Education plays a pivotal role in any project, and our involvement in iGEM is no exception.
In Hong Kong, science education is highly emphasized. However, synthetic biology is a relatively new field, and many individuals may not possess a deep understanding of it.
In addition, there is a lack of understanding about black soldier flies among the public in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, the first black soldier fly farm was established in 2021, and the use of black soldier fly is not yet widespread. However important insects are in our world, insects and considered ‘scary’ in society. Based on our street interview before, the mean expectation score for our product is only about 5.4. We found that the major reason for people’s reluctance to use plaster made from insects was rooted in fear. People are scared of bees, flies, and other insects, much less black soldier fly, making the concept of using black soldier fly-based products daunting to them.
To raise the awareness of the public towards the application of synthetic biology and the uses of black soldier fly, We have initiated a series of educational campaigns to target different generations. We hope to ensure that our iGEM project is well understood and supported within our community.
We have launched our Instagram account, @hkjs_igem.2023. We noticed that social media is becoming a new trend and set off a tide. With its popularity spanning across different generations, we aim to raise awareness about various societal issues, including chronic wounds, bacterial infections, and plastic pollution.
Click here to check our IG
Through our engaging Instagram posts, we strive to capture the attention of a wider audience and shed light on these existing problems.
We have made more than 20 posts. Each post focused on a specific topic, allowing us to provide detailed information in a concise manner.
We recognize that the public's preference on IG tends to lean towards recreational content rather than lengthy educational material. To enhance the accessibility of the content, we included illustrations alongside brief text. This combination of visuals and minimal text made the information easier to digest, enabling a wider audience to be aware of the challenges we currently face. Below are some of our posts.
We have posted some stories. By sharing updates, we keep our audience engaged and informed about our project. We have posted some interactive stories, to keep our audiences entertained and involved.
We have also created some reels. These engaging short videos provide viewers with a deeper understanding of our projects.
We have made a Google form which is divided into two sections: an online quiz and a survey. Our primary objective is to provide the public with a comprehensive understanding of our projects while gathering their valuable opinions and suggestions.
In the online quiz, we have included our promotion video. This video serves as an introduction to our project, allowing participants to have a glance on synthetic biology. Following the video, we have constructed a small quiz to help consolidate their newly acquired knowledge.
In the survey session, we have designed a series of questions aimed at capturing the public's opinions and perspectives on our project. We hope to improve our products with their feedback and suggestions.
After the promotion of the form, we have received more than 200 responses from various age groups. It not only educated the public, but also collected many suggestions and opinions which allowed us to improve.
Link of google form
By analyzing the results, we found that people who are willing to use our plaster increase from 66% to 85%. The mean expectation score increases from 5.4 to 7.8. This indicated our education was a success which raised public's awareness and alleviated their concerns.
We have created a visually appealing pamphlet that covers some important concepts in synthetic biology. The contents of the pamphlet are presented in a bilingual format, with illustrations, allowing people to read the pamphlets at their convenience.
Pamphlet
Moreover, we have printed more than 1500 copies of the pamphlet. We have distributed the pamphlets not only to our students, but also to primary schools' students and the public. This can educate the public and deepen their understanding in synthetic biology and biotechnology.
To further capture the attention of our school community and foster a sense of curiosity, we have adorned the school with eye-catching posters showcasing our project's key elements. These posters not only serve as visual aids but also spark conversations and questions. They serve as a constant reminder that our iGEM project is an integral part of our school's culture and progress.
In the open days at LMC, we have organized an engaging two-day workshop aimed at enhancing public knowledge in synthetic biology. This workshop was not only open to the general public but also attracted over 300 students from various primary schools.
The workshop featured five interactive booths designed to provide hands-on learning experiences:
Through these interactive booths, our workshop aims to provide in-depth knowledge and practical experiences in synthetic biology, fostering curiosity, engagement, and a deeper understanding of this innovative field.
