Customarily, the iGEM competition focuses on scientific research, however, the focal point of our project is to use synthetic biology as a medium to improve people's living standards. Our team has launched an education scheme as a way of introducing our project to the people around us. While it is known that lung cancer is the most common type of cancer in Hong Kong, only few are aware that synthetic biology can be used to treat cancer.
Through our comprehensive education scheme, we have reached out to different people, including those with special needs, to introduce them to our project through our tailor-made activities and publications. The knowledge levels in the education scheme were carefully adjusted to ensure that people from all age groups were able to understand the scientific concepts clearly.
On top of promoting science, positive values were heavily emphasized when preparing and conducting educational activities. We hope to serve the target groups from our heart and keep our programmes human-oriented and meaningful alongside promoting science. Consequently, accomplishing effective science communication from scientists to the general public and building the sense of belonging to the community for citizens.
Kindergarten
Primary
Secondary
To ensure that the knowledge level of our publications are suitable for readers in different age groups, three versions of promotional materials were written.
Our team created a two-page leaflet which aimed at educating kindergarten students about basic knowledge of DNA. We hope to arouse children’s interest in synthetic biology by educating them about the basic knowledge of biology. In turn, inspiring kindergarten students to become biologists in the future.
Please click here for full version of the kindergarten leaflet
In order to equip children with basic knowledge of biology, materials tailor-made for primary school students are needed. We decided to make a booklet which is concise that suits the relatively short attention span of children.
Please click here for full version of the primary school booklet
This pamphlet for secondary school students expands on the primary school content by offering more details of our project and advanced lab experiment procedures, such as cell passaging, cytotoxicity testing, and AI modeling. This edition seeks to deepen senior students' understanding in the field and enrich their learning experience. The e-copies of the Pamphlet were sent to students via email.
Please click here for full version of secondary school pamphlet
To promote our findings and engage with the community, we collaborated with the wet lab team to publish a factsheet about KAPI. This factsheet was shared with many secondary school students, including those from Minxin Hong Kong SchoolGuangzhou Nanshaand Baiyun Shengshi Guangzhou Baiyun Experimental School, to raise awareness about our project and its progress.
We organized an interactive session where students were encouraged to read the factsheet and answer questions related to our project. The questions aimed to test their understanding and stimulate interest in biotechnology and cancer research. Over 70 students engaged in the session and try to answer questions from the Google Form. The students showed great enthusiasm and engagement and actively participated in the Q&A session, demonstrating a keen interest in our research. The feedback from both students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the educational value of the session. Many students get the correct answer from the Google quiz, which reflects that they have good learning from the project.
This outreach activity successfully promoted our iGEM project on KAPI to a broader audience. By engaging secondary school students, we not only raised awareness about our research but also inspired the next generation of scientists. We look forward to continuing our efforts to share our findings and foster a greater interest in biotechnology and cancer research.
Secondary
Public
PokeACPs – The Cancer Killer is designed to engage secondary school students to learn about biotechnology and our project in a fun way. From our learning process, we have designed some ways to engage primary and secondary school students. Later we realize that it is not an easy task to achieve REAL learning by games. Students find it boring if the game design is not interesting enough, for our main target group to be primary and secondary school students. We have tried several ways to engage our classmates in learning and we finally succeed using PokeACPs
Hence, the card game is designed to let students learn biotech and cancer cell research in a fun and engaging way. Here is the overview of the objective in designing PokeACPs – The Cancer Killer:
Let’s start with the GAME and their journey of learning, shall we?
The basic battle desk and card samples are shown in the following:
Cancer cell cards: Include A549 cells. The photo of Multi-Cellular Tumour Spheroid (MTCS) was taken by our wet lab team
ACP cards: The energy of the card reflects its ability to inhibit cancer growth according to wet lab data
1. ACPs from Cordyceps militaris: C-ori, C-rds, C-rds with CPP,
2. KAPI (with its mechanism explained)
3. Cisplatin and combination therapy
We have conducted these interactive sessions three times. Students are more willing to learn from our project by card game in this funny way.
We have also shared the card game with students coming from Minxin Hong Kong School （Guangzhou Nansha）and Baiyun Shengshi Guangzhou Baiyun Experimental School. They all find the learning interesting.
