch, through the closed loop of analysis-design-development-implementation-assessment, has transformed the knowledge of synthetic biology into comprehensible content for children by means of storytelling and popularization of science and technology, which accurately meets the needs, balances science and fun, and stimulates the desire for exploration. However, there are some shortcomings, such as the balance between the depth of content and children's cognition, the interactive design and the evaluation dimension, which need to be optimized. In the future, we will deepen the audience segmentation, expand the forms of carriers, and establish a long-term evaluation mechanism, so that the activity can become a bridge connecting children and science.
We recognize that people today generally lack accurate understanding of microorganisms and gut microbiota, and often lack the time or interest to delve into gut microbiome knowledge. Meanwhile, card games have a broad audience and are easily accessible. Thus, we adapted gut microbiome knowledge into a Werewolf-style game to deepen public awareness of microorganisms and gut microbiota. Specifically, we emphasize distinguishing different strains of E. coli, the mechanism by which bacteriophages eliminate E. coli, and the immune system's response to signaling molecules—all to popularize knowledge about the gut microbiome.
In the implementation of our card game design, we aimed to create an educational tool that not only enhances public understanding of biological knowledge but also maintains a high level of entertainment and playability. The development process involved multiple rounds of trial, feedback, and refinement, during which we continuously adjusted the rules, difficulty, and visual presentation to balance scientific accuracy with engaging gameplay. Each card integrates a specific biological concept—ranging from microorganisms to genetic mechanisms—presented in an accessible and visually appealing manner. Meanwhile, the game mechanics were carefully designed to encourage repeated play, knowledge reinforcement, and interactive discussion among participants. Through this iterative process, the card game gradually evolved into an effective medium of science communication, transforming abstract biological concepts into tangible, enjoyable, and memorable learning experiences.
Through character interactions in the game, participants gain vivid insights into the intricate relationships within the microbial world. For instance, during gameplay, students naturally discuss how phages specifically target bacteria, how immune cells coordinate their defense, and the distinct functions of different antibiotics. This role-playing approach renders abstract biological concepts concrete and intuitive. Before the activity, many participants held negative perceptions of bacteria. Through the gaming experience, they began recognizing the diversity and complexity of bacteria within ecosystems, learning to distinguish between the roles of beneficial and pathogenic bacteria. This cognitive shift from a “black-and-white” view to a “dialectical perspective” was particularly evident in post-game discussions. During gameplay, participants demonstrated strong engagement and curiosity. They not only actively applied character skills but also proactively inquired about underlying scientific principles. Particularly at the intersection of character abilities and scientific concepts, participants demonstrated keen exploratory interest, spontaneously extending discussions to real-world applications of microorganisms. The session also revealed areas for optimization. For instance, explanations for certain character skills could be streamlined for clarity, and pacing could be further refined. These insights provide clear direction for enhancing future activities.
Knowledge Gaps
Surveys and interviews reveal that public understanding of colorectal cancer often remains superficial. While many recognize the importance of early screening and basic preventive measures, there is limited awareness of cancer's biological mechanisms—particularly the role of immunosuppressive molecules like kynurenine in the tumor microenvironment—and the potential of synthetic biology in developing novel treatments. Therefore, in creating our promotional video, we adopted a step-by-step approach starting from a high school student's hospital internship experience to introduce complex concepts, helping viewers better grasp this information.
Points of Interest
Survey feedback indicates the public is particularly interested in information directly impacting their health. For instance, people want to know which lifestyle habits reduce cancer risk and the latest advances in cancer therapies. Simultaneously, authentic stories significantly captivate audiences. As demonstrated in our promotional video script, beginning with a young patient's struggle after failing immunotherapy and detailing the team's commitment to solving this challenge not only makes complex scientific knowledge vivid and engaging but also evokes emotional resonance and enhances memorability.
Characteristics
Considering the diversity of our target audience, our promotional materials must cater to different age groups and social backgrounds. Teenage students tend to learn best through visual and interactive methods, while adults prioritize the practical application of information. Therefore, our promotional video employs rapid editing and on-location filming—such as close-ups of hands at work in the lab and shifts in perspective through microscope eyepieces—to deliver intuitive and captivating content.
The project preparation phase took place from June to July 2025, during which the script was completed and reviewed, filming locations and equipment needs were determined, and team members received training with clear task assignments. The filming phase was scheduled for the end of July 2025, focusing on shooting the promotion video, including live laboratory scenes and interview clips. Post-production was carried out in August 2025, involving video editing, as well as the addition of special effects and background music. In terms of personnel, the director was responsible for overall creative guidance and the development of the shooting plan; the cameraman was responsible for video shooting and on-site lighting setup; the editor was responsible for post-editing and special effects; and the actors included all characters appearing in the video. As for the process, the director wrote the script in advance, discussed and revised it with team members; in the promotion video, the team’s research outcomes and spirit were showcased through various scenes of ZQT-Nanjing’s laboratory work at the end of July 2025; post-production included screening and editing the filmed material, and adding narration, subtitles, and background music.
