Public Education Introduction
Through our human practice investigations, we have came to realization to the massive problem of body odor. A survey we conducted at the beginning of the competition also has proven that a lot of people aren’t familiar with synthetic biology and its uses. Therefore, to further spread and advocate synthetic biology and our team’s project, Team KEYSTONE has hosted several events with the intention for more people to understand the purpose of iGEM and what synthetic biology can bring to our future. We have hosted events for different age ranges of audiences, provided both online and offline opportunities, and helped more people to learn something new.
Media-Online Education
Our online education program very much varied, but mainly focuses on promotion through social media. Our team has 4 social media channels: Bilibili, WeChat Official Accounts, Instagram, and YouTube. There are two in which presents online videos and another two that shares text and visual content. All accounts were registered at the beginning of the competition when our team just got together because we realized the importance of promoting online. We also hosted online activites where we can interact with the audience, this falls under the 3-session lecture event. To summarize, our team has made efforts to both promote and interact to help our audiences learn three major topics: synthetic biology, iGEM, and our project.
Lectures: Online courses for children in charity organization
Children is a crucial targeted audience when it comes to the future of science, and hence young audiences in elementary schools is our main focus in public education. In August 2022, we turned to support the often-neglected group far away in the mountains––the underprivileged children in Gansu, one of the most poverty-stricken provinces in China. 
Fig 1. Our online lessons recorded with the children in Gansu uploaded to Bilibili for influences' enlargement.
These children are being supported by a charity organization called Our Learning House, which aims to improve their education and standard of living. To achieve this goal, we designed and hosted a series of easy-to-follow biology introductory courses for these primary students online, across thousands of miles of distance. Of course, biology is not a discipline taught in most elementary schools, and synthetic biology, requires high level of knowledge and understanding to explore. We decided to provide the children with biology education as a chance to open up their horizon beyond the mountains and enable more people to potentially shape, contribute to, and participate in synthetic biology. Though it seems difficult to impart such specialized knowledge to primary schoolers, our simple yet carefully designed style of teaching acted as the enlightenment of their biology learning. We told stories and analogies to build up their familiarity with the ideas and concepts in biology; we used vibrant colours and wonderful shapes in nature to demonstrate the beauty of life and biology. And most importantly, at the end of each lesson, the children were given the chance to draw and paint what they have learned onto papers, to convey their beautiful understanding and imagination into lines, colours and shapes. It is this thoughtful way of teaching that opens up the world of biology to the children and connects us across the great distance to reach the future of the world that might push synthetic biology to a new height.
Media-Offline Education
The offline education Team Keystone has done includes a synthethic biology art gallery targeting teenagers and adults, educational fair targeting adults, offline lectures & a coloring book & a boardgame targeting children. All events and activities can be sorted into two types: one promoting mutual interactions between our audience and us, and the other is a product that promotes knowledge of synthetic biology. Both are important both will reach a more diverse and effective way of promotion. The coloring book and board game as products were also placed at events where our teammates were able to interact with the audience. Giving audience the opportunity to listen to synthetic biology from another person and investigate by themselves. Offline events also covers a larger range of audience, especially in the context of age. Our team has not only presented to children in primary school, but in all age ranges due to public events. In conclusion, Team Keystone has tackled many needs of different audience, context, and methods to create an offline education system.
Coloring Book
The book included information on biology and genetics and we had several categories including types of cells, organelles, and lab equipment. We drew several line drawings for all of these categories so children could learn about synthetic biology while experiencing the pleasure of coloring. Next to the drawings, we wrote information on what these organelles were, what they did, and some basic concepts. To make the ideas easier to understand, we tried to use simple words and found synonyms whenever possible. We also used metaphors and analogies to help connect new and confusing ideas to our daily lives. For example, the page on mitochondria compared it to an energy factory and the page on the golgi body compared it to the mailroom. Finally, our book was printed and sold at events like the synthetic biology fair mentioned earlier. The feedback QR code at the back cover of the book allowed us to track feedback and we realized the importance of the book. 
