How did we develop and implement education, science communication, and outreach materials related to synthetic biology?
Our team created a survey to educate our local community about BTEX contamination and our response to it. The survey was distributed at a local community fundraising event, held to raise money towards our research. The event was within our local area and gave us the opportunity to educate people about synthetic biology applications. Another aim was to increase awareness of the uses of synthetic biology and project opportunities available at our University, and to encourage more young people to study STEM fields. Our podcast also served to educate people about possible applications of synthetic biology.
Our first episode explored how synthetic biology can help reduce plastic pollution with the help of one of our industry sponsors, Samsara. Our talk with Samsara also allowed us to show what career opportunities are available for those interested in pursuing STEM careers.
We have been active on Facebook, Medium, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram, giving updates of our research and behind-the scenes views of what it is like to perform research in a biological laboratory. This has allowed us to further reach our target audience of young people who many be interested in STEM and the many exciting opportunities the field of synthetic biology holds for the future.