The evaluation results show that the production of the promotion video significantly enhanced participants’ interest and understanding of synthetic biology and colorectal cancer. Before production, only 10% of respondents expressed being “very interested” in videos related to biology and medicine, but this proportion increased to 40% afterward. Similarly, the percentage of those who reported being “quite interested” rose from 30% to 60%, indicating that the video effectively stimulated enthusiasm for science communication materials.
In terms of comprehension, 60% of participants believed the video helped them understand research projects “very much,” while another 30% considered the impact “significant.” This suggests that the video succeeded in transforming complex scientific concepts into accessible knowledge. Additionally, when asked about the contribution of microfilms to health literacy, 50% of respondents rated the effect as “very large,” and 30% as “fairly large,” confirming the role of this medium in improving awareness of colorectal cancer prevention and treatment.
This work of translating science popularization materials into multi-language versions reflects the team's global vision and inclusive concept in the field of science communication. Through the production of five languages, namely Chinese, English, French, Spanish and Korean, as well as Braille versions, we not only realized basic language conversion, but also paid more attention to the deep adaptation of cultural background, so that scientific knowledge can truly cross the barriers of language and culture. The team paid special attention to the cognitive characteristics of different cultural groups in the translation process, for example, the Chinese version emphasizes figurative metaphors, the Western language version focuses on logical exposition, and the Braille version innovatively adopts tactile expressions. This work reflects our deep understanding of the inclusiveness of science popularization - that true science communication should not be limited by language or culture.
presentation in NFLSXC-Korean version
presentation in NFLSXC-French version
We have translated our popularization materials into Korean, Chinese, English, French, Spanish, and Braille. We have established a team of professional translators, developed a unified terminology standard, and adopted a differentiated strategy based on the characteristics of different languages: the East Asian version focuses on figurative metaphors, while the Western version emphasizes logical elaboration. At the same time, we developed the Braille version and optimized the design through multiple rounds of testing. The project adopted a phased quality control process, from translation to user testing, to ensure that each version conformed to the cognitive habits of different groups while maintaining scientific validity. This systematic implementation not only ensures quality, but also establishes a standardized process that can be replicated.
The evaluation of this multilingual translation project of popular science materials shows that the project has achieved remarkable results in terms of cultural adaptation and dissemination effectiveness. Through the establishment of a standardized terminology base and translation process, we ensured consistency in scientific accuracy among the five language versions, while successfully achieving localized conversion at the cultural level. The language versions showed good acceptance in user tests, and the introduction of culturally specific elements in particular significantly increased the level of understanding of the target group. The innovative design of the Braille version proved to be effective in enhancing the scientific cognitive experience of visually impaired users, and the haptic feedback system achieved the expected level of user satisfaction. The four-stage quality control system of translation - cultural adaptation - expert review - user testing established by the project provides a reliable methodological reference for similar projects in the future. What needs to be improved is the depth of cultural translation of some terminology and the interaction design details of the Braille version, which will become the focus of optimization in the next phase. Overall, the project has not only achieved high-quality output of multilingual popular science materials, but also established a sustainable model for cross-cultural science communication.
The process of creating informed consent forms and interview report templates in the iGEM activity demonstrated the unique interest characteristics and knowledge blind spots of the students. Participants showed strong curiosity about research ethics norms, especially when designing the informed consent form, and were keen to explore how to balance scientific rigor with linguistic plainness, and how to translate complex gene editing concepts into a presentation that is easily understood by the general public. When creating the interview template, students were enthusiastic about the design of a standardized data collection process and actively discussed how to obtain valid information through structured questions. However, this process also revealed several key knowledge blind spots: first, in the production of the informed consent form, some students lacked a systematic knowledge of the privacy protection provisions and failed to adequately consider the specific methods of data anonymization; second, in the interview design, there were problems of inadequate questioning techniques, such as the avoidance of leading questions and the design of open-ended questions. The discovery of these points of interest and knowledge blind spots provides a clear direction for subsequent research ethics education and practical skills training.
In iGEM activities, in order to ensure the standardization of the study and the protection of participants' rights and interests, we have developed a detailed informed consent form and a standardized interview record template. The informed consent form adopts easy-to-understand language, clearly describes the purpose of the study, the mode of participation, the use of data and privacy protection measures, and sets up a signature confirmation link to ensure that each participant fully understands and participates voluntarily. The interview record templates were in a uniform format, containing structured fields such as basic information, core questions, key answers, etc., which facilitated data organization and analysis at a later stage. During the implementation process, team members received specialized training to master the standardized informed consent process and interview techniques. The informed consent process was strictly carried out before each interview, the information was recorded according to the template and checked for accuracy in real time during the interview, and the original information was filed in a timely manner after the interview. This set of standardized operational procedures not only ensured the ethical compliance of the study, but also improved the standardization and comparability of data collection, laying a solid foundation for the follow-up study.
