Introduction
Our educational efforts were designed to reach a broad spectrum of individuals and communities locally and globally. Synthetic biology is a relatively new field that has been developing more and more in the past few years. Therefore, it is very important to introduce the next generation to the synthetic biology field and reveal the opportunities that it holds. Our group decided to reach out to excellent students, biology teachers, the broader scientific community, and young readers aged 7-15, aiming to raise awareness among the individuals who will shape the future of science. We also aimed to empower women's health awareness and advocate for responsible synthetic biology practices, making our educational initiatives inclusive and impactful.
Our approach to education was marked by promoting creative thinking, innovation, and a deep commitment to ethics. We utilized a variety of mediums including hands-on Seminars, comprehensive lesson plans, interactive video games, podcast series, YouTube videos, and magazine articles. These diverse methods cater to different learning styles and age groups, ensuring accessibility and engagement. We prioritized ethical considerations, encouraging critical thinking and addressing sensitive topics while showcasing the potential and limitations of synthetic biology.
In the following sections, we delve into each of these educational initiatives, showcasing our dedication to education, community engagement, and the advancement of synthetic biology understandingand appreciation.
YouTube channel
We opened a YouTube channel with the goal of introducing young audiences to synthetic biology in an engaging and interactive manner. Our channel features two videos designed to cater to a wide range of ages, allowing us to reach young viewers' families and relatives.
The first video aims to raise awareness of the symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and delves into the attack mechanism employed by UPEC in the urinary tract. We chose to focus on educating young individuals about UPEC's attack mechanism because we wanted to provide our audience with insight into the thought process our team underwent to think about a new solution.
The second video presents our solution for UTI therapy, utilizing CRISPR as our synthetic biology tool. This video highlights the advantages of selecting CRISPR as a gene-editing tool, emphasizing its specificity and accuracy, as well as its capacity to introduce long-term changes to bacteria applications. We deemed it crucial to highlight the importance of choosing a system that aligns with our objectives and poses no harm to the urinary tract and the human host. Consequently, the second video also discusses the significance of maintaining a balanced microbiota within the body and its contribution to overall health, especially in the context of Lactobacillus crispatus within the urinary tract.
Our videos promote women's health awareness and present biosynthetic solutions. We've shared them on social media and with relevant medical groups and planned to use them as a teaching tool on the seminar day which is described below.
Seminars
As a part of our target audience, we aimed to influence the younger generation interested in science and broaden their horizons to a field not typically covered in the Israeli educational system.
That's why we created a high-level Seminar for an Outstanding student. The seminar's duration is approximately 6 hours, and it was initially built for 8th grade students who participated in the science entrepreneurship 'Medschool' project, which is overseen by its founder-Or Gavish. Eger to share our insights and knowledge from our experience in a synthetic biology project with this group of students, we collaborated with their project manager, Or Gavish, to organize a comprehensive seminar with clear goals.
The students were invited to the seminar on October 9th, but due to unfortunate circumstances and at the direction of the Israeli Home Front Command, we had to cancel the event for security reasons. Since the seminar was well-planned with a clear purpose for each part, and due to our inability to conduct the seminar ourselves, we decided to publish a well-detailed structure for future use by iGEM groups.
In the following sections, we have shared the study materials of the seminar after translating them into English to make them accessible to other iGEM team members. These materials include the seminar invitation, its structure, the lectures, and an explanation of the competition. Each part of the seminar is accompanied by an explanation of its purpose.
Opening Lecture
The purpose of the opening lecture is to stimulate curiosity in the students and break the ice between them and our team. For this, the iGEM students need to introduce themselves to the students, talk about the iGEM competition, share their experiences, and highlight the key lessons they've learned from it.
Project Pitch
The idea behind the project pitch is to present the project subject, raising awareness among the audience regarding the phenomenon the team aims to address. It intends to inform and educate the students about why the phenomenon occurs by providing insights into its underlying causes and contributing factors.
Lab Tour
The lab tour is intended to give the students a first-hand experience of a day in the lab where team members work during the iGEM project by introducing them to the lab environment.
Introducing Gene Editing Tools
To provide students with practical knowledge, we have developed two lectures introducing students to three important genetic tools: TALEN, Zinc fingers, and CRISPR technology. These lectures introduce the students to the origins of these genetic tools, and their current applications, and raise ethical issues surrounding their use.
Competition
To understand the level of student involvement and spark their competitive spirit, we have set up a competition for the students. The students will be divided into groups. Each group receives a riddle that presents a problem that the students need to solve by choosing one of the synthetic tools learned about during the seminar. The students will present which biosynthetic tool they chose to solve the riddle in a creative way through videos and explain why they chose it. The videos will then be scored by a panel of judges (which can also be the iGEM team members). The winning team will be announced after a week, according to the scoring table described in the opening presentation. To foster critical thinking, the students were also asked to identify any problems they expected to encounter in their solution.
We also created one fun task: watching two of our videos describing our project on our YouTube channel. The videos explain what UTI is, the mechanism of the UPEC, and our solution using CRISPR technology. The students should answer a series of questions related to the videos they watched.
Every aspect of the seminar was thoughtfully designed to ignite the students' imagination, immersing them in a field that they may not have known before. The seminar's main goal is to leave the viewers with a sense of curiosity and to allow those who dream of the option of contributing to the biotech field in the future a glimpse of a project that is in the peak of its formation.
