Introduction

Science is meaningless without science communication. This year, when we launched our project, we noticed that there was a significant knowledge gap among the general public about fundamental biological principles and synthetic biology. As a result, we attempted to reach out to a broad variety of audiences, from preschool students to the general public, providing information on synthetic biology and our project. Creating customised activities to achieve audience diversity and accessibility was a crucial component of our approach.

Receiving feedback

Before developing our educational activities, we thought it was essential to receive people's feedback on fundamental questions since we wanted to base our approach on evidence and create something meaningful. After contacting different people and creating questionnaires, we concluded with the following statistics.

Firstly, we realized a lack of knowledge regarding Synthetic Biology and environmental problems such as Eutrophication. (Figure 1 and 2). We also reported the insufficiency of the educational system to provide a complete career orientation and thus inform the students for professions that have to do with scientific fields such as Synthetic Biology. (Figure 3) Finally, we also asked our audience if a board game could communicate a scientific field such as Synthetic Biology to create our own Synthetic Biology board game. (Figure 4).

All of our statistical surveys were filled out anonymously, following the GDPR regulations and having obtained the necessary distribution license from the Department of Processing Personal Data of our University.

Synbionary.com

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Academia (students, university professors, high school teachers).

AIM
  1. Creating a useful tool for professionals and the public to use in order to learn or expand their knowledge in Basic Terminology of Synthetic Biology.
  2. Raising awareness in Greece about Synthetic Biology.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

Online dictionary, webinar, printed pocket-size dictionary.

One of the most essential tools anyone can have while studying is a dictionary. A good dictionary can help individuals comprehend the area of study and improve the communication status by ensuring that the words are used appropriately. Since we understand that the Greek population is unfamiliar with the scientific discipline of Synthetic Biology, our team decided to create an online Greek Dictionary of Terms. We chose to build a website as, in the digital world we live in, anyone can easily have access to it.

Following the collection of a total of 54 terms, we started considering practical ways we could and inform as many people as possible, both scientists and others who aren't familiar with the field. Therefore, we decided to create a website since, in the current digital era, it is easily accessible to everyone. In our effort to improve science accessibility, we went a step further and asked our fellow iGEM teams to provide us with definitions translated into the most widely spoken languages around the world! After collaborating with the other teams, the translated definitions were released online in an effort to create a more inclusive community, in which language is a bridge not a barrier. An e-book version of our dictionary is presented below.

S+T+ARTS Hackathon (Science + Technology +Arts)

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Artists, scientists from other fields.

AIM
  1. Integrating arts into our project.
  2. Communicate SynBio to other scientists.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

Handicraft materials (cardboard boxes and packages, wool, glue, drawing markers, scissors, arduino, cables), pitch, prototype, live presentation.

Being a scientist does not automatically make someone knowledgeable in all scientific disciplines. Our involvement in the S+T+ARTS Hackathon (Science + Technology + Arts) demonstrated to us that researchers in fields such as architecture, economics or mechanics are unaware of the synthetic biology field and the international iGEM competition. The S+T+ARTS Hackathon was a stochastic competition that encouraged open social innovation combining arts and various fields of science and promoting interdisciplinary collaborations. Designers, artists, architects, humanitarians, policy makers, scientists, professors, and entrepreneurs participated in the contest that was about rethinking and redesigning systems regarding circularity.

For three days, soft skill training activities for the participants and the mentors were organized, workshops were held on the implementation potential of our idea as well as inspirational speeches based on the circular economy. Through our interaction with the mentors from various scientific disciplines, we were able to not only explain synthetic biology to them and the potential uses for it, but they also assisted us in integrating economic and architectural ideas with synthetic biology.

“To build or not to build a GMO”- TEDx Larissa

TARGET AUDIENCE  

General Public.

AIM
  1. Raising awareness about GMOs and how they might be used to address environmental problems.
  2. Creating a simple and enjoyable documentary that explains the phenomenon as a debate.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

YouTube video.

As synthetic biologists and members of the iGEM Thessaly 2022 team we try to combat the phenomenon of eutrophication by creating genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). GMOs are one of the most controversial issues of science. In an effort to alleviate the public's concerns about GMOs we create an informative video in which we analyze the advantages and disadvantages of GMOs as well as their advancements through time.

In collaboration with the TEDx Larissa team, we began our film making process in front of the river Pinios, one of the largest rivers in our region. In the video, we firstly explained the phenomenon that contributes as the main factor to the pollution of the river which is no other than eutrophication. Following that, we deconstructed upon the importance of the Pinios river and how crucial it is for the region to resolve this issue. After this brief introduction to the video, we elaborated upon the non-ending debate about GMOs. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of these organisms as well as the scientific progress that has contributed to overcome these drawbacks.

