EDUCATION
8th Grade Sickle Cell Anemia Collaboration
2023, February 22 - 24
Our iGEM team and other high school students had the amazing opportunity to introduce synthetic biology to the 8th graders at our school. This was achieved through exposing the students to a series of labs, including PCR, transformation, and electrophoresis, and integrating these newly taught concepts to their current science unit on sickle cell anemia.
Before starting the lab, the iGEM members taught the 8th graders about the PCR process, including why directly targeting the sickle cell chromosomal mutation is ineffective and instead target the BCL11A enhancer region and the process of CRISPR with the recombinant DNA. In the first part of the lab, the 8th graders focused on understanding PCR and then tried to replicate the BCL11A gene to identify the mutation in sickle cell anemia.
Prior to the transformation component of the lab, the 8th graders used their knowledge to hypothesize the effect of LB broth, ampicillin, and arabinose on the positive and negative groups. Moving on to the lab, the 8th graders transformed E. coli with a plasmid containing our modified DNA using PCR. After the transformation lab, the 8th graders identified that they successfully transformed the E. coli and discussed the outcomes with the iGEM team to demonstrate their knowledge of the process and effect of transformation.
In addition to the CRISPR pGLO lab, the iGEM team showed the 8th graders how to check whether their CRISPR transformation worked using agarose gel electrophoresis. The iGEM team explained to the 8th graders the fundamentals of gel electrophoresis, including identifying why DNA migrates towards the positive end of the electrophoresis tank and the relative size of the DNA fragments based on where they ended up in the tank.
We believe that introducing 8th grade students to such a novel yet groundbreaking technology as CRISPR-Cas9 is hugely beneficial in understanding the tools that will foster thousands of future discoveries in genetics and synthetic biology.
If you would like to get a glimpse of what our labs were like, check out this condensed video featuring highlights from the labs and an interview with one of our enthusiastic participants.
Community Health Fair
2023, April 10 - 13
We hosted a booth in collaboration with PreMed’s (a club at our school) Community Health Fair, a fair that provided students the opportunity to share medical related discoveries and concepts with our school community. Our goal was to educate our peers and teachers about the basics of synthetic biology, iGEM, and CRISPR-Cas9 in an easily understood and appreciated way. Specifically, we taught students how synthetic biology has been utilized within the medical field by sharing examples such as 3D printed organs and gene editing.
When visiting the booth, guests first received a brief rundown of what iGEM does and how we work to make a positive difference in the world. We were open with our project ideas and the steps we took to ensure our project would benefit society. After that, we taught them about the applications and breakthroughs of synthetic biology in modern-day medicine as well as the possibilities of it.
To make learning the basics of CRISPR-Cas9 fun and easy to understand, we designed a "CRISPR Race" activity for students to participate in. In this activity, students teamed up in pairs, with one person becoming the guide RNA and the other taking on the role of CRISPR-Cas9. The guide RNA had the task of leading the blindfolded CRISPR-Cas9 to locate the elusive BCL11A gene, which plays a crucial role in regulating the adult sickle cell gene. This gene was hidden inside a box filled with cardboard "codons." To add some excitement, we timed each partnership to see who could find the gene the fastest. It was competitive, engaging, and a great way to understand how guide RNA and CRISPR-Cas9 work together to target specific genetic sequences.
Here is a comprehensive instruction for the game illustrated beautifully by Gyuri.
Earth Day, ASIJ Earth Day Market
2023, April 21
During the ASIJ annual Earth Day market, our booth’s goal was to educate elementary and high school students about what food waste is like in Japan, where it is a serious concern. Japan saw a staggering 8 million tons of wasted food in 2021 alone. This problem often stems from Japanese stores and markets discarding foods with visible deformities, which are usually minor.
As a simple demonstration of such practices, we prepared samples of regular and deformed apples. Each visitor received an apple piece and was asked to guess whether it was normal or deformed. As we had hoped, many participants said there was no difference in taste between the samples. In fact, many even said that the deformed apple tastes better.
We hope that from this event, we can educate more students about the problem of food waste and encourage them to buy deformed produce, knowing that they taste just as delicious.