In the open days at WYY, we have set up an iGEM corner to let primary students and their parents experience using micropipette. At the same time, we also introduced iGEM competition and synthetic biology to them and let them know how it benefits the World.
Along with the CUHK iGEM team and SKHLPSS iGEM team, we helped in a workshop aimed to educate primary school students about the knowledge of synthetic biology. More than 100 students from S.K.H. Chu Oi Primary School (Lei Muk Shue) had attended this exciting workshop.
Three sessions were held as follows:
In this activity, we were able to provide some knowledge about synthetic biology which is not included in their normal curriculum. The hands-on experiments allowed them to have a cursory understanding of synthetic biology and ignited their curiosity.
We have organized a workshop aimed to educate primary school students about the knowledge of biology and especially about DNA. Over 200 students from different primary schools have participated in this workshop. This workshop features three sessions for the students to enjoy during the learning experience:
Overall, throughout all these sessions of the workshop, we have successfully helped the primary students to have a better understanding of DNA, sparking their interest and have deeper knowledge about biology and our project.
The morning announcements have become a routine source of information for our fellow students and teachers. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning, we spend 3 minutes disseminating updates about our iGEM project, its goals, and its significance. This regular communication keeps the school community engaged and informed about our progress and encourages them to take an interest in the exciting world of synthetic biology.
The morning assembly was designed for students from form 3 to form 6, considering that senior form students have a deeper understanding of science compared to junior form students. We hope that students can understand more about synthetic biology and our project conceptually. Form 4 students attended the morning assembly in the covered playground,while forms 3, 5 and 6 students watched the assembly on a live stream.
During the 15-minute-assembly, we covered various topics to raise awareness and engage the students. We began by introducing the basic information about black soldier flies, highlighting their significance. We also discussed the current issues of bacterial infections and plastic pollution, emphasizing the importance of finding sustainable solutions. Furthermore, we introduced the application of synthetic biology in our project, showcasing how this field of study can contribute to addressing the challenges we discussed earlier. Lastly, we presented our project and encouraged the students to participate by filling out our survey, as their responses are important to our research.
To make the assembly more entertaining, we incorporated a series of dialogues to introduce our project. Additionally, we injected humour into the presentation, such as sharing a joke about the weight of plastic consumed by Hong Kong people each day being equivalent to 38,850 times the weight of one of our teammates. This lighthearted approach effectively captured the students' attention while providing them with a relatable comparison to comprehend the scale of waste.
Moreover, in order to make the concepts more accessible to students, we utilized visual aids such as models to illustrate abstract concepts. For example, we used plastic pipes to symbolize the plasmid of E. coil and the gene of black soldier fly. We coated the pipes with coloured tape to represent different genes. These visual aids helped to simplify complex ideas and make them more understandable for the students.
Overall, our aim is to create an engaging and informative assembly that catered to students with varying levels of biological understanding.
A video was produced to educate students on how to compost food waste correctly before recycling it. In February 2023, our project was announced during the morning assembly and aimed to encourage students to recycle their food waste.
In February 2023, a food waste up-cycling booth was set up during lunchtime in our school. Various types of food were collected and supplied to black soldier fly larvae. Students and teachers were found curious about black soldier flies and their properties. We discovered that the teacher and students were not scared to touch the black soldier flies. Therefore, we knew that black soldier fly could be a good solution to reduce food waste since people were not afraid of it. The food waste collected in the canteen rubbish bin was greatly reduced and most of the food waste was digested in 2 days.
We have integrated a practical component into our educational efforts by nurturing and growing black soldier flies right within our school premises. This hands-on experience not only aligns with the core principles of iGEM but also provides a unique learning opportunity for students. They can witness firsthand the life cycle of these flies and understand the ecological significance of our project.
We have organised two workshops, one for junior students and one for senior students to experience using micropipette. During micropipetting practice, it can raise their interest in biotechnology and iGEM competition.
