Dutch Innovation Days (DID) was an event held between the 11th and 13th of May in Enschede, the Netherlands. We could participate in it thanks to the 4TU.Federation, an alliance of the four technical universities of the Netherlands, which includes ours. DID was the first event at which we revealed our idea tothe public. We had a chance to pitch our project twice and talk to the visitors at our stand. The feedback we received was very valuable and helped us shape the further course of the project. We learned that we had to simplify the explanation of the molecular mechanism and biosafety of PseuPomona to make it more comprehensible for the public. Apart from that, it was also very exciting to see student teams from other Dutch universities. Despite the differences in focus, it was useful for us to see what fully functional student projects look like.

Bartek giving a pitch of our project.

The number of stakeholders that were involved in our project made us realise that the conversation about using genetically engineered organisms in agriculture is broader than it initially seemed. Especially when everyone is focused on their specific field, one rarely gets an opportunity to discuss with someone with opposing views or a different perspective. We wanted to create room for that discussion around synthetic biology in the contextual field of our project. Therefore, with the help of Impulse Wageningen and Studium Generale Wageningen, we put together an evening panel discussion entitled “The Role of Synthetic Biology in Agriculture”. It was designed as an occasion to talk about a topic at the intersection of science and society in a rather informal setting.

Our panelists (from left to right): Mr. Dirk van Hees, Mr. Alessio Gerola, Dr. Enrique Asin Garcia, Dr. Ir. Frank van der Wilk, and Dr. Bertus Beaumont.

The location of the event, Wageningen University, was beneficial, since there are a lot of students and employees interested in biological, life, and interdisciplinary sciences. Each of the four invited guests represented a different angle of the synthetic biology ecosystem. Dirk defined clear needs that would have to be met for a synthetic biology solution to be useful to farmers. He was optimistic, but hesitant. Alessio provided a voice for the philosophical approach to modifying living organisms and argued that we should perhaps reconsider our influence on them. He also stated that the challenges we face in agriculture should be looked at in a more holistic way, considering socio-economical, demographic and ethnographic aspects. Enrique displayed possibilities for agriculture that lie within synthetic biology, described his perspective, and showcased how gene editing is approached by scientists. Frank, on the other hand, gave insight on how regulatory bodies consider the use of GMOs and whether it is realistic for the societal perspective on genetic engineering to change.

A sketch of our panelists made by one of the attendees.

People who attended the event also played a big role in the conversation, not only by asking questions but also by stating their own opinions and experiences. The insight that each guest, together with the public, provided was very thought-provoking. According to the feedback that we got from attendees, the goal - to broaden people’s perspectives on synthetic biology in agriculture - was achieved.

• Our collaboration with "The Living Revolution" podcast was very successful, and we recorded a total of three episodes. In the first episode, we introduce the audience to our project by giving an overview of the problem of frost damage to fruit trees, explaining why we decided to tackle this challenge, and describing our solution. Besides the scientific part of our project, we also talk about the dynamics of our team, our motivation to participate in iGEM and interests in synthetic biology.

• The second episode is dedicated to discussing the development and use of novel synthetic biology solutions in our project, intellectual property, and the ups and downs of working with non-model organisms.

• In the third episode, we go beyond our own project and reflect on the general use of synthetic biology in agriculture. We discuss the problems resulting from intensive farming and possible solutions that synthetic biology could offer. In this final episode, we also talk about our interactions with stakeholders and the importance of bridging the gap between academia and society when working on such projects.