We wrote and drew a coloring book as a collaboration project with fellow iGEM Team iBOWU. This book was based on the idea of using a hands-on, interactive style of learning to teach students from upper primary to high school (4-12 grades). We targeted this particular audience since we wanted children of younger ages to also learn about synthetic biology. We felt like this type of knowledge and this subject in general is normally only taught to older high school students so we wanted to expand the circle slightly. At the same time, we couldn’t find elementary or preschool children since it would be harder for them to understand so we narrowed it down to these grade levels. We used English in the coloring book since most of the information learned in synthetic biology is written in english. By using English to read the book, the children get to learn the subject using the language most of this will be taught in. It can also help improve their english skills so it would be easier for them in the future. Besides, many people can read at least a few paragraphs in english so the book would be able to reach more people. We decided to use a coloring book since it is a type of interaction. Coloring prompts thinking and it’s a fun way to learn which can capture the interest and short attention span of young children. This will also be able to encourage open dialogue since conversations about diy and books are common between children of all ages. As long as there is an interest, people talk. SEE OUR COLORING BOOK
Board Game
The board game’s name is Bioworld and it is based on the idea of “the game of life as” well as “monopoly”. It is about the journey of a cell and includes parts of the central dogma and protein synthesis such as translation, replication, and transcription. These pieces of information are presented on cards that are drawn as the player reaches those parts and there are specific parts on the map where the player has to complete certain actions using cards and tokens. We have included pictures of the board game below.
We decided to create a board game based on synthetic biology concepts to again use that idea of hands-on learning. The board game is targeted to kids of all ages from 6 years old to adult since it can be played as a family and the rules are relatively simple. Even though the board game uses scientific concepts throughout playing it, it doesn’t require thorough background knowledge meaning its perfect for everyone. The instructions are also translated in both Chinese and English so anyone can play it, further increasing the wide range it targets. This will also be widely accessible since we will sell it at events and online on platforms like Taobao and Jingdong. At the same time, this form of education is best for encouraging open dialogue since through the process of playing the game, players will have to continually use scientific terms for cards and tokens and afterwards, players can discuss the game with each other. 
Fig.5, card designs for our boardgame
Lectures: A hands-on activity with charity school in Beijing
In September, our education team organized another activity with young audience––this time an actual biology lesson to a class of the Light and Love School, a charity school for orphans, disabled and poverty-stricken children in Beijing. With some similarity to the online courses for children in Gansu, this hands-on activity includes two major sections: sharing of biology and synthetic biology knowledge, and artistic creation. 
We always encourage primary students to express their ideas and thoughts about what they have learned using art, which is a more natural, accurate, and intuitive portrayal of their understanding and consolidate their learning. After teaching the basics of synthetic biology, the artistic creation session unfolded with the central theme “Designing life”. 
On the pieces of paper with pencils and markers dancing upon, we saw surprising, interesting and wonderful drawings of how life can be “redesigned” through advancements in synthetic biology. The vivid colours and simple lines communicated to us that only a few explanations on how life was encoded in genetic information and the science of genetic engineering can lead to immense responses in those young minds. 
Thus this hands-on activity was a mutual learning, a dialogue between the children and us: the children learnt from our words the knowledge on life, cells and genetic editing, while we learnt the unlimited vastness of their ability to think about the science of life in novel perspectives. A slight spark of education could lead to an explosion of ideas and thoughts.
Art Gallery
On September, 11, 2022, Team Keystone hosted a small art exhibition at Yosemite Grand Hotel. We wanted to socialize with all ranges of audience from this event so not just certain groups of people can understand synthetic biology. The event started with booking. Then, we started preparing the materials which included artworks, art frames, and so much more to make the art exhibition look presentable. 
Finally, when the art exhibition started we were able to get good feedback and also receive compliments from plenty of people. Our team created a Post-it board for the audience to write notes and feedback on for the exhibition. The board was there to encourage an open-dialogue between the team and the audience. We were even able to interview a few members of the audience and gained their good comments. Some individual audiences even majored in genetic engineering and art design themselves coincidentally viewed our gallery.