Secondary
Public
We hope to arouse students' interests in biology, life science and biotechnology. Our team also aims to raise their awareness towards lung cancer. A board game named “Lung Story Short!” is therefore designed at the very beginning of the research project, when we start our research on Cordyceps militaris. The board game will be shared to the public.
Materials:
Suggested number of players: 2-5
Suggested duration: 15-30 minutes
ACP cards: Whenever a player reaches a green grid on the board, he/she has to draw an ACP card. There are 9 types of ACP cards in total. 4 of them are extracted from Cordyceps militaris and the remaining 5 are generated by artificial intelligence.
Function of the event cards: Whenever a player reaches an orange grid on the board, he/she has to draw an event card. The card will affect his/her actions. The player has to follow the instructions written on the card.
Upon starting, players should put their character chess on the starting point. They take turns to throw the dice and move their character chess. If the dice is thrown to 6, players can choose to throw it again or move 6 grids forward. If the dice is thrown to 6 for the second time, the player will need to hand over an ACP card to the player whose chess is the closest to the starting point.
The game ends when all ACP cards are drawn or one player arrives at the finishing point. The player who gets the most ACP cards or the player who arrives earliest at the finishing point wins the game. If more than one player gets the same number of ACP cards, the player who is closest to the finishing point wins the game.
Our team organized a board game competition for students at BLMCSS. 25 participants in Grade 7-9 (i.e. junior form students) competed to win the game “Lung Story Short!”. The competitors participated in the event actively and showed their interest in science and technology.
The winner of each form was given a prize which includes a set of the board game. We hope they can continue to learn from the game and deliver the biological knowledge and concepts involved in the game to others. They can also play this game with other schoolmates during breaks and after school.
Average satisfactory score: 4/5
The full version of the Feedback Form:
On the same day of the board game competition, we also held a Kahoot competition about iGEM and our project for students in BLMCSS. 25 participants in Grade 7-9 (i.e. junior form students) competed to win the Kahoot competition. The competitors participated in this event got to know more about iGEM, synthetic biology and our project.
To nurture young talents to become future iGEMers or organizers of other biology-related events, our team had introduced a mentorship programme for Form 3 students (i.e. students in Grade 9). Fellow students were invited to become mentees. Our team members became mentors who guided the mentees through the training.
Aside from this, the mentees assisted in the Maker Faire which aimed towards the general public. The mentees participated as hosts of the workshops, supporting guests on their tasks.
‘I have had the esteemed opportunity to engage as an iGEM mentee over the past four months. Throughout this interval, I have amassed a considerable breadth of knowledge. Foremost among my discoveries are the foundational principles of biotechnology, encompassing the intricate structure of DNA and the adept manipulation of a micropipette. Moreover, I have honed my capacity to elucidate concepts to others with a degree of clarity and meticulousness. Notwithstanding my previous conviction regarding my proficiency in explanation, my encounters with primary students have revealed deficiencies in my ability to articulate certain concepts and have illuminated gaps in my comprehension that require further refinement.’
The Future iGEMers Mentorship Program is an initiative designed for fostering collaboration and exchanging knowledge. In the program, experienced iGEMers are paired with 15 junior form students in hopes to provide the prodigies with practical guidance on how a synthetic biology competition would work. Through promising, nourishing and rewarding mentorships, junior form participants are equipped with the skills for conducting research, working in wet lab, collecting data and presenting results. The program plans for the stimulus of young minds, eventually nurturing the next generation of biotechnologists via the iGEM competition in the 2025 cohort.
There are also some posters made by some potential “next generation” iGemers:
You can download Full Version or Preview at bellow:
Previous team members and iGEM alumni are invited to teach junior form students some common experimental skills used in iGEM competition, and give them a basic understanding of synthetic biology. This event can give them a brief image of the competition.
Students and teachers have engaged in an event to share information about iGEM with future iGEM competitors, including students and teachers. Contents include the ways of choosing a topic, the flow of conducting the iGEM project, as well as the possible difficulties and solutions.
Workshop activities for various target groups are concluded as below.