Summer Passport and Summer Day Camp iGEM Sessions
2023, June 19 - 28
We utilized our school’s Summer Passport and Camp sessions to teach kids aged 5-10 an array of science concepts through interactive activities. To prepare for these sessions, we developed 4 lesson plans shown here.
All the Lesson Plans:
DNA Modeling Lesson
Enzyme Binding Lesson
Gelatin Bioplastic Lesson
Miracle Berries Lesson
Overview of All Lessons:
In our DNA Modeling lesson plan, we created a DNA activity, engaging kids to create the DNA double helix using their knowledge of complementary base pairs.
In the Enzyme Binding lesson, we focused on enzyme binding activity, specifically the specific binding of substrates and enzymes and the saturation point.
In the Gelatin Bioplastic lesson, we let the kids create their own gelatin bioplastic and end with a bioplastic quiz to test their knowledge, as the trend of bioplastic has rapidly increased.
In the Miracle Berries lesson, we engaged the kids on the miracle berries taste inhibitors. Please note that due to time constraints, we did not conduct this lesson.
Through these lesson plans, we aim to inspire young learners to learn more about science in a fun way and share their knowledge with their communities.
In-depth Explanations of Lessons:
DNA Binding Lesson:
Our first interactive lesson taught elementary students about DNA, an intriguing polymer that defines a lot about who we are. Our goal for the lesson was to make complex scientific concepts like DNA engaging and simple, fostering questions and curiosity in the field of biology to younger audiences.
For this reason, our lesson was a building activity, with the elementary students creating the DNA’s double helix structure and complementary base pairs through candy and toothpicks. Sour pencils represented the DNA backbone, while the orange, red, yellow, and green candies represented base pairs C, A, T, and G, respectively. Each student was given a base sequence of the template DNA strand and tasked to find and add the matching base pair. At the end of the activity, students were able to see the double-helix and spiral form of DNA by twisting their model from side to side.
Enzyme Binding Activity:
At our interactive booth, we made learning about enzyme-substrate relationships fun and simple. We wanted to convey the importance of the enzyme-substrate complex in speeding up chemical reactions, highlighting how this relationship plays a crucial role in maintaining our health and well-being.
In a puzzle-style setup, we prepared paper cutouts of enzymes and substrates that fit perfectly together. The children were given a paper enzyme and were tasked to find its matching paper substrate piece. We explained how our bodies and all natural processes rely on many enzymes that speed up chemical reactions to life. When the children found their enzyme’s specific substrate, they earned a bioplastic letter charm as a prize. Additionally, we also discussed the environment and why we advocate for using bioplastics.
Making Bioplastic:
During our ASIJ summer day camp sessions, we educated younger students, ages 7-10, on the rising production of plastics and the harms of single-use plastics, as well as educating them on the rising alternative of conventional plastics: bioplastics. To maximize content retention, we developed our session so that the students will not only make the bioplastic but also create their own bioplastic keepsakes.
We began our session with a brief 3-minute interactive presentation on the current state of bioplastic production. We delved into how conventional plastics are currently made and Japan's overall initiative to shift plastics to biomass and or biodegradable plastics. Then, we divided the students into groups of 4-5 and assigned them to a table with a cup of water, gelatin, and food coloring. The students would then work together to mix the ingredients and divide them up into 4-5 containers. After refrigerating the bioplastic for three days, the campers received their creations by the end of the week. Through these sessions, children were able to have a deeper understanding of plastic pollution, initiatives to combat this issue and produce bioplastic, the most prominent alternative to conventional plastics.
Educational Video Series
2023, June - August
Throughout this iGEM season, we have noticed a lack of synthetic biology videos on YouTube that cater to and are easily understood by high school students. To address this gap and promote engagement, we have decided to create a series of 13 educational videos. With topics ranging from introduction to synthetic biology to Gibson assembly, we hope to utilize the YouTube platform to share our videos internationally.
Additionally, we have carefully structured these videos to ensure that the concepts build upon one another. So, if you are interested in having a quick introduction or crash course, you can find it for free on our YouTube page! We hope to continue expanding and enhancing our educational videos in the future iGEM seasons to make synthetic biology participation more accessible to all.
