In the vast field of science, the basic knowledge of synthetic biology appears to be extremely important. Therefore, popularizing the science of synthetic biology appears to be crucial, not only to enhance the interest of students in science but also to inform their future academic development and career choices.

Thus, we organized a unique iGEM science popularization activity on September 24, 2023, in the lecture hall. The event used vivid experiments, entertaining demonstrations, and popularized explanations of core knowledge to present a synthetic biology world consisting of bacteria, genetic modification, cancer cells, and other perspectives, with the aim of explaining the charm of synthetic biology to primary and secondary school students in an in-depth and appealing way, and to stimulate their existing enthusiasm and new exploratory hearts for life sciences.

In this event, we began with an original performance titled "Crazy Bacteria," which depicted the story of how cancer cells proliferate wildly in the human body and how synthetic biology technology transforms bacteria and sends them to the battlefield together. By criticizing the knowledge of synthetic biology, it succeeded in attracting a high level of attention from the primary and secondary school students in the audience, allowing them to understand and accept this specialized knowledge in a relaxed and fun way.

After the performance, we used experiments and interactions to explain the science. Using bacteria as the centerpiece, the team members introduced the techniques and concepts of genetic engineering in an easy-to-understand manner for the audience while demonstrating how to use these techniques in experiments. This session allowed the students to learn about the process of bacterial modification from hands-on experience and grasp the possibility of using these modified bacteria to fight cancer in the future. Such experience gave the students a deeper understanding of the theoretical knowledge and positively motivated them for their future studies.

We also designed several rounds of science quiz sessions and provided gifts to the students who answered the questions correctly. The warm process and full interactive effectiveness further stimulated the students' desire for knowledge and made them listen more attentively and understand the knowledge conveyed in this science popularization activity.

In the future, we will further enrich and expand the forms and contents of the activities and push more biological knowledge into the campus life of primary and secondary school students in the form of practical and popularized science. Through continuous dissemination and popularization of science, they expect to be able to promote the knowledge of synthetic biology on a wider and deeper scale so that more people can understand the knowledge in this field and contribute to progress and development.

In the winter camp, we learned relevant knowledge about synthetic biology, including using the iGEM official website, basics of synthetic biology, literature search, medical professional English, molecular biology, cell biology, and microbiology. We learned about gene editing technologies, such as the CRISPR-Cas9 system, and how these technologies can be used to build more complex biological systems. We also learned how to use bioinformatics tools to analyze and understand data from biological systems. This gave us a deeper understanding of the theory and application of synthetic biology and laid a solid foundation for future scientific research.

In subsequent brainstorming sessions, we came up with countless inspirations, from fighting multiple sclerosis to early warning of tumor cells. The PI suggested that we focus on our perspectives and conduct more in-depth literature research. At the same time, based on PI's current academic research mainly focusing on cancer, we can get more professional guidance and advice. Finally, we focus on cancer and look forward to applying synthetic biology to solve some of the current bottlenecks of cancer.

Based on the conversation with the PI, we decided to conduct further research on cancer as a next step. We will conduct in-depth literature searches and analysis of previous teams to find a highly innovative and feasible solution. After that, we will present our findings in the next group meeting to find a suitable synthetic biology method.

In order to promote synbio and medical knowledge, more than 30 primary and middle school students from Changchun Nanhu Experimental Middle School, Changchun No.1 Experimental Galaxy Primary School, Changchun Nanhu Experimental Zhonghai Primary School came into the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Jilin University and cooperated with members of the JLU-NBBMS team of the School of Basic Medical Sciences in the practical activities of biology science. Ling Zhang, the instructor of our team, all members of the team, and more than 30 students from three schools in Changchun participated in this activity.