This video was later released to the official TEDx YouTube channel, with the main purpose of raising awareness to anyone who is interested in learning more about this issue. We paid attention to create a video that contained up to date scientific data, easily understandable scientific vocabulary and infographics based on the sources that we consulted, in order to make our content as understandable as possible. Our team is certain that this documentary will help people better understand the continuing GMO controversy and thus the contribution of Synthetic Biology in resolving environmental issues.

Figure 1. Our TEDx Talk

Pineios River Festival 2022

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Kindergarten, elementary school students, general public.

AIM
  1. Highlight the deteriorating condition of local freshwater ecosystem such as Pineios River.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

Collages, animated stickers, glues, scissors, markers, informative leaflets, banner.

One of the biggest local cultural events in Thessaly is the "Pineios River Festival”, which is held on the riverbanks of Pineios. The festival attracts visitors of all ages and backgrounds who take part in a variety of activities. Our team participated in the Pineios River Festival in an effort to educate local people about the riverine environment. Our intent was to teach individuals that a healthy river is one whose social and ecological functions are balanced. In our role as scientists, we explained to them the environmental issue that Pineios has been facing for the past few decades, namely eutrophication, its consequences, and the significance of maintaining a healthy river ecosystem.

Chasing Eutrophication: An interactive game

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Preschool Children.

AIM
  1. kindergarten students about water pollution and the ways to protect the living aquatic ecosystems.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

Paper hats, whistles, colouring papers, markers.

In our region, environmental problems such as eutrophication are not often one of the main topics discussed in a preschool curriculum. Therefore, we decided to address children, in order to teach them about water contamination and how to stop it. We visited, as a team, the "Raptou Kindergarten School" in Larissa city where we applied an educational approach based on playing, storytelling and practical activities, such as drawing. The aim was to give the children an insight into water pollution and give them an opportunity to learn about the phenomenon of eutrophication in a playful way.

At first we wondered: What are young children so obsessed with? The obvious answer is games. Therefore, we decided to conduct a game that would teach them about eutrophication in a playful way. However, taking into consideration the logical progression of the educational process, the children should be given an introduction first. A fairytale seemed like the best way to approach the kids. Our idea was to narrate a fairytale about eutrophication, based on the image below, to grab their attention, and then develop that story into a chasing game where they can put what they've learned into practice.

SynBioCraft: A Synthetic Biology Card Game

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Primary-Junior, High School and Collegiate Students / Adults.

AIM
  1. Learning about Synthetic biology basic principles, laboratory equipment and possible circumstances in the life of a researcher in a fun and interactive way.
  2. Boosting the players soft skills (creative thinking, time management, teamwork, problem solving).

EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL  

Playing cards, cubes (ATP Points), live presentation, online survey.

SynBioCraft is a card game designed to introduce individuals to the principles of Synthetic Biology in the most straightforward and entertaining way. Without a bio-related background needed, the game can easily be played by a larger audience being a fun and educational activity for everyone. The purpose is for players to not only get familiar with the principles of a synthetic biology system, but to put those concepts to use by building as many biological systems as they can with the available materials and by using their own imagination and creativity.

How do I become a synthetic biologist?

TARGET AUDIENCE  

High school students and teachers, parents.

AIM
  1. Career Guidance.
  2. Raising Awareness in the context of Career Orientation about Synthetic Biology as well as the iGEM Competition.
  3. Potential Creation of High school iGEM Teams.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS  

Ballon, baking yeast, video camera, arduino, ruler, strawberries, soap and alcohol solutions, leaflets, surveys.

Adolescence is a crucial period in the life span because individuals explore and make plans for future career endeavors based on their unique interests, talents and ideas. Career counseling is designed to facilitate students to make optimal choices regarding their preferences and the demands of the labor market. However, based on feedback from surveys distributed to several high schools, our team initially found that adolescents know little to nothing about the discipline of synthetic biology. Therefore, we made the decision to use educational initiatives to address the problem at its source. By educating students both in schools and during career orientation festivals, we intended to advise them about this Scientific Career Path and also informed them about the potential of a SynBio Career, such as generating projects similar to those we develop in this competition.