Click on the picture to watch the full video or search ASIJ-TOKYO iGEM for our Youtube Channel.
In terms of the application of these synthetic biology videos, our team has spent months developing a High School Mini Synthetic Biology Competition. This competition is similarly organized to a business pitch, where we will present various prompts to the contestants during our initial competition meeting. Once these prompts are released, participants will have three weeks to develop a five to ten-minute research proposal and pitch it to the current iGEM members. They will be able to receive feedback and encouragement from the iGEM members, with the winner(s) earning a small prize.
Throughout the three weeks, contestants will have several resources, such as office hours and our Educational Videos, to help guide them through the developmental process. Through this competition, we provide high school students an opportunity to get a glimpse of Synthetic Biology before committing to large commitments such as joining iGEM. Simultaneously, it allows our iGEM members to learn and gain fresh insights and innovations from research proposal pitches.
Additionally, we hope this competition fosters a stronger synthetic biology community at our school. As a way to wrap up the competition, we hope to receive feedback from participants on the program itself as well as the Educational Videos. Their input will ensure that this program can continue for future iGEM seasons. Due to time constraints and schedule conflicts, we were only able to plan for this event. However, it is currently scheduled for our team to host this competition before the 2023-2024 school year ends.
Guest Speaker Series on Bioethics
2023, June - October
Science is a constantly evolving field, with new discoveries happening every day. As our society advances, it is important to promote the importance of ethical considerations regarding these newly advanced systems and technologies. Bioethics is vital in ensuring the responsible and fair use of emerging technologies and building trust within our community while safeguarding individuals' well-being. It is extremely important for students to learn about bioethics, especially with the creation of new practices and technologies in the world of science.
To promote this idea and to help our ASIJ high school community explore different fields, we have created a special guest speaker series. We have been working on this project since June and have scheduled events on October 5 and 6 at 8:15 p.m and October 8th at 9:00 a.m.
During these events, we'll have the privilege of hearing from the five following experts:
Joseph Carrese(MD MPH) from Johns Hopkins
Dr. Carrese is a Professor of Medicine and chairs the JHBMC Ethics Committee. He's also a member of the hospital's ethics committee. In addition to his ethics work, Dr. Carrese is involved in various aspects of adult primary care, including minor procedures and routine gynecological care. Originally from a small town near Albany, New York, he graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. Dr. Carrese's unique background includes training in general internal medicine at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and serving four years in the United States Public Health Service on the Navajo Indian reservation. He will be discussing the ethical dilemmas in culturally diverse healthcare settings.
Alberto Aparicio de Narváez from the University of Texas Medical Branch
Dr. Alberto Aparicio de Narváez has a rich background in research and a diverse range of interests. During his tenure at the Global Observatory for Genome Editing, he dedicated his efforts to expanding our understanding of the various perspectives and limitations associated with the governance of genome editing and novel biotechnologies. Alberto also researched at the Instituto Alexander von Humboldt (Colombia). There, he delved into the intricate interplay between biodiversity and its influence on formulating Colombian bioeconomy policy. His work has contributed to our appreciation of biodiversity's vital role in shaping strategic policies related to the country's bioeconomy. In his talk, Alberto will share his experiences in engaging with a xenobiology laboratory as a social scientist.
Panagis Galiatsatos (MD MHS) from Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Galiatsatos is a pulmonary and critical care physician, a member of the Obstructive Lung Disease Group at Johns Hopkins, and the director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic. He also provides valuable teaching to medical students and residents at Johns Hopkins. His talk will focus on the ethics of screening.
Joseph Ali, JD from Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Ali is the Associate Director of Global Programs at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and an Associate Professor at the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has played a significant role in establishing and running bioethics programs, such as the NIH Fogarty-funded non-degree, master’s, doctoral, and post-doctoral programs, at Johns Hopkins and partner institutions in Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Botswana, and Malaysia. He also co-leads the Wellcome-funded Oxford University-Johns Hopkins University Global Infectious Disease Ethics (GLIDE) Collaborative, which supports research and training between the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics and the Oxford Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities to address emerging issues involving ethics and infectious disease. His discussion will primarily revolve around the intersection of law and medicine, covering topics like informed consent, the use of placebos, and public health ethics issues that emerged during the pandemic.