The content of the gallery included three types of work: green fluorescent protein artworks, masterpieces from the children, and artworks from our team members. We divided the exibition into three areas, where GFP paintings were station 1. Different colored e. coli were presented in petri dishes in the gallery. We had pink mushrooms, glowing yellow stars, and more pieces of GFp. Station 2 was about an overall introduction to synthetic biology. We presented with a short piece of text regarding cells and synthetic biology to an extent. We presented paintings from both children and teammates on the topic of cell, organelles, and even materials needed in an experiment. For instance, some of the children drew realistic factories in the cells to show that organelles and all the structures in a cell have their own roles. One of our teammates drew a petri dish as a swimming pool in winter. A ladder is leaned onto the ridge of the glass and snow fills the dish. We collected all the paintings and presented them as a board. The audience were able to see the images of cells from children’s minds and also from our teammate’s imagination. 
In addition to our teammate’s descriptions and presentation, they were able to fully understand and see the effects of synthetic biology. The 3rd station is “New Life from Synbio.” We invited the children from the lectures to draw imaginary organisms that can be the output of synthetic biology. Some examples include a an owl with a cat head and plants that can cultivate by themselves. Some of our teammates also drew paintings on the topic of “Synthetic Biology’s Future.” We collected and created them into a panel regarding creative life.
Syn Bio Fair
The synthetic biology fair or the jamboree was an activity hosted by our team in two different places. Since part of our team members were in Shenzhen, we had a fair there on October 11th. We also had a “jamboree” of sorts in Beijing where we worked with iBowu and Cyano Studio to set up a gallery and fair in the 798 art village (a popular tourist destination in Beijing). We were able to attract local citizens of all ages at both fairs and displayed work from the art gallery and talked about our project to those who were interested. 
For the Beijing one, we also invited other teams to come including the Qinghua team and the actg team online. This event allowed for a chance for open dialogue amongst the people who went to the art gallery. Since the gallery was hosted in a public place, people and tourists including young children and older people came. We had events on the second floor and a basic gallery set out on the first and through this event, we increased interest in synthetic biology. Many people were curious, and from our conversations, we learned that our event had effectively allowed them to gain a deeper understanding. Some of the pictures or recordings can be seen below. Our teammates in Shenzhen conducted the identical Syn Bio Fair within their campus too, with large posters and activities in campus, enhancing the public's understanding toward synthetic biology. 
Based on the students' feedback, our Syn Bio Fair in Shenzhen was interesting that they "have got to re-recognize this boring subject." To us, it is a huge success, since we were able to overthrow the previous "boring" figure of biology in their minds! 
Educational Sources
Platforms
Bilibili
Our team has uploaded our promotional video and Gansu lecture online so more people are introduced to synthethic biology and even just iGEM the competition itself. From our teams promotion, more than 100 people have watched the video. 
Visit our Bilibili Account for more information.
WeChat Official Account
WeChat is an online communicating platform created in China with over 12000000000 users. Our team has used the Official Account function to promote Aromata and synthetic biology. Once our team publishes an article about synthetic biology, all users in wechat are able to access it and followers of our account will receive notifications regarding the update. Due to our teams promotion, our average reads of the articles we send are about 600, to a maximum of 1000 views. 
The specific articles we’ve sent are our team introduction and project introduction. This is where every team member writes a short description of themselves and the whole project overview. Team KEYSTONE has also collaborated with Team iBowu-China on a series of articles regarding the history of synthethic biology. All the articles sent by Team KEYSTONE have the intention to provide more people with an overall conception of synthetic biology and the iGEM competition. 
Fig 21. An article on DIY DNA extraction published in 2022
Visit one of our articles for details.
Conclusion
By approaching our targeted audience from both online & offline medias and leaving the resources on the internet for future reviews, we were able to cover audiences from all age ranges and encourage an open dialogue between the audience and us. As mentioned above, we have delivered varied activities, targeting audiences in different ages and analyzing their preferences. By doing so, we were able to guarantee the scope of our public education, targeting a wide range of crowds.
Not only were we making efforts to enlarge the scope of our activities, we have also ensured the magnitude of our actions, that we have encouraged open dialogues. We have collected evidence of the effectiveness of our activities after each of them, by either asking the children to draw out their perception of a "Cell Factory" or having short interviews after the syn bio fair and the gallery to receive feedback. In the process of conducting public educational programs, we witnessed the interests sparked by our activities, that the children and the tourists to our lectures and galleries asked in-depth questions that both challenged and inspired our project!
After all, we sincerely hope that our public education has achieved actual impacts on the audiences we have encountered in the process, and make a difference.