Education

Education is a key aspect of the iGEM project as well as an important responsibility we have to help further the development of synthetic biology and the iGEM competition. We felt we had a responsibility to educate the public about Trimethylaminuria (TMAU) and the struggles TMAU patients face, as well as about the iGEM competition and how we are using synthetic biology to solve a problem we identified in the world. In addition to this, we wanted to continue the legacy of the 2023 FSU iGEM team and bring their vision of creating an annual education event to life. As a team we also believed it was crucial to ensure that this annual event prioritized a focus on presenting STEM and synthetic biology at an age-appropriate level for the kids in our community.

We accomplished this by hosting the Second Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo. This event featured interactive hands-on activities for K-12 students and gave us the opportunity to table and raise awareness about TMAU within the Tallahassee community. While tabling, we were able to engage in conversations with members of the community about synthetic biology and biotechnology, how they can be used to solve similar issues, and the challenges they have identified in their own community that they would like to see addressed with synthetic biology. This allowed for mutual learning and dialogue between the community and our team, as we shared both the challenges and the innovative solutions we developed in this cycle. Through this, we empowered more people in the Tallahassee community to shape, contribute to, and participate in the field of synthetic biology. We not only started a new tradition in Tallahassee but are proud to say we were able to expand this event to include more exhibitors and reach a larger portion of the Leon County community this year.

To organize this event, we utilized existing relationships established by the 2023 team and reached out to new resources to improve it. Once again, we collaborated with the Challenger Learning Center (CLC), choosing it as the location for our event. This venue allowed us to have space for tabling, wet and dry labs for hands-on activities, and access to the IMAX theatre, where we hosted a presentation on the past and current FSU iGEM projects.

We worked with the CLC to develop a flier for this event, which is pictured below. The Expo featured 12 interactive exhibits, as well as a facepainting booth and an IMAX presentation. These exhibits were designed and hosted by research faculty, along with their graduate/postdoctoral students from Florida State University (FSU) and Florida A&M University (FAMU), as well as graduate and undergraduate student organizations. We also collaborated with local event platforms such as fun4tallykids.com and the FSU Center for Research and Engagement to promote the Expo. This collaboration, combined with the design of the exhibits, ensured that our activities would engage a wide range of age groups within the community, fulfilling our goal of creating an event where kids in the Tallahassee community could engage with synthetic biology at a level they could understand. The exhibits covered a wide range of topics in biotechnology, including neuroscience, cell biology, physics, biomechanics, and robotics. To encourage participants to explore as many exhibits as possible, we provided bingo cards based on the different topics represented at each exhibit. Exhibitors marked the matching bingo space when kids interacted with them, and once they completed their bingo card, they received a prize.

An example of one of these exhibits is the one hosted by Dr. Taylor Higgins. Dr. Higgins studies biomechanics and brought devices from her lab used to study human motion and human-robot interaction. One of these devices was a motion-capture suit, which she wore while riding a unicycle. The motion was transmitted to a program on her laptop, allowing kids to see in real time the complexities associated with human movement, especially while riding a unicycle. This exhibit also gave Dr. Higgins and her team the opportunity to talk about topics in biomechanics at a level their audience would understand.

Another exhibit was hosted by Dr. Tristan Driscoll, whose lab uses fluorescent molecules to study how cells sense mechanical forces. His activity took place in one of the wet labs at the Challenger Learning Center, where each kid had a personal station where they could engage with the activity individually. Dr. Driscoll led participants in an activity that explored some of these fluorescent molecules, allowing them to view the molecules in solutions they created themselves. His team also showed participants videos of fluorescent molecules being imaged in live cells. It was exciting to witness both kids and parents expressing excitement and curiosity during this activity.

The FSU Neuroscience Graduate Student Association (NGSA) hosted another exhibit featuring a spiker box connected to electrodes. These electrodes were placed near muscle attachment points on participants’ arms, measuring in real time the electrical interaction between neurons and muscles. This data was displayed on a screen, and siblings or parents could compete by flexing their arm in response to a light signal, testing whose reaction time was faster. This was a great opportunity for kids to see a tangible representation of the electrical signals that control movement, and a great way for the NGSA to present a complex topic in a way that was accessible to children of all ages.

Our team also hosted an exhibit at the Biotechnology Expo, which showcased information about iGEM, including some past FSU projects along with our current project. We also displayed a poster and provided sticky notes for participants to identify problems they see in the world or their local community. We documented these responses and plan to introduce them during the brainstorming phase for the 2025 FSU iGEM cycle, creating an opportunity for our community members to influence the issues tackled in future projects.

