One of the most important parts of the iGEM journey is stimulating the connection between science and society. Our mission is to advance scientific understanding and to engage with society. We did this by increasing awareness about our project, promoting our message both within academia and the general public. We achieved this through active public engagement through various forms of media, including newsletters, magazines, websites, and radio stations. The many positive reactions, coupled with the enthusiasm and support expressed by society, were tremendously motivating and inspiring.
Science communication is crucial for stimulating collaboration and innovation. It engages both the public and scientists and supports the adoption of well-informed policies at all levels, from governments to individuals. Science communication also aids in simplifying complex scientific topics, which is essential for making it more approachable and understandable to the public. For the success of our project, we need everyone to understand why it matters. Ultimately, the connection created through collaborations and public engagement is what will keep the PHAse Out mission alive.
- On the Radio
-
We reached out to the Leiden regional radio station and were thrilled to go live on Radio Sleutelstad on the 15th of August. Radio Sleutelstad is the biggest radio station in the region of Leiden. The interviewers were excited to hear about iGEM and our project. You can find the interview and the corresponding article with photos and videos here .
NPO Radio 1 is a Dutch public-service radio channel that broadcasts mainly news and sports. With more than 2.2 million listeners per week, it ranks among the biggest radio stations in the Netherlands.
After an employee of NPO Radio 1 read one of the articles that was published on us, they contacted us for an interview, which would become part of the daily Radio 1 journal. We were excited and called them immediately. The next day, they came by our lab to conduct the interview. We talked about our project inspiration and how we aim to achieve our goal of mitigating plastic pollution. Listen to the full interview.
- Newspapers and Websites
Mare is the Leiden University magazine and is read by many employees, students, and others. It’s issued weekly and focuses on academic and local news from Leiden. Mare mentioned our iGEM team and project and our participation at the Midsummer Night event at the university’s Hortus Botanicus on the 21st of June. You can read more about this event and our attendance on the Public Engagement page.
The article in which we were mentioned can be found here. This article helped to promote our presence at the event and it also increased awareness about what iGEM is and what our project is about.
Ondernemersvereniging Bio Science Park
The OVBSP is an association for institutes and companies located in the Leiden Bio Science Park. They published an article about our project on their website on the 30th of June, 2023. Their article helped us promote our project and iGEM. It additionally enabled us to connect with experts at the Bio Science Park. Lastly they mentioned the first sponsorship opportunities for our team and companies from the OVBSP.
Leidsch Dagblad, a local Dutch daily newspaper based in Leiden, serves as an important communication channel within the city. With an online platform extending its reach beyond Leiden, it effectively connects with a large audience. On August 9th, our project and team gained visibility through an article in their newspaper and online. The article stressed the importance of removing microplastics from our food and talked about how our team works to solve this issue.
On Wednesday September 13th Leidsch Dagblad mentioned our team and project again, focussing on the fact that our time in the laboratory was almost over. The article can be found here. Mention of our project in newspapers such as these increased awareness amongst locals and eventually aided in the success of our crowdfunding.
Manners is a Dutch online lifestyle magazine mainly geared towards the male reader. They feature columns about health and nutrition and that is where our team was mentioned. On the 10th of August, this article about how to avoid microplastics in food was published. The article mentioned how our iGEM team is working on a project to remove microplastics from food. They also mentioned the article that Leidsch Dagblad wrote about our project.
The Telegraaf is the largest Dutch daily morning newspaper with over 350.000 print runs in 2018. This Amsterdam based paper published an article about our team and project on the 9th of August 2023.
The Telegraaf mentioned our team a second time on the 16th of August in an article that stresses the issue of microplastics that end up in human food. The article mentioned that our team sounded the alarm about microplastics that accumulate in human food. The article about our team that appeared in the paper Leidsch Dagblad was also mentioned. The article can be found here.
Agri Holland is a news website that focuses on the agricultural sector, food industry, and environment. Because our project is focused around agricultural applications Agri Holland mentioned our team and project on their news page.
Our project was promoted by Leiden University many times. First, we were mentioned in an article on their website on the 21st of August 2023, in which they shared our radio interview with Radio Sleutelstad. The article can be found here. In the beginning of September the crowdfunding of our project started. Leiden University helped us spread the word and posted this online page through which people could make donations. Around the time when the crowdfunding was launched, the university also released another interview with our team that we had done earlier.
This same article and our crowdfunding was also shared on the official LinkedIn account of the university. This even further increased awareness about our project and crowdfunding! Another mention of our project was in the Leiden University newsletter for alumni. Lastly, Universiteit Leiden mentioned us on another page on their website in which our lecture for the Natuurwetenschappelijk Gezelschap Leiden (NGL) was promoted. You can find more about this reading on the Public Engagement page.
