Education
From the survey, we found that most of the public is unaware of ethanol, let alone the differences between the three generations of biofuels. Additionally, many of our peers are unfamiliar with synthetic biology. To raise awareness about the environmental challenges we face—such as pollution, energy crises, and the obstacles related to ethanol production—and how synthetic biology can address these issues, we have undertaken several educational initiatives. These include social media efforts (three articles, two videos, and three posters), a science fiction story, an SDG-themed card game, Jeopardy games, and a community lecture.
Fig 1 The structure of our education activities
To raise awareness about second-generation ethanol biofuel and synthetic biology, our team leveraged various social media platforms popular in China, including TikTok, Bilibili and XiaoHongshu. Our efforts were divided into four key initiatives:
Fig 2 The screenshot of our Xiaohongshu account
Through our survey, we discovered that the general public had limited knowledge of second-generation ethanol biofuel and synthetic biology. To address this, we decided to educate people about common gene engineering techniques used in synthetic biology. Considering the platform's features and young people's preferences, we used video effects to record our content, ensuring it resonates with the audience while delivering the intended message. We published educational videos on topics such as CRISPR-Cas9, aiming to reach a broader audience and enhance their understanding of gene engineering and synthetic biology.
Fig 3 Screenshot of our science video with a video effect
We published three articles on XiaoHongShu, one of the most popular platforms in China. These articles focused on synthetic biology, gene editing, and biofuels, and were complemented by images to enhance engagement.
Fig 4 some screenshots of our articles
We also designed and shared posters on XiaoHongshu for several reasons: XiaoHongshu is a platform that primarily shares visual content; images can convey complex information more logically; and visually appealing designs can capture more attention. Our posters centered around the themes of Synthetic Biology and CRISPR-Cas9, which are integral to our project and the methods we employ. These themes are rich in scientific knowledge and align with XiaoHongshu’s principle of sharing valuable information. This is what we most want people to learn about.
Fig 5 Our posters
One of our team’s standout activities was our unique approach to engaging the community. Recognizing the absence of input from older adults and preschoolers in our online survey on second-generation ethanol, we devised an entertaining and informative course to bridge this gap. After thorough preparation and discussion, we arrived at the Tianlin Street Community Service Center. There, in a cozy room, we were met with a palpable sense of anticipation. Eight kids and approximately ten parents were eagerly waiting to embark on an exciting course. The room was filled with a sense of connection and excitement, setting the perfect tone for our engaging event. First, we spent around twenty minutes educating the listeners about climate change, global warming, and how fossil fuels are escalating the damage the Earth suffered. Then, we narrowed their perspectives and focused on how second-generation ethanol can mitigate that harm, thereby leading to the ultimate goal of our iGEM research topic.
Understanding that children and elders might find a one-hour class boring, we decided to make the learning process fun and enjoyable. We spent the remaining forty minutes playing a lively game of Jeopardy. This interactive quiz game was a hit, engaging both children and elders and keeping everyone entertained. The game was a great way to reinforce the knowledge we had shared earlier and to keep everyone involved. The kids and parents alike had a blast, and it was heartwarming to see everyone having fun while learning about our iGEM research topic.
The Jeopardy game is a popular quiz show format where contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers, and their responses must be phrased in the form of a question. However, we altered the rules slightly so it would be less confusing for our listeners: instead of being presented with facts and them answering in the form of a question, we swapped the order; listeners will be presented with a question and answer it when it's their turn. The questions involved in the games included the knowledge we had previously discussed during the first half of the class while also including basic facts about alcohol, yeast, respiration, etc. We will give tiny presents, such as toy cars, mini surprise boxes, stickers, etc, to kids who answered the questions correctly.
The kids were divided into two groups; each group included one of our iGEM team members to offer support. As soon as they understood the rules, we quickly sprung into action. The Jeopardy game was so much fun for the kids because it allowed them to showcase their knowledge and win cool prizes. They were enthusiastic about answering the questions and competing with each other. We were truly awed by their risk-taking skills when they aimed for the hardest questions worth 500 points. Even though they might not know how to answer the question, the mere challenging mindset of these young generations was impressive in the eyes of teenagers. The parents were also engaged as they helped the kids choose a category and cheered them on. It was wonderful to see everyone, both kids and parents, having a great time while learning about our iGEM research topic.
After the short but pleasurable course, we interviewed a few parents and children by asking them about their feelings about our course.
A grandmother told us, “My grandson enjoyed your team’s activity, and it was truly generous of you to prepare presents for this free event. I appreciated your hard work and how you want to create a better world for younger generations.”
A child who participated in the activity said, "I had so much fun at the event! The quiz game was my favorite part because I got to answer questions and win cool prizes. I also liked learning about climate change and how we can help the Earth. I can't wait to attend more events like this!"
Our team's community event at the Tianlin Street Community Service Center was a resounding success. Engaging with children and elders offline allowed us to bridge the gap in our research and bring our iGEM project to a wider audience. The interactive course and the Jeopardy Game educated the participants about second-generation ethanol and its potential impact on climate change. They created a fun and inclusive environment where everyone felt involved and entertained. Seeing the kids' enthusiasm and excitement and the parents' active participation reaffirmed the importance of community engagement in science education. We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with the community and look forward to more meaningful future interactions.