In the lecture, our team members took the topic "Bacteria in life" as the starting point and explained the basic knowledge of bacteria to primary and secondary school students in vivid and interesting language, including the growth process, basic forms, hazards, and prevention of bacteria, etc. Taking Salmonella as an example, our members also introduced the basics of bacterial therapy and biosafety through the method of genetic modification to achieve bacterial modification.
In the hands-on experiment session, more than thirty students went into the laboratory and carefully observed the structure of bacteria through microscopes under the guidance of our team leaders, who patiently guided and explained the experimental operations and questions to the students and explained the basics of the experimental operations and biology-related knowledge to all of them.
Ming, an eighth-grade student from Changchun Nanhu Experimental Middle School, said, "I learned a lot about biology through this activity, and it also gave me a lot of curiosity about biology. In the future, I would like to be a scientist of biology and make more contributions to my country."
Through this activity, many primary and secondary school students went into the classrooms and laboratories of the university to learn more knowledge and skills of biology and medicine and cultivated the ability of primary and secondary school students to observe and think about problems, which can attract more enthusiasts to enter the world of synthetic biology. In the future, the JLU-NBBMS team will continue to work closely with primary and secondary schools around the world to bring the knowledge and skills of synthetic biology to more primary and secondary school students through a variety of communication and publicity activities.

The event was reported by multiple news media, including China Jilin Network, Changchun News, and other media with well-known influence, which all highly appreciated our activities.

After connecting with WISH, we co-organized a research program for young people. Together with the young scientists from the International Division of the Attached to High School of Northeast Normal University, we explored the mysteries of life sciences.

The young scientists first followed the science and technology practice tutor, learned the basic safety instructions of the laboratory, understood the various matters that needed to be paid attention to in the experiment, and tried to learn to use all kinds of instruments and equipment in the investigation for the first time. The unfamiliar experimental equipment made the little scientists feel very novel. These equipment are difficult to see in daily school and life. Everyone saw each kind of instrument and would like to operate it personally. The experimental session made everyone excited and apprehensive at the same time.

1. Cell exploration and analysis of cellular life activities: what does a cell look like, and what are the components of a cell? How does each organizational organizational part of the cell work? The children followed the teacher and learned the basics of animal cells step by step.

2. DNA double helix to explore the secrets of genetic science: DNA double helix structure is which scientists found? How much do you know about the knowledge of DNA? We led the children into the gene era to explore the secrets of gene science.

3. Extracting their own unique DNA: We led the children into the laboratory, where they got to know the laboratory equipment, learned how to use a dropper, and learned to remove liquids accurately. After the basic operation instruction, we led the children to start extracting their own DNA.

4. American Heart Association First Aiders Course: The training is hands-on with American Heart Association-approved instructors.

The children commented that the science experiments were terrific; others noted that life science is both profound and exciting, and so is biology! We hope that this seed of science can be deeply rooted in the hearts of young scientists and that they can find their own place in the field of science in the future and make their own contribution to the world!

JLU-NBBMS conducted a science conference called 2023 iGEM Microbial Therapeutics for Oncology on the evening of September 17, which was conducted through a online and offline approach. The conference was very important as it aimed to improve the understanding of synthetic biology based knowledge and technology, as well as to enhance communication and collaboration between iGEM teams from various universities. Six iGEM teams from across China participated in the conference. Our team represented the medical department of Jilin University for sharing and discussion. The remaining five teams were PekingHS, Peking, Tsinghua, Guangxi-U-China, and Jilin-China.

Dongyang Li, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Jilin University, and key members of the team such as iGEM participation Team instructors Ling Zhang and Ming Yang, head teachers Zhuoyuan Xin and Tianhao Yan of Biomedical Science 2023, team captains Jicheng Sun and Yingtong Wang, as well as undergraduates of Basic Medical College of 2022 and 2023 were actively involved in this activity. At the meeting, these six iGEM teams reported and exchanged their research ideas and research results in the field of microbial therapy for tumor respectively. Students from Jilin University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Guangxi University attended the conference online and offline in their respective school venues and listened to the wonderful lectures of the six teams. The role of different microbial therapies in tumor treatment and related research results triggered extensive discussions and in-depth thinking among the audience, which also increased the dissemination of knowledge in the field of synthetic biology. Through direct contact and communication with scientists, students from Jilin University had the opportunity to learn about the latest biotechnology research progress and touch the frontiers of science.