School Lectures
Our efforts to introduce synthetic biology to the education system went beyond the Seminar. We observed the absence of synthetic biology in high school curricula, and in response, we made comprehensive lesson plans tailored for biology teachers.These plans introduced students to vital tools like PCR, Gibson Assembly, and Gel Electrophoresis. In addition, we created an informative flyer detailing how to extract DNA from strawberries, providing a fundamental introduction for younger students. Our mission was to equip educators with the means so that they could introduce complex concepts in biology in an intuitive and easily understood manner. We shared these lesson plans with regional biology supervisors, with the goal of fostering topics in biology in classrooms.
Video Game
In our quest to educate and engage a diverse audience, we've developed an interactive video game titled "UTDIE." Our goal is to introduce the world of synthetic biology in a manner that actively involves gamers while making learning a truly enjoyable experience.
"UTDIE" is an action-packed adventure game where players take on the role of Cris, a fearless Lactobacillus crispatus bacterium. As Cris navigates the intricate pathways of the urinary tract, players are tasked with the exciting challenge of hunting down pathogenic E. coli bacteria. Along the way, players collect synthetic biological tools, such as plasmids, to empower Cris and enhance their gaming experience. Our game is designed to captivate both young and adult players while introducing them to essential concepts in synthetic biology, microbiology, and human anatomy. As players progress through the game's levels, they'll encounter various terms and scenarios related to synthetic biology. "UTDIE" currently features a single level, designed to serve as a foundation for collaborative expansion. We invite iGEM teams and developers to build upon, creating new worlds that explore different regions of the human body or the environment. By fostering collaboration, we aim to continually enrich the gaming experience and expand the horizons of synthetic biology education. To promote our game, we invite the judges and other iGEM participants to play the video game in our booth at the Grand Jamboree. We believe that by actively involving the community, we can reach a wider audience and spark interest in the world of synthetic biology.
Podcast Series - Shaping Synthetic Biology Dialogues
In our pursuit of further educational opportunities and community engagement, we wanted to reach diverse communities in Israel, so the episodes were recorded in Hebrew. Through this medium, we have successfully provided new tools, knowledge, and opportunities to diverse communities while talking about scientific topics in the fields of synthetic biology as well as UTI and women’s health. The idea behind the wide variety of the discussed subjects was to introduce the listeners to an expanding source of knowledge involving mutual learning and open dialogue, allowing other iGEM groups to build upon it in future episodes.
Our spotifyHere's an overview of our podcast episodes:
Episode 1: "From Idea to Reality"
In this introductory episode, we take our audience on a journey through the development of our UTI project. We delve into how we first conceived the idea, the meticulous process of project development, the challenges we encountered along the way, and how we addressed them.
Episode 2: "iGEM Technion: Nurturing Startups"
In This episode, we interviewed Zinat Awwad, past student in the faculty of biomedical engineering at the Technion, and a past iGEM member who took part in the iGEM 2020 competition. Zinat is the Co-founder & CEO of Harmony, a company that is developing a sensor sticker for monitoring hormone levels in the women's body. During the interview, Zinat talked about how the iGEM experience gave her essential tools as an entrepreneur. We also discussed the opportunities presented by project development and shared practical insights into the startup ecosystem. This episode serves as a valuable resource for those contemplating entrepreneurial endeavors.
Episode 3: "Unlocking the Synthetic Biology Landscape with ALAGENE CEO"
In our third episode, we hosted the CEO of ALAGENE, a leading player in the biological industry in Israel. We discussed the pivotal role of ALAGENE in providing laboratories and cutting-edge technology to promote synthetic biology-based startups. We explore diverse applications of developments in the field including security, agriculture, clinical technology, cosmetics, and material production. This episode offers a comprehensive overview of the vast potential that synthetic biology holds while providing valuable insights into its practical applications across various sectors.
Article
As part of our mission to broaden our audience and engage with young science-enthusiastic readers, we recently contributed an article to 'Galileo Magazine'. This magazine caters to children and youth aged 7-15 and offers a scientific perspective on various fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, and more. Our article aimed to introduce young readers to the world of synthetic biology and the innovative possibilities it holds.
We began by emphasizing the idea of harnessing synthetic biology to enhance our understanding and utilization of elements already present in nature. Our article first discussed the discovery of repetitive genetic codes within bacterial cells, specifically in the CRISPR region. We then detailed how CRISPR has evolved into a powerful technological tool, extensively employed in both research and industry today.
Throughout the article, we addressed ethical questions and the limitations currently associated with CRISPR technologies. Our goal was to show the readers the possibilities that nature holds for human uses, promote critical thinking among our readers, and highlight the ethical considerations that must accompany the use of biosynthetic tools. We believe that by exposing young minds to both the incredible potential and the boundaries of synthetic biology, we encourage a more well-rounded and responsible approach to the field.
Brochure
Our commitment to education and community engagement led us to create a comprehensive brochure that offers accessible knowledge about UTIs and our innovative synthetic biology solution, designed for both those familiar with UTIs and those new to the topic. We actively engaged with individuals suffering from UTIs, respecting their values, and ensuring sensitive and respectful communication. Our brochure caters to diverse backgrounds with limited biology expertise. Ethical standards were upheld, throughout the design process of the brochure as well as its distribution. The brochure serves as a bridge, raising awareness about UTIs and the potential of synthetic biology, fostering mutual learning, and decreasing the public fear of GMO-based therapy.