Education

Introduction

We are passionately committed to promoting and introducing our iGEM project to the public! Within our iGEM team, modularity and personalization are core focal points. Our mission is to establish widespread recognition for our project, and this is a mission shared by all iGEMers. Our team is dedicated to disseminating the essence of synthetic biology to society at large in the rapidly growing field. To achieve this ambitious goal, effective communication is paramount, as we also need to continually absorb feedback and insights from society. Understanding people's reactions to our project, clarifying our strengths and weaknesses, and identifying areas for improvement are all topics we are actively exploring.We will never forget this, as conveying accurate and useful information is crucial to enhancing the credibility of synthetic biology. Therefore, we will wholeheartedly engage in promoting our competition project, making active efforts to gain more recognition and understanding.

Through proactive communication and interaction with society, we hope to gain a deep understanding of society's expectations and needs, and integrate these insights into our project in order to better contribute positively to society.

We have established accounts on various mainstream Chinese media platforms, including WeChat official accounts, WeChat video accounts, Douyin (TikTok), Kuaishou, and Bilibili. These accounts are used to share our team's projects and synthetic biology knowledge. Particularly noteworthy is that every year, the BUCT-iGEM team conducts a popular science live lecture on the Bilibili platform, which has garnered the attention of many people.

Logo

To foster team cohesion, a logo is indispensable! Our logo will also be applied to our Wiki page and team uniforms.

The overall design is based on the letters "C" (creatinine), "U" (urea), and "P" (PGA), shaped like a kidney structure. From left to right, because creatinine and urea are two waste products that need to be processed, they are represented in dark red and designed as the damaged left kidney. The right kidney represents PGA, the form after the two waste products are processed, and is depicted in light pink to symbolize a healthy kidney. Additionally, due to the shape of the letter "P," a puzzle piece (representing kidney repair) is added in the lower right corner to balance the visual effect.

The internal blank space is designed to resemble wing-shaped gaps, representing structures like the renal pelvis/renal pyramid inside the kidney, signifying the protection of the kidneys.

Mascot

The mascot is a panda with the following characteristics:

It is designed in the shape of a panda, which is a symbol of China and a beloved animal worldwide.
The dark circles around its eyes represent the silhouette of kidneys, aligning with the research topic.
The panda is wearing a protective helmet, laboratory coat, and safety boots. The overall color scheme and shading are derived from the team emblem and theme colors.
It wears a stethoscope around its neck, symbolizing a medical purpose. On its chest pocket, there are capital letters "N," representing our project name.

Brochure

We have created a brochure for the public to read, with the aim of educating the masses about kidney protection.

In the brochure, we provide information about the functions of the kidneys, the current status of chronic kidney disease, illustrated treatment options, and some tips for taking care of your kidneys. We distributed the brochures to the general public in our community and to students in local schools.

WeChat popular science mini-lecture

We created a popular science mini-lecture titled "What You Don't Know About Kidneys."

How do kidneys work?
What are the causes of chronic kidney disease?
Do you know the warning signs of chronic kidney disease?
Can kidney diseases be successfully treated?

We conducted a popular science campaign on these questions and achieved excellent results! We received over 1000 views and positive feedback from readers!

Rural Junior High School Science Outreach

On the evening of July 18, 2023, we connected with the 8th-grade students from Bagong Town Middle School in Zezhou County for an online educational science outreach event. Presenters Liu Siyu and Yan Dong started by introducing fun facts about biology, gradually leading to the importance of the kidneys in the human circulatory system. They guided the students to understand the kidneys, how to protect them, and the importance of regular exercise. Using humorous language and simple yet engaging animations, we helped the students learn how to create their own exercise plans, maintain correct posture, and ensure they get enough sleep.

After the presentation, we interviewed some of the students, and they said, "Today's science outreach event was both fun and informative! I used to know very little about kidneys, but today, through the lectures and interactive games, I learned a lot about kidney health. I now understand the importance of kidneys in the body and also know how to protect them. I will pay more attention to my water intake and have a balanced diet to keep my kidneys healthy!"

As long as education is meaningful, it is a success!

College Student Innovation Science Outreach

We conducted science outreach through a debate format! On September 1, 2023, two iGEM teams from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the BUCT team and the BUCT-CHINA team, engaged in an intense debate on the ethics and risk management of synthetic biology. This debate aimed to promote in-depth thinking and discussion about the ethical issues and risk management challenges involved in the field of synthetic biology.

The debate was intense, and both teams passionately argued over the ethical and risk management issues in synthetic biology. They analyzed the advantages and challenges of synthetic biology, cited the latest scientific research and ethical perspectives, and put forward solutions and recommendations.

After the debate concluded, both teams conducted a science communication session on synthetic biology and introduced their respective projects, attracting more than 200 university students for on-site visits.

Science Outreach Lecture

In order to promote scientific literacy and inspire their peers, two students took on the task of explaining the concepts of synthetic biology and its significant impact on various fields. On October 7, 2023, students Wei Qianxiang from Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Wang Yinhao from China Beijing University of Chemical Technology showcased their knowledge and enthusiasm in a classroom lecture, aiming to demystify this cutting-edge research field for their fellow students.

Synthetic Biology Popularization

In their presentation, the students emphasized the various applications of synthetic biology. They highlighted how it can transform various fields such as medicine, energy production, and environmental protection. For example, in the field of medicine, synthetic biology offers the potential to develop new drugs, bioengineer organ transplants, and design improved diagnostic tools. Projects like BUCT's Gut Colonization E. coli and BUCT-China's nucleic acid detection have significant medical applications. Furthermore, synthetic biology has the potential to introduce more environmentally friendly energy alternatives through the development of biofuels and efficient waste management using microorganisms. It also provides promising solutions to address environmental challenges, including the development of synthetic microorganisms capable of cleaning pollution or restoring ecosystems.

Reveal the iGEM competition schedule

On the other hand, two students introduced the IGEM competition, outlining its content and schedule. IGEM has now become a world-class synthetic biology competition where students showcase their innovative achievements and collaborate to complete projects.

As an annual synthetic biology competition that attracts teams from universities around the world, participating in the competition first requires an understanding of the competition schedule. The competition schedule represents an exciting journey. Teams will conduct research projects, with a focus on various applications and disciplines of synthetic biology. As they delve into the field of genetic engineering, participants will face challenges related to biology, engineering, ethics, and even human behavior. The schedule includes proposal submissions, laboratory work, data analysis, and milestones such as presenting results at the IGEM conference.

Under the guidance of renowned judges, inspirational mentors, and the captivating atmosphere, the IGEM competition nurtures the creative thinking and scientific collaboration of the brightest minds in the field of synthetic biology. As teams push the boundaries of this fascinating field, they develop innovative solutions to address real-world problems.

The following are our popular science education materials. BUCT hopes that it can educate more people and help educators in the future.

Overview and social media