Abstract
After visiting all the Professors and the local wastewater treatment facility as we mentioned in the
integrated part, we found that not only did we need to develop the device, but also needed to enhance the
public’s acceptance of synthetic biology to utilize the application of our CoPlat.
So we started a few brainstorming sessions, thinking about how to make people familiar with this
issue. Finally, we came up with an idea that it’s our mission and opportunity to educate the public as part
of our team’s human practice.
Therefore, to better promote synthetic biology, NYCU-Formosa designed an educational package that
provides the public with a deeper insight and understanding. To make this package more comprehensive and
systematic for all kinds of people, we conceptualized it based on the 3 human senses - 'touch,' 'sound,' and
'visual.'
Abstract
We designed a workshop that includes knowledge and hands-on experiments related to synthetic biology. Since we wanted to cater to different age groups, we created four different sets of activities, which we conducted in elementary school, junior high school, high school, and college.
In Elementary School
In this rapidly advancing era of technology, we believe it is crucial to foster
initial scientific interest and knowledge among children. With this goal in mind, we
organized an experiment at Yong Fu Elementary School in Taoyuan Daxi. To arouse these
children’s interest, we introduced scientific concepts in a fun and interactive way,
capturing the attention and curiosity of the young participants. Therefore, We chose colored
sugar water as the subject of investigation because it allowed for easy visualization and
measurement, making it suitable for these young learners. Besides hands-on activities, we
also teach them the background knowledge about the concept of density and its application in
everyday life,while also improving their critical thinking and analytical skills.
The feedback received from the students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive. The
children thoroughly enjoyed the experiment and actively participated in discussions about
density and its implications. The teachers appreciated the interactive nature of the
activity, which made learning science engaging and accessible. In addition, the students
fill out learning sheets with the purpose of enhancing their familiarity with iGEM
competition. The results showed that the majority of students had gained a preliminary
understanding of iGEM and expressed a strong willingness to learn more about this
competition.
How we teach them: At first, we taught the students about basic laboratory safety concepts. They were then divided into four groups to conduct the experiment. Each group was provided with different concentrations of sugar water, which they dyed using acrylic colors. The students observed the colors as they were added to the eppendorf tubes in a gradient from high to low density. This allowed them to create their desired colors and gradients, using the varying densities of sugar water to design their own unique rainbows.
In Junior High School
On July 19, we collaborated with Yang Ming Chiao Tung University's Stephen Hsu Camp
and specially designed a booth to introduce synthetic biology, the iGEM competition, and the
connection between biology and technology. Our goal was to help junior high school students
who participated in this camp gain a better understanding of what genetic engineering is and
the potential changes it can bring to the world.
We started by introducing the link between biology and technology. Then, we explained
what iGEM is, using simple and easy-to-understand examples to introduce the central dogma of
molecular biology. After that, we explained this year's concept for iGEM's village and how
genetic engineering can be applied to various things in the world. Finally, we let those
students write some worksheets like what we also did when educating elementary school
students. Through these explanations, we aimed to inspire interest in genetic engineering,
synthetic biology, and iGEM among the middle school students, encouraging them to start
thinking about the world's problems from different perspectives.
In High School
As the higher education level of our audience is, we decided to offer an iGEM course
at the National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Biotechnology Exploration Camp this summer.
The topic of the course is to introduce the iGEM competition and share the project of 2023
iGEM NYCU-Formosa. We aimed to convey the concept of synthetic biology to high school
students and raise awareness about the impact and severity of heavy metal water pollution in
the local area of Hsinchu. Through this course, we also want the participants to understand
the applications and conveniences that synthetic biology brings to the world. Therefore, we
also started to design a presentation and thought about how to introduce synthetic biology
to high school students in an understandable way. At the end of the activity, we collected
the feedback and thoughts from the participants, which included questions about their
understanding of synthetic biology and the suggestions that they wanted to give our team.
Below are the questions and the feedback we received:
Figure 3 shows that most people gained a better understanding of and perspective on synthetic biology after listening to the presentation.
Also, we asked the participants about the suggestions that they wanted to give our team, for example, the application of CoPlat and the suggestion of the idea of building a platform. The response showed that most of the participants believe that Coplat can be applied in various aspects such as medicine, agriculture, and environmental engineering. Besides the positive feedback, the participants are concerned about CoPlat’s technology and device. Inspired by their questions, we refer to their suggestions and have sparked innovative ideas within our project.
In college
On 4/8, We participated in our university's department exhibition and set up a booth
related to iGEM and synthetic biology. Our goal was to help these freshmen-to-be to
understand the knowledge related to iGEM through interactive activities, so we designed four
mini-challenges for our booth and we also had a predecessor introduction of iGEM and our
four mini-challenges.
The predecessor introduction of iGEM aimed to let high school students know what iGEM
is, the main concept of iGEM and what synthetic biology is.
The 4 challenges are listed below:
1. The operation and the precaution of pipette. We let the students use pipette to extract
different densities of syrup to create a gradient-effect solution.
2. DNA electrophoresis. We taught them the idea of electrophoresis and how to interpret the
result of gel electrophoresis. We designed and asked them to finish a worksheet to draw DNA
bands on it. After they finish their worksheet, the DNA bands they draw should form a
correct pattern or password.
3. The idea of biobrick. We first introduced them to the components of a biobrick. Then we
explained the biobrick we used in the project of 2021 NTCU_Formosa and the mechanism of it.
To make sure that these students are fully understood, we gave them the puzzles that
represent each component of the biobrick we made in advance, asking them to assemble those
puzzles to build a biobrick which is able to express successfully.