Our goal for organizing this competition was to foster a deeper understanding of synthetic biology among junior form students. Recognizing the interactive and enjoyable nature of Kahoot, we leveraged the content from the distributed pamphlet to create an engaging Kahoot quiz and organized a thrilling competition.
A total of five classes from Form 1 and five classes from Form 2 enthusiastically participated in the competition. The students' eagerness was palpable as they not only engaged in lively discussions with their teammates but also sought detailed explanations for the quiz questions. During the competition, we took the opportunity to explain the underlying principles behind each question and imparted new concepts of synthetic biology. We are delighted to have facilitated their learning and ignited their curiosity through this exciting Kahoot competition.
There were around 20 junior students joined our training workshop to learn the basic concepts of biotechnology, such as the use of restriction enzymes, design of recombinant DNA, use of antibiotics and related safety measures; experience some hands-on skills, such as pipetting, serial dilution, DNA extraction, and spread plate.
In order to deepen the understanding of senior biology students on synthetic biology, a one-day workshop was organised for around 25 senior biology students. In the workshop, advanced knowledge related to DNA and recombinant DNA technology were taught. This workshop aimed to not only expand student’s knowledge on DNA but also introduce them to advanced concepts in synthetic biology beyond their current level. This could kindle their interest and encourage them to delve deeper into biology.
A one-day workshop has been organised for around 30 senior biology students. In the workshop, they will learn some concepts in biotechnology, like plasmid, restriction enzymes, primers, etc. They will have hand-on experience in digestion of plasmid, ligation, transformation and miniprep.
In order to reach a wider audience, we have established numerous collaborations with other iGEM teams to focus on educational initiatives. As mentioned earlier, we partnered with the CUHK iGEM team and SKHLPSS iGEM team to organize a workshop at a primary school. The purpose of this workshop was to introduce the concept of iGEM and conduct hands-on experiments related to synthetic biology, ultimately sparking the students' interest in the field.
Additionally, we collaborated with the CUHK iGEM team on a survey project. We designed a Google Form that included a questionnaire and a small quiz to educate the public. To target individuals of different age groups, we collaborated with CUHK iGEM teams to make a IG post to promote our forms. Furthermore, we reciprocated support by assisting the CUHK iGEM team in spreading their form among secondary school students, while they, in turn, helped us distribute our form to university students.This collaborative effort allowed us to share the form within university and high school communities, maximizing its reach and impact.
Moreover, to foster knowledge exchange among iGEM teams, we participated in a symposium featuring teams from CUHK, PolyU, HKU, HKUST, UM-Macau, and SKHLPSS. During the symposium, each team had the opportunity to showcase their projects and exchange ideas and opinions. This not only promoted our own project but also increased awareness of the current issues we addressed. The symposium proved invaluable in terms of gathering insights and improving our project through constructive discussions.
Through these collaborative initiatives, we successfully expanded our project's outreach and engaged with a diverse range of individuals. By working together with other iGEM teams, we have not only enhanced the impact of our educational efforts but also fostered a supportive and collaborative environment within the synthetic biology community.
In conclusion, our education-focused approach in iGEM goes beyond the laboratory. Targeting primary school students, who are curious about the world around them, we have organized workshops to introduce basic information of synthetic biology. Targeting secondary school students, who already have a foundation in science and will be the pillars of future Hong Kong, we have conducted workshops and held different school wide activities to promote the importance of synthetic biology. Our aim is to deepen their understanding and cultivate their interest and passion in this field. Targeting the general public, who are aware of the global issues, we use different promotion strategies, such as IG, survey and pamphlets, to raise awareness of the current situation, including bacterial infections and plastic pollution. We have also introduced our project, highlighting the application of black soldier flies and the use of synthetic biology to address the problems. Through education campaigns, we hope to ensure that our iGEM project becomes a source of inspiration, curiosity, and pride within our community.