Claudia Passos Ferreira (BA MA PhD) from NYU
Dr. Passos Ferreia is an Assistant professor of bioethics at New York University. She studied psychology at the Rio de Janeiro State University and earned her MA and Ph.D. in the Human Sciences and Health Sciences program in Public Health there. She obtained a second Ph.D. in Philosophy at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Currently, Dr. Passos Ferreira's research program and her talk are centered around a captivating subject: the development of consciousness. She delves into the intriguing world of theories of consciousness, exploring their implications for infant and machine consciousness. Through her work, she illuminates the ethical dilemmas that arise from these theories.
We were grateful to host around 35 people per conference, including both students and faculty. Following a 15 to 20-minute presentation addressing a bioethics-related topic, we moved onto a 15-minute interactive Q&A session, providing our audience with the opportunity to dive deeper into the subject matter by engaging directly with our experts.
Finally we've taken the time to record these conferences for your convenience, and you can find them on our YouTube channel. Here are the links:
[Dr. Joseph Carrese on ethical dilemmas in culturally diverse healthcare settings and Dr. Alberto Aparicio de Narváez on engaging with a xenobiology laboratory as a social scientist.] [Dr. Joseph Ali on informed consent and Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos on the ethics of screening] [Dr. Claudia Passos Ferreira on infant consciousness.]Back to School Night
2023, September 23
Back-to-school night provided an excellent platform for our iGEM club to connect with parents and raise awareness about pressing environmental issues. We focused on educating parents about critical topics like food waste, plastic pollution, and the world of bioplastics through presentations and discussions. Our goal was not only to highlight environmental challenges but also to offer practical solutions for their daily lives, fostering a sense of community responsibility and empowering parents to take action.
In addition to environmental education, we introduced parents to the field of synthetic biology, showcasing its potential to address global challenges. We shared our club's ongoing projects and received a highly positive response from many parents who expressed enthusiasm and support for our efforts. This event underscored the importance of science and collaboration in tackling environmental issues and resonated with our community.
We also took the opportunity to promote our upcoming Guest Speaker event during back-to-school night. This event promises to be an enriching experience, featuring renowned experts discussing synthetic biology and its applications. We are confident that the interest generated during this event will result in strong attendance and active participation in our Guest Speaker event. Overall, back-to-school night strengthened our community's connection to the iGEM club and our shared commitment to making a positive impact on the planet. We are grateful for the warm reception from parents and look forward to their continued support in our mission for positive change.
Food Equality Alliance Booth
2023, October 16
The iGEM team collaborated with the Food Equality Alliance club to educate our school about the privilege of nutrition and global food poverty issues in our world. Our aim was to ensure that ASIJ community members attending the booth gained a better understanding of the significance of often-overlooked food waste.
Originally, we had planned to hold educational booths during the week of October 3rd. However, due to scheduling conflicts, we had to reschedule them for the week of October 16th. We created two posters which are displayed below:
These posters highlighted food poverty in Japan, showcased innovations in nutrition, provided tips to reduce food waste, and presented general facts about global food insecurity. We hope to display these posters in the elementary, middle, and high school divisions to raise student awareness about nutrition availability disparities worldwide.
iGEM VIT Collaboration Report
2023, June 14 - October 9
With our collaboration with iGEM VIT, a team based in India, to tackle the critical issue of plastic pollution and rising methods to reduce plastic pollution. Together, we created a comprehensive 32-page report discussing various solutions such as biodegradable plastic, biomass plastics, Industrial Biomass Cities, plastic degrading enzymes, and insights on numerous professionals in the field. While developing this report, we decided to take a more scientific approach to explaining the plastic pollution crisis and provide an in-depth explanation of methods to combat this crisis. To share our findings, we posted the report on Instagram, where our 1452 followers helped spread the word and educated themselves. We hope to further share this report at our respective schools/institutions and the upcoming Jamboree!
If you would like to see the full report, please click this link