In summary, the Second Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo was a great success, bringing together the local community through a variety of interactive exhibits covering topics like biomechanics, cell biology, and neuroscience. By partnering with the Challenger Learning Center and local universities, we were able to create an engaging and educational event for attendees of all ages. The use of bingo cards and hands-on activities encouraged participants to fully explore the exhibits, promoting curiosity and conversations about synthetic biology. This event expanded on the foundation laid last year, reaching a broader audience and making a meaningful impact on the community. .

Our event exceeded all expectations, especially in terms of community outreach. The Expo received an extremely positive response from the Tallahassee community, with a consistent stream of over 200 participants in attendance throughout the day —more than double the turnout of the first annual event in 2023. The energy in the room was contagious, participants were visibly having a great time exploring the exhibits, asking questions, and engaging in the hands-on activities. With the energy in the room, both the attendees and our team were enjoying themselves, which made the experience even more rewarding.

As mentioned earlier, we created a space that allowed participants to interact with members of our team and speak about iGEM, synthetic biology, and our project. The conversations we had with our community were inspiring. Many were hearing about iGEM for the first time, and even more did not realize synthetic biology could be used in so many dynamic ways. It was especially exciting to see kids of all ages become curious about the work we have accomplished this year and hear some of them express a new interest in learning more about synthetic biology topics on their own. It was also rewarding to watch the community engage with future iGEM teams by adding their own project ideas to our brainstorming board. These ideas ranged from tackling diabetes to stopping the decline of the oyster population in Apalachicola Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast.

Overall, the event didn’t just bring in a significant number of attendees—it created an atmosphere of learning, fun, and collaboration. Our team genuinely had just as much fun running the event as the participants did exploring it, and the enthusiasm on both sides made the day an unforgettable experience. We were able to show our community how synthetic biology is accessible and impactful, and we’re already looking forward to seeing how this event will grow next year.

We created an exit survey to gauge the impact of our event and receive feedback on what aspects we could improve for the Third Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo. Based on this feedback, we documented insights that future teams can build upon, ensuring that our work continues to grow and evolve in a way that fosters mutual learning. The survey first asked participants how they heard about the event to understand which marketing techniques were most effective. We discovered that most attendees learned about the event through one of the kids' event websites we submitted our event description to, fun4tallykids.com. Many also heard about the event through the Challenger Learning Center social media and newsletter, or from their friends and family.

The next portion of the survey asked participants to rate characteristics of the event on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being “poor”, and 5 being “great.” These results were extremely positive and encouraging, but also highlighted areas we need to improve upon next year, such as providing activities for a wider range of ages, especially younger children. Addressing this feedback will help ensure that more people from different age groups can participate and engage with synthetic biology in future Expos.

The end of our survey used the same 1 to 5 Likert scale to gauge how likely participants would be to attend the event again next year. Of the responses received, the minimum was 4 (“very good”), the maximum was 5 (“great!”), and the mean was 4.86. The results of this survey are pictured below. These ratings highlight the success of this year's event, the positive impact on the community, and the momentum the Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo will carry into 2025, and years to come!

The Second Annual Tallahassee Biotechnology Expo not only continued the tradition started by the 2023 FSU iGEM team but also exceeded expectations in terms of outreach, participation, and impact. By working closely with local institutions, we created an event that encouraged learning between the scientific community and the public, making synthetic biology fun and accessible for all ages. The event reflected our commitment to education, not just by raising awareness about Trimethylaminuria, but also by sparking a broader dialogue about biotechnology's potential to address real-world problems.

We have carefully documented the planning, execution, and feedback from this year’s event so future teams can build on the foundations we’ve laid, ensuring the Expo remains an annual platform for community engagement with science. We are working to create a ‘Biotech Expo Guide’ to document the local resources we used while planning the event. This way, future FSU iGEM teams can continue this new tradition and build upon our work from this year. By documenting the whole process, we're making it easy for future teams to replicate and improve the event, helping to grow synthetic biology education in Tallahassee year after year.

As we look to the future, we aim to keep improving the Expo by listening to and incorporating participants’ feedback and expanding our reach, creating a space that will inspire even more individuals to shape and contribute to the growing field of synthetic biology. With strong community support the excitement from this year’s success, we are confident the Expo will keep growing into 2025 and beyond, becoming a key educational event in our city.