Our team explained about microbial therapy to students from the four major schools at the conference. In the field of synthetic biology, significant progress has been made in the application of microbial therapeutics. In fact, microbes have been used in the medical field for some time, for example in the production of antibiotics, and now scientists have begun to use microbes as a tool for more complex disease treatments. The following are a few examples of the different ways in which microbes can be used:

First, microorganisms can be genetically engineered to act as "factories" for target drugs, producing therapeutic substances such as peptides, proteins or small molecules under specific conditions, which can be used to treat diseases directly. Secondly, microorganisms can also be programmed to recognize specific disease characteristics, for example, by programming them to respond to the tumor microenvironment, which allows the microorganisms to directly attack tumor cells or stimulate the immune system to attack the tumor. The microbes are then very biologically adaptable, allowing them to survive and be active in various areas of the body, including some that are difficult to reach with conventional drugs. This allows microorganisms to be used as a vehicle for disease treatment, delivering drugs to the exact site of the disease that needs to be treated. Further, because the microbial community (microbiome) in the body has an important role in maintaining human health, altering the composition of the microbiome has also been recognized as a possible disease treatment. For example, improving the intestinal environment by taking probiotics may help to improve some disease states and may even be useful for tumor treatment.

Thus, microorganisms have a wide range of applications in synthetic biology with great potential and promise. However, at the same time, we also need to realize that due to the potential impact of microorganisms on the environment and human health, strict regulations and regulatory mechanisms with multiple perspectives are needed when conducting research to ensure its safety and effectiveness.

All the participating undergraduate students deeply praised the scientific presentations of the teams, who not only understood and learned the basics of synthetic biology through this conference, but also gained a deeper expertise in microbial therapy of tumors. This conference has undoubtedly laid a solid foundation for their academic learning path and broadened their scientific research horizons, which will have a positive impact on their future professional learning and scientific research practice.

On September 24th, four iGEM teams from Jilin University joined together to give a joint presentation to the students of Jilin University. The presentation was divided into various parts, namely the popularization of synthetic biology, microbial therapeutics and big data references, and the introduction of each iGEM team's respective projects.

In the presentation, students from each team focused on the purpose of iGEM and their projects, and gave a popularization talk on microbial therapeutics, so that more students could understand the role and superficial mechanism related to bacterial therapeutics and viral therapeutics, and at the same time, they also introduced the knowledge about mini-nucleic acid drugs from the source of inspiration in the presentation of their projects. After the presentation, we had an in-depth interaction with the students, answering their questions about Human Practice and guiding them to the official website of igem for observation and learning.

Jilin-China introduced the history of synthetic biology, its core concepts, and its potential future applications, enabling the Jilin students to gain a deep understanding of its fascinating appeal and sparking their interest in further research. Synthetic biology is a new field of biological research that attempts to redesign and create new forms of biological life by editing the basic building blocks of biology, such as DNA and RNA, to meet the needs of human production and life. Through synthetic biology, CJUH-JLU-CHINA students have begun to think about how their majors can be combined with it and applied to practical scientific research for the benefit of mankind. The students triggered a strong call to participate in the 2024 competition after hearing this. JLU-China gave a talk on the application of big data in synthetic biology, explaining how big data can be used to obtain useful information, and lead to the output of scientific results in the field of biology. The application of big data in the field of synthetic biology is also a topic of urgent concern, which has become a powerful tool for modern biological science. They highlighted the possibilities brought by the combination of big data and biology, such as its application in disease diagnosis, personalized medicine, drug development, etc.

Our team, JLU-NBBMS, concluded with a series of presentations on microbial therapeutics. In the field of synthetic biology, significant progress has been made in the application of microbial therapeutics. In fact, microbes have been used in the medical field for some time, for example in the production of antibiotics, and now scientists have begun to use microbes as a tool for more complex disease treatments.

During the microbial therapy presentations, teams used their projects as examples to explain in detail how microbial therapies work and the potential benefits that result, such as anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and even cancer treatments. Students were encouraged to understand the importance of this emerging therapy and were encouraged to check out more projects on the iGEM website to see what teams from around the world have been doing to stimulate their interest.

Finally, the team members enthusiastically shared their concerns about Human Practice, education and other aspects with the students at the event, and encouraged them to participate in the iGEM competition or related studies in order to learn about and practice the frontline results of bioscience. Overall, this presentation greatly deepened the JLU students' understanding of the various fields of synthetic biology and provided them with more inspiration for their possible future research paths.

Through this presentation, the four iGEM teams worked together to let many students from Jilin University know more about the iGEM competition and synthetic biology. They became very interested in synthetic biology and microbial therapeutics and are strongly looking forward to joining the iGEM family to solve comprehensive problems for people around the world.