CAREER ORIENTATION FESTIVAL

We had the honor to participate in the first Career Orientation Festival in Thessaly which was held at the Cultural Center of Volos. The Career Orientation festival was an event held by the Career Office of our university as an initiative in order to help young students in order to achieve their future aspirations and learn about the new opportunities ahead. This event had a large audience with some of the attendants being high school students, teachers and parents. Our goal was to show our audience the application of science to the real-world while also providing visitors with an example of our laboratory experience as members of an iGEM team. In order to achieve that, we took the chance to showcase the conduct of two experiments. Firstly, the strawberry DNA isolation experiment was carried out by Wet lab members using the appropriate laboratory equipment. Next was the experiment of alcoholic fermentation in fungi and its monitoring through the application of microcomputer code and screen performed by the Dry lab members. In this way, we wanted to highlight the connection between Engineering and Biosciences, as well as the use of technology to improve monitoring and provide more accurate measurements. We were also provided with our own information booth, which served as our touchpoint with the attendants, allowing us to hand out informational material (such as brochures) and have constructive discussions regarding the departments that our team members attend, the specifics of our research project and the field of Synthetic Biology as a whole.

Spreading Synbio to Medical Students

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Medicine students, Professors.

AIM
  1. Understanding the one health approach (interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment).
  2. Awareness of the negative effects of eutrophication on one health (toxins).
  3. How synthetic biology can provide a solution.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS  

Live presentation, surveys.

It is well known that, during the eutrophication phenomenon, the formation of the Harmful Algal Blooms creates a toxic environment that can be detrimental to human and animal health if the toxins are ingested, come into direct contact with the skin, or inhaled. Taking into consideration the importance of this public health issue and given the lack of awareness among young doctors, we decided to inform them about the phenomenon and what role synthetic biology may play in combating this.We participated in the 28th annual Scientific Congress of Hellenic Medical Students, where we further elaborated on our presentation “Eutrophication’s impact on human health: A SynBio approach”. During our presentation, we talked about the creation of the phenomenon as well as the possible effects on human, animal, and environmental health.

Steps Towards Sustainable Farming

TARGET AUDIENCE  

Farmers, experts in the agriculture, general public.

AIM
  1. Raise Awareness about current environmental problems that affect agriculture.
  2. Encourage the use of more sustainable farming methods.

EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS  

QR-coded booklet, webinar presentation.

Nowadays, agricultural practices can be one of the main causes for various environmental problems such as eutrophication. After interacting with experts in the agricultural sector, we soon realized the gap that has emerged between farmers and environmental education. This is why our team decided to create a booklet that can be used as a short guide for farmers and experts in the field in order to learn more about protecting the aquatic environment through agriculture. Moreover, we found it crucial to focus on sustainability and how scientific advances such as synthetic biology can contribute to the solution of these problems. This booklet contained information about the current situation in agriculture, how that contributes to the creation of the phenomenon, its indicators and how we can introduce new sustainable farming methods in order to solve such issues. During a webinar our team presented its project and the booklet to farmers and the public, highlighting the importance of Synthetic Biology and how it is considered to be a sustainable and effective solution to the problem. Lastly, after discussing with our audience and receiving feedback upon our work, we then provided the booklet to the organisation and participants in order to have it for future use.

Broadcasting Corporation Interview

TARGET AUDIENCE  

General public.

AIM
  1. Raise awareness in the general public about the eutrophication phenomenon and its regional aspects.
  2. Live demonstration of the phenomenon for convincing people.
  3. Promotion of our project and the iGEM competition.

COMMUNICATION MEDIA  

Radio & TV Live Streaming.

INTERVIEW ON ERT LARISSA RADIO STATION

We were invited to the radio show "First Good Morning" on the national radio and television station ERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation). There we had the opportunity to discuss with our host Vangelis Mitrousias about the history of our team in the iGEM competition and our participation this year where we represent the University of Thessaly with our project on the phenomenon of eutrophication. After giving a clear definition of the phenomenon and where it occurs specifically in the Region of Thessaly, we presented the current state of our project. We talked about the development of the science of Synthetic Biology and the possibilities it offers for the development and improvement of the standard of living and the environment. Finally, we mentioned the importance of supporting the team from local businesses and the contribution of citizens through our crowdfunding page.

INTERVIEW ON THE TV SHOW "CONNECTIONS" ON ERT3 CHANNEL

We were invited to the Hellenic Public Television's show "Connections" where we appeared in a live streaming from Lake Karla which is also our inspiration for our involvement with the phenomenon of eutrophication. There we were able to demonstrate the existence of the phenomenon by taking a sample from the lake, highlighting its criticality, and analyzing the problems it causes in the biodiversity of the aquatic ecosystem. Finally, we got the opportunity to summarize our project by thoroughly evaluating the procedures involved in its implementation.