2. Audio-visual education

     Our influence is ultimately limited, even if we provide a wonderful science education for a village, but China is so vast, the world is even wider. In order to achieve the broadest influence and the best effect of popular science education, we decided to use the network platform to spread our popular science education.We have recorded a number of podcasts about scientific fertilization for farmers and uploaded them to online media for all social groups to listen to. According to the feedback, our podcasts are very popular, and some netizens are urging us to update them as soon as possible so that we can learn more about scientific fertilization.

Figure 3: Netizens' feedback on our online science popularization

     In 1782, Swiss Jean Snebier revealed that carbon dioxide in the air is necessary for plant growth. With the development of chemistry and biology, other substances required for plant growth, such as nitrogen, inorganic salts, minerals and so on have also been discovered, proving that plant growth requires more than just water. In 1840, Justus von Liebig laid the foundation of modern fertilizer industry by studying the elements required for plant growth and where they were obtained.

3. School science

     Wuhan 49 Middle School, founded in 1957, is not only a key school in Wuhan, but also a model school and civilized unit in Hubei Province. Located by the Yangtze River, the school boasts a rich history and outstanding academic achievements. Known as the ten-mile Steel City by the Yangtze River, the university combines the aura of Qingshan Mountain with a beautiful environment and lively culture.

Figure 4: The Gate of Wuhan 49

     In order to popularize IGEM knowledge, promote synthetic biology, and further explore biological hydrogen production technology, our team members went to Wuhan 49 Middle School in Hubei Province to carry out a science popularization activity with the theme of "Hydrogen Energy Future". Based on professional knowledge and enthusiasm, our team explained to high school students about the application of hydrogen, the way of hydrogen production, the introduction of IGEM project, and the content of college life.

Figure 2: Students actively interact with the team"

     With a high level of performance, our team communicated complex scientific concepts to students in a simple way, with humor, and presented a wonderful biology science course. The class atmosphere was relaxed and lively with the active interaction of the students in Grade One. In the end, the students enthusiastically asked to leave the contact information of the captain, and the activity was full of laughter and laughter.

Figure 3: The students are answering the questions

     After the activity, many students of Wuhan No. 49 Middle School contacted our team leader through the online channel, expressing their regret for not being able to attend the activity in person, and also expressing their strong desire for us to come to the school to give lectures again. The team members felt that their hard work had paid off, and the positive feedback encouraged us to continue contributing to science education.

Figure 4: The team poses for a photo with students

4. Support Education

     Equal distribution of educational resources is essential for a sustainable and equitable society. Only when every student has equal access to quality educational opportunities can a society truly progress. Therefore, a balanced distribution of educational resources should be emphasized to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to pursue their dreams and goals.

     In 2023, IGEM team HUBU-SKY-China went to remote areas to conduct volunteer teaching activities. The purpose of this activity is to let more children have access to more high-quality educational resources and contribute to the even distribution of educational resources!

Volunteer Teaching Activity "Dream Trip"

Combined with the research project, the team taught the children how to produce hydrogen-rich water through synthetic biology in plain language, and designed small games to help the children understand our project.

Before we teach children about biology, we are most likely to keep them in the dark. Given that they have relatively little knowledge about the subject. However, when I actually went to that class, I found the situation unexpected.

When we talked about the physical properties of hydrogen gas, many students already knew about it, and to my surprise, many students also knew about its chemical properties, that is, flammable and explosive. I was very surprised!

Figure 1: Children answering questions in class

In addition, during the teaching process, although the biology class was relatively new to them and rarely exposed to it, the children showed great enthusiasm and motivation. No matter what question we posed, they would respond positively and even scramble to raise their hands to answer.

Figure 2: Children actively raise their hands to answer

In class, we did a paper cutting activity to help the children understand the cascade catalytic reaction in biology. During the paper-cutting, they were also very engaged and actively involved, showing a patience that we had not expected during the tedious steps of paper-cutting. Some clever children even raised their hands eagerly after they had finished cutting the paper themselves, hoping to be rewarded.

Figure 3: Children engaged in a paper-cutting game

The whole class atmosphere is very active and full of enthusiasm. After class, many students asked when they could take such a course again, which showed that they were very interested in the knowledge.

Volunteer Teaching Activity "Bridge of Hope"

The team has promoted the importance of protecting the environment to children through popular science courses, documentaries and other forms. At the same time, the team designed an environmental protection handicraft competition, and painted beautiful patterns on the homemade cardboard boxes, so that children could experience the beauty of the ecological environment and stimulate their enthusiasm for protecting the environment.

Figure 4: The team carried out science popularization activities on environmental protection

Figure 5: Environmental protection boxes made by the children

The purpose of the education is not only to teach knowledge, but also to cultivate mental health. The team members also explained the mental health education course "My Emotional Little Monster" for the children, comparing emotions to cute little monsters, and vividly guiding the children to learn to rationally vent and control their emotions. Finally, through the "trouble box" small game, the trouble is thrown away.

Figure 6: Children are playing the worry box game

At the end of the course, the team members sent a kind message to each child, hoping that they would preserve their love and go to a better future in their future study and life.

Figure 7: A message from the team members to the children

5. Summer Camp

     When we first entered college, I was very excited by the idea of going to the lab and doing all kinds of interesting experiments. However, in our school, when freshmen enter college, they usually arrange the theoretical courses and general courses in the previous academic year before they arrange the experimental courses, which makes me feel a little sorry. Why don't we create a chance for freshmen to enter the laboratory as soon as they enter the university? In order not to interfere with the normal course progress, we set up a special summer camp for them in the summer before enrollment, so that freshmen who are interested in biological experiments can experience the fun of biological experiments in advance!