Fig 6 A photo of our team members preparing to start the Jeopardy
Fig 7 A photo of the eight children who attended the event and all our iGEM team members who took part in this community event
We introduce a game called Jeopardy to engage and encourage children at kindergarten age to participate more in our synthetic biology class. Jeopardy has 25 questions in total, 5 in each category; there are five scores for each of the five questions: 100, 200, 300, 400. 500. The higher the points, the harder the question it corresponds to. We assigned the children into three groups, and the group with the highest score would win the game.
Furthermore, the Jeopardy game allows us to assess the learning outcomes of our audience by correctly answering the questions. The game effectively achieves our purpose of encouraging the children’s class participation and allows us to assess how much they learn and the effectiveness of our lecture.
There are five types of questions, with each type containing five smaller questions, making a total of 25 questions. Here is the question list. The effect of this game has been surprisingly positive. We have played it twice—once internally within our team and once with children. Both sessions were successful, with participants, both adults and kids, fully engaged and eager to win the game. It was truly amazing to see everyone so immersed in the process.
Jeopardy PDF
Fig 8 Our game pages of Jeopardy
With the help of ChatGPT, we wrote a science fiction crossover novel titled 炎黄之旅 (The Journey of Yan and Huang). The term "炎黄" refers to the legendary ancestors of the Chinese people—Emperor Yan and Emperor Huang—and symbolizes the long-standing history and rich cultural traditions of the Chinese nation. Knowing that crossover is a popular genre among Chinese high school students, we combined elements of biology, such as gene editing, CRISPR-Cas9, and epidemics, within the story. The novel features Zhang Wei, a postdoctoral fellow in modern bio-genetic engineering, and Shennong, the renowned ancient pharmacist, as the protagonists. We believe that this type of work will inspire more people to learn about synthetic biology. Our friends, parents, and teachers have read the novel, and they have all expressed great respect and admiration for it.
Pay attention, this man is called Zhang Wei, a postdoctoral fellow in modern bio-genetic engineering, who accidentally time-traveled to the ancient era of Yan and Huang during a lab experiment. He not only carries the spark of modern technology but also shoulders the mission of transforming ancient medicine.
On this ancient land full of mystery, Zhang Wei joins forces with the legendary Shennong, extending the magical hand of genetic editing to a hundred herbs. They use cutting-edge technologies like CRISPR to precisely improve the genes of medicinal herbs, doubling their efficacy while greatly reducing their side effects, bringing an unprecedented revolution to ancient medical treatment.
Faced with the challenge of a sudden epidemic, Zhang Wei does not flinch. He uses his professional knowledge to delve into the genetic sequence of the virus, searching for the key to overcoming the outbreak. He discovers that through genetic editing, it is possible to enhance the antiviral properties of herbs and even develop new vaccines, offering new hope in the fight against the epidemic.
However, as their research is making breakthroughs, the smoke of war is quietly rising. Faced with the threat of foreign enemies, Zhang Wei and Shennong do not give up. They firmly believe that the power of science and technology can protect this land and its people.
In his final moments, Zhang Wei passes on all his research results, including the details of genetic editing techniques and the secrets of improving herbs, to Shennong. He believes that this knowledge will bring lasting prosperity to the herbal garden and health and hope to humanity.
Fig 9 our novel cover
炎黄之旅SDGs are the sustainable development goals that have been adopted by all United Nations Member States. The SDGs Cards are designed to spread and introduce the SDGs goals supported by our project and projects in synthetic biology. We use a variety of symbols to explain different approaches our project can help to achieve the SDGs. The flowchart of icons visually explains the specific route in which how our project positively influences the environment. We introduce those goals that do not have a strong connection with our project by selecting icons that represent the main concepts in the goals.
We came up with this idea and plan to present it in the form of poker cards because we aim to promote the concept of SDGs in a relatively entertaining manner. We hope to disseminate the idea of SDGs to the public by allowing them to see it while having fun, encouraging them to pay more attention to supporting the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. Furthermore, playing poker cards is a widely accepted and popular entertainment that can reach nearly all groups of target viewers. Using poker cards as the medium also provides the opportunity to introduce the aim of our iGEM project and how it helps to promote the SDGs. Additionally, designing poker cards is relatively simple for high school students because it does not require extensive knowledge of aesthetics and graphic design.
Fig 10 Some of our cards
+PDF SDGs CardsIn July, our team participated in the Conference of China iGEMer Community (CCiC), a large-scale academic conference initiated by Chinese iGEM teams. This event has grown into one of the most prominent university student academic conferences in China. During the conference, we presented our project online, which focuses on using xylose to rationally construct Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains. We shared our project's background, experimental design, future outlook, and educational initiatives. Additionally, we engaged with 124 other iGEM teams, exchanging insights and learning from each other’s work.
Through this event, we gained more ideas on product design, human practices, and our education plans. As it was our first time participating in a community event of this scale, learning about the projects and practices of other teams provided us with significant inspiration. As a result, we designed community activities and events, including SDG-themed card games, to further engage and educate participants on sustainability and scientific topics.
