communication
1 Introduction
Synthetic biology has a very broad application prospect in many scientific and technological fields. However, through the questionnaire survey, we found that society knew little about the subject, so it was difficult for the biological agents and drugs manufactured through synthetic biology to be accepted by society. Through observation, the main reason for this problem is that students cannot understand the knowledge and essence of synthetic biology in their daily teaching planning, and adults usually lack interest in this kind of slightly biased applied biology, which highlights the importance of popularizing the education of synthetic biology related knowledge.
Therefore, our team arranged a variety of rich and interesting activities, including educational lectures and the design of card games to promote the public education of synthetic biology. The establishment of the public account has the important significance of expanding the scope of knowledge, enriching the understanding of the subject content and following the development of current events and providing the public with more accessible information and knowledge about generative biology. Our team has carried out biology lectures in many schools, popularized the concept of the discipline, and actively shared and introduced the team's research topics, providing students with various opportunities to access knowledge beyond textbooks, and at the same time, we have a deeper understanding of the commercial products and research results conceived and designed by our team. In order to further promote the knowledge of synthetic biology to the public, especially primary and secondary school students, our team skillfully designed all kinds of knowledge, instruments, and engineering strains into a card game with high interest and interaction and accumulated rich knowledge in the enjoyment of entertainment.
Information collection: Questionnaire
Assessment of cognition (concept) of synthetic biology
Evaluation of acceptance of synthetic biological products
2 Social Media official account
Purpose:
To allow people to obtain the popular science knowledge of synthetic biology through simple and convenient channels
Target Audience:
Anyone interested
In the WeChat official account created by the team, adhering to the concept of promoting popular science knowledge, we actively compile new knowledge in related fields and strive to maintain the efficient article output of "One More" every day. The first article focuses on the importance and drive of artificial meat to people's food industry, arouses the public's curiosity about synthetic biology, and affirms the key significance of synthetic biology to human sustainable development in the future. Secondly, we have outlined the basic instruments needed in synthetic biology so that people have a deeper understanding of this field and professional recognition of this technology, understand the basic mechanism and steps of synthetic biology so that people can more easily accept products developed by this technology of synthetic biology. At the same time, our team has also developed corresponding products using this technology, which has a far-reaching impact on environmental protection and medical safety. It includes the freeze-dried powder developed by the team, which can degrade antibiotics, and a large amount of information about its action mechanism, use methods and dosage are introduced and summarized.
Based on the research results of our team, we introduced the science popularization and analysis of several important constructions and biological component technologies, including the harm of sulfadiazine antibiotics to the environment, the significance and use of synthetic biology of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, the degradation of specific chemicals by laccase, and the science popularization of cell surface technology. Finally, we also cooperated with two other teams that also use cell surface technology and released each other's ideas, processes, and results on the public account about how the other team uses this technology in their own projects. This not only deepened the readers' understanding of cell surface technology but also showed the interest and importance of biological exploration and research through teamwork.
3 Synthetic Biology Lectures
Purpose:
To cultivate students' interest in it and provide extracurricular knowledge
Target Audience: students
-Teaching for junior high school students
Under the premise of tight schedule in the school, our team actively carried out lectures on synthetic biology on campus in many schools, taught and shared with students in Grade Two, expanded the scope of education and science popularization, enriched students' biological knowledge and affirmed and yearned for the discipline of synthetic biology. Among them, on the premise of introducing the background of synthetic biology, we have fully supplemented and expanded the knowledge of many existing technologies, products, and R&D progress, combined with the research objectives of our team and promoted the team's efforts and achievements to a certain extent on the basis of popularizing knowledge, which is of great significance.
3.1 Exhibition (synthetic biology introduction/project introduction)
The exhibition of biological knowledge and research achievements is essential in the education link. Its universality of audience orientation and diversity of ways to present knowledge is of great significance for promoting popular science education. Through offline cooperation with another iGEM team, our team successfully held a campus exhibition of synthetic biology on campus. In the week-long exhibition, the beautiful posters designed will be posted in the school lobby for students and teachers to browse and learn.
The first exhibition comprehensively presents the basic scientific knowledge of synthetic biology, which makes an important foundation for understanding and learning the discipline. The content of the second exhibition is mainly focused on the biotechnology and use used by each team, which further highlights the preciseness of synthetic biology experiments and manufacturing in detail, and broadly summarizes and describes the milestones of development and achievements in application fields. From the macro overview to the presentation of the details, it has a good scientific significance and promotes the development of education.
4 Werewolf card game
4.1 Game characters
Team Hazard
Environmental pollution/source of human health (superbugs)
Team Synbio
2.New synthetic species (artemisinin, ginsenoside, artificial meat)
3.Scientist
4.Veteran - for existing schemes (advantages/disadvantages) - article extraction method/Fenton advanced oxidation treatment technology/aerobic activated sludge method
5.Future Star - Future Direction of Synthetic Biology (Sustainable Development/Cost Reduction)
6.Staff pipette, high-speed centrifuge, PCR amplification instrument, thermostatic water bath, gel electrophoresis instrument, gel imager
4.2 Rules
6. About 13 players are required
7.Election of a judge
8.3. Select the number of ID cards according to the number of players (including 1 environmental pollution source/1 superbugs and 1 synthetic new species/1 scientist/1 veteran/1 star of tomorrow/5 subordinates)
9.Each player draws an ID card
10.The judge now takes control of the game
4.3 Procedure
Nightime
The judge says: “Close your eyes in the dark.”
1.The environmental pollution source and bacteria are called first and choose to eliminate any player
2.Synthesize a new species and the second one is called, and choose to save a player
3.The third scientist was asked to choose any player who thought it was the source of environmental pollution/bacteria, and the judge told whether it was correct
4.The fourth veteran is called, and you can choose to save/kill any player (use each of the two skills once)
5.The Star of Tomorrow will not be called, but you can kill any player after you are killed
6.Staff will not be called
Daytime
1.The judge declared whether anyone was dead
2.Each player introduces himself/herself (hide his/her identity!)
3.Vote to decide which player will be eliminated (targeting werewolves)
4.4 Win & Loss
Team Hazard Win Condition
The remaining players in Team Hazard and Team Synbio equal
Team Synbio Win Condition
Environmental pollution sources and bacteria are all eliminated
Until one team wins, day and night alternation continues.
4.5 Purpose
The purpose of this board game is to stimulate people's interest in synthetic biology. The game is highly playable and interesting. Players have integrated the concept of synthetic biology into their play and gained some basic knowledge of it. We designed this game with the theme of synthetic biology to encourage people to have a deeper understanding of this field.
4.6 Player Feedback
5 Summary
Education is of great significance not only for the dissemination of knowledge but also for the promotion of synthetic biology, a new emerging discipline. Due to the wide range of audiences, a large amount of relevant knowledge can be understood by students and will be beneficial in the future. At the same time, the research on solutions and plans for environmental problems has also stimulated people's sense of crisis about global issues to a certain extent and encouraged people to participate in environmental protection activities and other undertakings so as to contribute to building a better future home. Synthetic biology, both potential and creativity, will make outstanding contributions to continuous development in the future. The team also hopes to make this discipline and technology, with the innovative ability of the times, more widely spread and flourish through education and promotion.