     In the summer camp, freshmen will learn the basic operation of the experiment, and after mastering the basic skills of several basic experiments, they will participate in the Petri dish art design competition as the camp activity.What was exciting was that we had so many new college students participate in our first summer camp that we had to use a lottery to qualify for more than the number of places available. Nearly 20 people eventually joined our camp.

College students go to the Lab

Before the experiment begins, we carefully arrange a comprehensive safety education course for the freshmen to make sure that each student understands and can follow the safety rules of the experiment operation. This link establishes a safe foundation for the whole experiment process and enables us to conduct the experiment in an orderly environment.

Next, we patiently guided them through basic instrument skills, including how to operate the pipette gun, use the ultra-clean workbench, and operate the centrifuge. The mastery of these basic operations not only improved the students' experimental efficiency, but also laid a solid foundation for them to participate in the final Petri Dish art competition, which encouraged students to put their creativity into the experiment and create unique works.

In addition, we prepared a series of wonderful molecular biology experiments for the students, from the basic to the slightly complex content. These experiments are designed not only to enhance their scientific skills, but also to give students a full experience of the fun and satisfaction of science. In this fulfilling summer camp, the students' journey of scientific exploration has begun.

Petri dish art design

     Before we know it, our summer camp activities are coming to an end. In the final stage of the activity, the students learned the basic operation and principle of the camp, and the freshmen showed simple but creative patterns of microorganisms on the petri dish, transforming their rich imagination into art on the dish. Each student excelled in terms of skill and creativity, which made it difficult for us to rank their works. In the end, we awarded each student a different level of award. This summer camp is not the end, but a new beginning, for these students to open the door to synthetic biology.

Figure 1: Excellent design presentation

Figure 2: Display of outstanding works

6. Bio Week

IGEM competition experience sharing

     In order to deepen students' understanding of IGEM, our team actively cooperated with four other teams from Hubei University to hold an activity called "IGEM Competition Experience Sharing Meeting" on campus. The main purpose of the sharing session was to help students better understand the IGEM competition and how to perform well in this competition.

     The sharing session covered many aspects, starting with an introduction to what IGEM is, including the background, purpose and importance of the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition. Then, we discussed in detail how to prepare for the IGEM competition, including the conception, design and implementation of the project. In addition, specific cases of IGEM projects were shared to inspire students' creativity and thinking.

Figure 1: Teams sharing IGEM projects

The sharing session was full of energy and the students showed great enthusiasm. They asked questions and shared their thoughts and doubts. This interaction promoted the transfer and exchange of knowledge, and also stimulated more students' interest in participating in IGEM competition. The sharing session not only enriched the students' knowledge, but also provided a platform for them to learn from each other and cooperate, promoting cooperation and communication between teams.

Figure 2: Students are asking questions

Figure 3: A group photo of each team member

IGEM campus publicity

In September this year, we held Biology Week, which aims to provide new students with more exposure to synthetic biology, while focusing on expanding the reach of synthetic biology and attracting potential IGEM (International Genetic Engineering Competition) participants. In order to achieve this goal, we have set up booths in the school and prepared a wealth of promotional materials and gifts to help more students learn more about the IGEM competition and our projects, and further stimulate their strong interest in synthetic biology.

During the event, we introduced the IGEM competition to a large number of students, many of whom showed strong interest and actively joined our IGEM exchange and sharing group. We firmly believe that many of these students will make outstanding achievements in the synthetic biology competition and the field in the future, and contribute their own strength to the progress of synthetic biology.

Figure 1: Students are learning about our promotional materials

Figure2: Our team members are introducing the students to synthetic biology

Charity Sale

In order to support those children who are living in poverty and cannot afford education, Our team cooperated with several teams from Hubei universities and Hubei regions, including HUBU-HUBEI-CHINA, HUBU-WUHAN-CHINA, Hubu-Hubei -China, HUBU-China and HBU-China, to jointly plan and hold a charity bazaar. The event aimed to raise funds for children in need of educational support in a creative and enthusiastic way, while also promoting the IGEM competition as well as synthetic biology knowledge.

Figure1:The team's booth and creative products designed by the team

Each team has carefully designed cultural and creative products, which are not only important carriers of bioscience, but also the results of the team's innovative ideas and creative thinking. We set up booths in schools and communities to display these cultural and creative products to the public, and at the same time use enthusiastic language and popular science knowledge to convey the significance of IGEM competition and the basic concepts of synthetic biology.

Figure2:Students are learning about the IGEM competition and our bazaar

The results of this event are very satisfactory. Not only did it successfully raise funds, but it also triggered more attention to education and science in the society. The positive response and support from the public inspired us, inspired more people to join and pushed for more similar events to be held. This charity sale is more than just an act of kindness, it is also a demonstration of how creativity and collaboration can help those most in need of support, while promoting the importance of science and education. We look forward to more such meaningful initiatives in the future. We raised a total of ￥1706.53 and donated it to Hubei Youth Development Foundation.

捐款图

Sand Lake park publicity

In order to strengthen the popularization of synthetic biology, we carry on this mission to the Shahu Park in Wuhan. In this beautiful city park, we spared no effort to distribute promotional materials to the citizens, aiming to dispel the prejudice they may have because of their limited knowledge of synthetic biology, and to stimulate their strong interest in this field. We have brought the community closer to synthetic biology by showing them a large number of practical examples of products manufactured by synthetic biology techniques in their vicinity, including medicines, daily chemicals and various types of food. The aim of this initiative is to make more people aware of the potential and value of synthetic biology, in order to promote the popularization and application of science.

figure 3:We are distributing publicity materials to the public

🖊 Reference