4. Tissue/Cell morphology. We showed them some cell and tissue images observed through
microscopes and demonstrated how to draw those structures in a biological illustration
On 5/20, We held another booth in the second-round interviews of our university department. We demonstrated two LB plates to the interviewers during the interviews. One LB plate contained E. coli with a gene for GFP, the other contained E. coli with a gene for RFP. Additionally, we exhibited the hardware used in the 2019 NCTU_formosa iGEM project. We hope that these displays will spark great interest in iGEM and synthetic biology among them.
Overall, these booth activities held in our department were designed to enhance their understanding of iGEM and synthetic biology concepts through hands-on experiences. We briefly believe that we have blown their minds, letting them realize synthetic biology could be applied in such an interesting way.
In addition to interactions among students, we also visited the wastewater treatment plant in Hsinchu Science Park (view integrated) making the workshop accessible beyond the student community.
Conclusion
Our activities successfully combined science education, community engagement, and interactive learning. By exploring the challenges and experiments, we provided those students with enjoyable and educational experiences for the young students, igniting their curiosity and fostering their scientific thinking. Through ongoing efforts and improvements, we hope to inspire more young minds and cultivate a passion for science among future generations, strengthening the connection between science and society.
Abstract
Synthetic biology is a field that's shaping the future of science and technology. It's all
about engineering life to create new solutions to some of our most pressing problems. Welcome to
"NYCU Formosa podcast," the podcast that aims to make learning about the fascinating world of
synthetic biology easier and more accessible for everyone, especially those with busy lives and
visual impairments. We're here to make your daily commute or downtime not just productive but
also intellectually stimulating.
In today's fast-paced world, finding time to expand our knowledge can be a challenge.
Commuting to work or going about our daily routines often feels like time wasted, therefore,
NYCU-Formosa had come up with the idea that what if we could turn those moments into
opportunities for learning?
After several discussions, we decided to conceive a podcast introducing iGEM and also
discussing relevant village issues. In each episode, we invited numerous teams to participate in
such discussions, not only promoting the iGEM competition but also allowing our education
activities to engage with individuals from different fields in society. To make the content
available to all the audiences, we broke down the intricacies of synthetic biology into easily
digestible, engaging, and informative segments. But our commitment to accessibility goes beyond
that. Our podcast is detailed with descriptions and explanations that paint a vivid picture of
the world of synthetic biology. We believe in the power of knowledge to empower and transform
lives, and we're excited to provide a new avenue for the visually impaired community to access
education and gain insights into this exciting field.
Conclusion
So whether you're a busy professional looking to make the most of your commute or a member
of the visually impaired community seeking a new pathway to learning, "NYCU Formosa podcast" is
the ticket to exploring the incredible world of synthetic biology. Join us in unraveling the
mysteries, uncovering the possibilities, and expanding your horizons. Together, let's embark on
this exciting journey of discovery and enlightenment.
Click icon below to hear our podcast!!!
Episode1: Introduction to iGEM and synthetic biology. ft. NTHU-Taiwan
Episode2: What is bioremediation? ft. CSMU_Taiwan
Episode3: Heavy metal ion pollution. ft. Aachen
Episode4: CoPlat
Abstract
This year, NYCU-Formosa carried forward the bioart communication philosophy of our
senior team by compiling principles, protocols, and future applications into an open-source
format for public download. Our goal is to promote the beauty of synthetic biology to the
public and inspire further applications of bioart in various fields.
Based on all the education experiences mentioned in the ‘touch-centered approach’, we
realize that there’s still a long way to go in order to fully achieve our goal to promote
the beauty of synthetic biology. Traditional in-person teaching methods can only reach a
limited audience and our podcast also has the drawback that there are still some audiences
who cannot understand the content without visualization. Recognizing the need to promote and
democratize the field of synthetic biology, we've embarked on a groundbreaking solution to
make it accessible to all - our BioArt open source.
Our journey began with the understanding that the fusion of open-source principles
with synthetic biology can be a powerful force for widespread education and innovation.
Through the BioArt Open Source project, we aim to break down the barriers that have
historically limited access to this exciting and transformative field. Therefore, we've
designed a comprehensive toolkit that is available for anyone to download and use.
With our free and downloadable toolkit, we provide individuals of all backgrounds and
skill levels with the tools they need to explore the realms of synthetic biology. Our vision
is not just to educate but to inspire. By merging the worlds of synthetic biology and art,
we believe we can ignite a passion for the subject and unlock limitless creative
possibilities.
Not only did we finished theoretical-based open source, but also created visualization
of the application of synthetic biology. Inspired by the visit to the wastewater treatment
plant, we created a visual cycle of how to deal with heavy metal pollution with team Aachen
using both our products. This collaboration enables us to communicate with people from other
places, applying what we learn and do to our daily lives.
Conclusion
BioArt Open Source is more than just a project; it's a movement towards a future where
everyone, regardless of their background or resources, can actively engage with and
contribute to the world of synthetic biology. We invite the general public to join us in
this endeavor, as we work together to bridge the gap between science, art, and education,
creating a world where curiosity knows no bounds and innovation knows no limits.
At the end of our education journey, we visited Nation Central University (NCU) in Taoyuan,
trying to combine all the experience we learned to give an ultimate action - helping the
establishment of the NCU iGEM team in the future. The ‘sound approach’ podcast we recorded
helped the students there to briefly understand the idea of synthetic biology and the
competition. The ‘touch approach’ experience empowers us the ability to educate people with
all backgrounds. The ‘visual approach’ offers a deeper insight into the engineering and
remote learning opportunities. We are pleased and excited to see that all approaches we had
done turned out to be practical tools in reality. Helping team establishment, we are eagerly
looking forward to welcoming more teams into the iGEM community, as we collectively embrace
the wonders of synthetic biology.
