Education
Famous Chinese educator Confucius advocated for teaching students according to their potential， and we
adopt this viewpoint for our Education activities. Based on the traits of various populations, we produced
various popular scientific knowledge.
1.Science popularization of synthetic biology & chronic diseases
We conducted an enlightening synthetic biology teaching for primary school kids. Since the level of education in distant places is relatively low and the number of teachers is limited, many elementary and middle school kids know little about synthetic biology. We work along with LZU-China to implement the "synthetic biology into the classroom" program, aiming to introduce students at Heishan Village Primary School in Nanfeng Town, Minle County, Zhangye, Gansu to synthetic biology and chronic diseases. Children have developed a strong interest in synthetic biology due to this exercise, and Mr. Wu, a representative primary school teacher in Montenegro, has also acknowledged our work.
Fig. 1. The lesson in Heishan Village Primary School.
For high school students, we also collaborate with LZU-China to spread awareness of chronic diseases and synthetic biology among them. We went to Dalian Royal School, but we were unable to enter the campus due to campus security limitations. Fortunately, we made contact with the teachers, and we asked them to explain this part of the content to the students for us. In the final stage, before entering college, we would want to introduce high school students to majors such as synthetic biology, which we believe will help students plan their future.
Fig. 2. The lesson in Dalian Royal School.
1.iGEM integrated and innovative curriculum
Our school has established the iGEM Integrated Innovation Course since last year. In class, we share our experience of participating in iGEM and the insights we have gained. This event has gotten positive feedback, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of synthetic biology and inspiring additional enthusiasts to join us.
2.iGEM community
To expand our reach, we leveraged opportunities presented by Dalian University of Technology's (DUT) Science and Culture Festival and campus carnival, using the iGEM-DUT community to host a series of activities promoting synthetic biology and iGEM. A simple flowchart is created to better illustrate this part of our efforts.
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Thanks to the opportunity provided by DUT to bring people from all walks of life to participate in the Carnival, we increased our project's impact within a larger audience. Some interviewees expressed that if our project succeeds, it would bring significant convenience to their lives. The publicity during the Science and Culture Festival, the Campus Carnival and the Community Recruitment enhanced public understanding of biology and synthetic biology, significantly raising the team's visibility and DUT's influence. People recognized the importance of regular check-ups and gained some understanding of synthetic biology and iGEM.
Fig. 3. Scenes in the Science Festival.
Fig. 4. Scenes at the Campus Carnival.
Fig. 5. Scenes during the Community Recruitment.
3.Life Science Dinner
We also cooperated with the "Zhi Wei Yu Jian" science popularization community and used Life Science Dinner to introduce iGEM and our project, showcasing some of our lab experiments and hardware achievements. We also guided the audience on a tour of our laboratory, leaving a lasting impression on them.
Fig. 6. Scenes at the Life Science Dinner.
1.Popular Science Articles
To make more people from various regions and even nationwide aware of and understand synthetic biology and iGEM, we decided to use the DUT-iGEM public account as a dedicated platform for several releases of knowledge in this field. We began working on this project during the summer vacation. We first discussed and determined the themes for each issue, which were then researched, edited, and formatted by our team members. We believed that, as a public outreach, the content needed to be scientifically rigorous and interesting to ensure a broader audience. After three months of effort, our releases were successfully published and received positive feedback.
2.Ba Duan Jin Exercise
Through literature research, we have learned that the Ba Duan Jin exercise may be an effective strategy to improve heart function and quality of life for Chinese patients with congestive heart failure. It appears to be a safe and feasible exercise. [1] Furthermore, in our communication with Dr. Zhao, we have found that Ba Duan Jin exercise has a certain impact on the quality of life and heart function of adult patients with chronic heart failure. Our questionnaire also confirmed that people are not familiar with Ba Duan Jin exercise. As a result, we have decided to promote the Ba Duan Jin exercise by recording and disseminating videos. Our team has partnered with the Virtue Association of Tai Chi, and their members have provided invaluable support, assisting us in recording a promotional video. Our team members have also created a cartoon character practicing Ba Duan Jin and made flyers to expand the reach of Ba Duan Jin's promotion.
Fig. 7. The questionnaire about Ba Duan Jin Exercise and the result.
3.WiSTEM Lecture
We, along with BS-United-China, AIS-China, Shanghai-MedX, RDFZ-CHINA, and ZJFH-Nanjing teams, organized a
public education event through Voov. The purpose was two-fold: to show the women power in iGEM projects and
to motivate the audience through presentations by female team members and experts. More than a hundred
people attended the event. We have compiled the PowerPoint presentations and collected materials as a
resource library for everyone to access,hoping that future teams can benefit from these resources. Through
this collaboration, we not only helped our female team members realize their own strengths and confidently
show their abilities, but also inspired more women to enter male-dominated fields with confidence and
courageously respond to such biases.
In addition, we also strive to integrate the introduction of female power into our other popular science
content, and we have also introduced the greatness of female experts to primary and middle school students
in the previous popular science process, planting the seeds of science in the hearts of girls.
Fig. 8. The poster for WiSTEM Lecture.
Fig. 9. The screenshot during WiSTEM Lecture.
4. Popular Science Video
We participated in the iG20 project organized by LZU-CHINA. This project includes a large-scale promotion video and a science video. Through these initiatives, we hope to gain more social attention, to make a greater impact on the world, and to increase public awareness and understanding of synthetic biology. For more information, please visit our Collaboration page.