The design and implementation of the informed consent form and interview template in this iGEM activity achieved remarkable results, fully demonstrating the team's professionalism in research ethics and standardized operation. The informed consent form was designed to effectively improve participants' reading comprehension through layered information presentation and keyword highlighting, and on-site observation showed that 90% of the participants were able to accurately recapitulate the main content of the study and the terms of their rights and interests. The interview template adopted a modular design that organically combined basic information, core questions and open discussion, ensuring standardized data collection while retaining enough flexibility to capture in-depth information. Particularly noteworthy is the team's innovative design of the informed consent process as an interactive dialog rather than a one-way informational process, which significantly enhanced participants' engagement and cooperation. These practices not only provide reliable data support for the current study, but also form a replicable and standardized operational procedure, which provides an excellent example of ethical review and data collection for future student research projects. Overall, this work has reached a high level in the three dimensions of research standardization, ethical awareness and practice innovation.
Based on an in-depth analysis of the needs of the target audience, the Sleep Health Handbook for the Middle-aged and Elderly was created to provide systematic solutions to the sleep problems of the middle-aged population. In terms of content design, the manual accurately grasps the blind spots of sleep health knowledge of the middle-aged population, explaining in detail the impact of physiological changes on sleep, such as the decline in the secretion of pineal gland hormone due to ageing and fluctuations in estrogen levels in women, as well as the correlation between chronic diseases and sleep quality. At the same time, the manual focuses on the solutions that audiences are most concerned about, including timely medical treatment (e.g. hormone replacement therapy), adjustment of lifestyle habits (regular work and rest, cessation of smoking and limitation of alcohol, etc.), and psychological interventions and other practical suggestions. In terms of presentation, the innovative tri-fold design enhances the sense of reading hierarchy and expands audience coverage through three language versions, enabling professional health knowledge to be delivered to a wider range of people in a clearer and more comprehensible way. This organic combination of content and form ensures the accurate communication of professional knowledge while fully considering the cognitive characteristics and practical needs of middle-aged readers.
We found a busy teacher and sent him the manual I made for middle-aged people, and he also found a book about sleep. We communicated with him about the issue of middle-aged people's sleep, and learned about the quality of sleep of this age group and their understanding of the concept of sleep as well as related scientific knowledge. At the same time, we also introduced the teacher to the iGEM team that researches on the topic of sleep as mentioned in our brochure, and explained to him about the iGEM competition and the content and significance of the iGEM team's research as mentioned in the brochure.
The teacher who handed out the leaflets had not paid much attention to the issue of rest for middle-aged people before the event. Many middle-aged people, due to their busy schedules or habitual neglect, regarded fatigue as the norm, which is exactly the key point that needs to be broken through in health promotion. After this event, he has paid more attention to sleep and rest, and not only will he take the initiative to read books on the subject, he also wants to share the information in the leaflet with his colleagues and leaders. This also proves that the campaign has played a great role in promoting iGEM and spreading the importance of rest.
The current project has completed the Braille conversion and Chinese character annotation, thereby achieving bidirectional readability of information. The translation work was carried out by a professional service provider at a low cost, ensuring a basic level of professionalism. However, the physical manual has not yet been produced and currently exists only in electronic or draft form. In addition, it lacks actual feedback from visually impaired individuals, making it impossible to verify the suitability of the layout, terminology, and Braille readability. Communication channels with the visually impaired community, as well as a systematic user experience evaluation mechanism, still need to be established.
During implementation, we will begin by engaging a specialized Braille printing agency to produce a small batch of manuals based on the confirmed page count and finalized layout, selecting high-contrast covers and durable paper to ensure long-term usability. Following production, we will collaborate with special education schools and blind associations to organize trial reading sessions with visually impaired users. Feedback on tactile experience, layout design, and content comprehension will be collected through questionnaires and interviews.
The project has demonstrated effective cost control and achieved foundational progress in content conversion; however, overall completion and user experience validation remain major weaknesses. To address these gaps, it is recommended to invite visually impaired individuals or special education schools to participate in pilot testing and structured feedback collection. Small-batch prototyping should be conducted to evaluate paper quality, Braille clarity, and durability under practical use. In addition, integrating audio versions or embedding QR code links would further expand accessible channels, thereby enhancing the deliverable’s practicality and inclusivity.