At the beginning of the year, our team organized a biosafety competition with the School of Basic Medical Sciences. The aim was to give more students a deeper understanding of biosafety. The competition was widely publicized, with a large number of participants and a wide range of influences. The participating teachers and students received it well. Our publicity and education on biosafety has been very effective.

The competition was divided into four sessions: required questions, quick quiz, audience interaction, and the final game. The questions were mainly related to the infection of pathogenic microorganisms in the laboratory, lab danger signs, lab labeling of hazardous materials, storage of dangerous materials, classification of infectious diseases, use of laboratory equipment, protective measures, etc.

There was a lot of enthusiasm in the competition, and it went to the extra rounds several times. There was a fierce competition for the champion. As the questions became more and more complex, everyone's understanding of biosecurity became deeper and deeper. We believe that at the end of the competition, it will cause everyone to think deeply about biosafety.

After the competition, some students commented that this competition made them realize that they know very little about biosafety, and there are still many things they don't understand, so they feel that they need to learn more about it.

With the success of this event, we realized that there is an intense desire and need for students to learn more about biosafety. We decided to look for suitable opportunities in the future to educate people about laboratory safety further.

Safety is the first and foremost prerequisite for laboratory work. After discussing the safety aspects with Pro.Wei Sun (see Human Practice), we decided to popularize laboratory safety on campus. Therefore, with the support of the faculty, we launched a series of activities for the month of Laboratory Safety Culture, and conducted a popularization campaign on campus, and distributed Laboratory Safety Knowledge Booklet to students, so that all the medical students could learn more about laboratory safety.

Our popularization content is divided into several sections, such as laboratory biological safety, laboratory chemical safety and so on. Each of these sections is of great importance, and neglecting any one of them can have very serious consequences. Laboratory biosafety is mainly divided into three parts, classification, biological experimental waste disposal and laboratory biosafety practices. The captain vividly explained the standard operation when working in the laboratory. Wearing appropriate protective clothing, strictly ensuring the safety zone, using the biological safety cabinet in a scientific and safe way, and doing sterilization to prevent contamination and infection are all crucial. It is important to keep safety in mind at all times. Below is our exhibition board, which also serves as a safety manual.

We also designed a biosafety game for students to learn more about lab safety rules, which is simple and fun to play. We have designed many levels and each time you pass a level, you can get a stamp and collect five stamps to get a small prize.

We understood that the popularization of scientific research does not only depend on high-rise laboratories, but also needs to be integrated into the community and the daily life of all people.

During the National Holiday in 2023, several team members returned to their hometowns to spread the knowledge of synthetic biology. They also sought to improve our program with the help of professional bases around the world.

Meeting with the Jinzhou City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, we explained in detail the projects we were currently working on and their far-reaching implications for future disease control and prevention efforts. In particular, the discussion of oncology treatment caught the attention of the CDC director. There are more and more people in the community who are suffering from cancer, and many of them, mostly the elderly, are unable to receive effective treatment due to various reasons, such as not being able to tolerate the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy, not having enough money to pay for the entire course of treatment. The staff of the CDC said that if our drug is really as effective as we say, and can be mass-produced and put into use, it will have a huge impact on society and benefit countless people.

In particular, we conducted a series of lectures on scientific health knowledge, including optimizing diet, strengthening physical exercise and conducting timely vaccinations, which are of great importance as preventive factors in daily life.

This discussion between us and the CDC was full of inspiration, and the information they acquired was not only authoritative but also accurate. Better yet, the success of this interview will pave the way for the our team to interface with more relevant departments in the future.

When the iGEM team BNUZH-China approached us with the idea of collaborating to create this handbook with other iGEM teams including BNUZH-China from Guangdong, Guangxi-U-China from Guangxi, PekingHSC, Peking, Tsinghua from Beijing, we reckoned this significant and didn’t hesitate to make it happen! For months we had been doing extensive literature research to get a grasp of current microbial mediated tumor therapies related to synbio. In our brochure, from our project to ethical thinking for cancer treatment, a wide range of topics are concerned. With this, we aim to approach people without related clinical background and support stakeholders and the publc in understanding more of biotherapy cancer treatment. Go check our handbook below if you are interested!

Thus, when we were informed that Prof. Kalvakolanu would conduct a lecture in our school that was primarily concerned with STAT3, a factor highly related to increasing tumor cell viability and promoting tumor cell proliferation, we sought his advice.