Primary
Secondary
Inclusive
Participants of our activities might have heard of the word 'DNA' but they might not really know what the secret behind these 3 letters were. By extracting DNA from fruits, DNA was visualized without using any microscopic equipment.
This activity offered a hands-on exploration of genetics by guiding participants through the process of extracting DNA from bananas. Each participant was provided with a fresh banana, enclosed in a zipping bag, and was tasked with mashing the banana into a smooth paste. This paste was then mixed with a solution containing water, soap, and dishwasher detergent, which helped to break down the cell membranes and release the DNA from the banana cells. The mixture was subsequently filtered. Cold alcohol was added to the filtrate. This step precipitated the DNA, causing it to separate from the rest of the cellular components. Participants were then able to observe the DNA as a white, foamy substance, providing them a tangible and visual understanding of the extraction process.
Primary
Secondary
Inclusive
A micropipette is a common apparatus used in the laboratory. Participants could try to use them during our activities, therefore nurturing their scientific skills.
In this engaging activity, participants were invited to create their own miniature works of art by transferring dyed water into small plastic containers using micropipettes carefully. After filling the containers with a spectrum of hues, they were instructed to change the tips of their micropipettes and add a layer of oil to the water. This created a mesmerizing, layered effect within the jars. To add a final touch of sparkle and creativity, glitter and dry flowers were sprinkled into the containers, allowing participants to personalize their creations. Each "Twinkle Twinkle Little Jar" became a unique, shimmering testament to the participant's artistic expression and precision.
Secondary
Public
The participants were first taught about the structure of DNA, including the sugar-phosphate backbone and the 4 types of nucleotides. The principle of complementary base pairing was also highlighted during the teaching session. The processes of translation and transcription during DNA replication were mentioned. Participants were asked to complete a quick matching game to consolidate their knowledge. After that, participants were instructed to squeeze chocolate sauce on the butter cookies, which were baked in advance, to show a double-helix DNA structure. Different colors of the sauces resembled the idea of complementary base pairing
Kindergarten
Primary
Inclusive
Participants could have a better understanding of the structure and shape of DNA through making their own paper fans.
Kindergarten students were guided to draw two S-shaped lines on the paper fan to represent the double helix shape of DNA. Next, they chose four colors to represent the nitrogenous bases A, T, C, and G respectively, and drew the bases between the lines, ensuring that they followed the rules of complementary base pairing.
Participants joining the primary school and inclusive community workshop were presented with a set of artistic iron wires and a plain paper hand fan to craft a unique souvenir that represents the structure of DNA. The iron wires came in four distinct colors, each symbolizing one of the four nucleotide bases of DNA. A black/blue color was designated as the sugar phosphate backbone of the DNA molecule. Using these materials, participants were encouraged to weave and shape the wires onto the paper fan, mimicking the double helix structure of DNA. This activity not only served as a creative outlet but also reinforced their understanding of DNA's composition and structure. The DNA handmade fans, adorned with the intricate wire designs, were then taken home by participants as a memorable souvenir.
Inclusive
An inclusive community workshop “One Step Beyond - a public education and communication activity” was held by Hong Kong Academy of Gifted Education (HKAGE) students who joined the course ‘Social Innovation for Gifted Minds’, which was a course collaboratively organized by Fullness Social Enterprises Society (FSES) and HKAGE. This course aims to cultivate students to brainstorm ideas and discover the needs of different people and solve the problems by implementing social entrepreneurial projects.
The HKAGE students organized an activity, which targeted wheelchair members and deaf students. 30 participants, including deaf students from Notre Dame College, disabled adults and teachers joined this activity.
Our team was invited to conduct workshops to the target groups including “Twinkle Twinkle Little Jar”, “DNA Extraction From Fruits” and “DNA Handmade Fans”. (details are mentioned above in the “Activities” section)
We also introduced our project briefly and showed our human practice results. Students from HCY, LMC and WYY helped in this event and played multiple games with the participants.
Our team members also had sharings with other target groups and learnt more about their daily life. Some members even learnt some sign language vocabularies. It was an invaluable and fruitful experience for both the participants, as well as our team members who have learnt how to serve others and understand others’ feelings during the event.
An interview was conducted after the programme and some of our team members shared their thoughts in the video.
Activity video with English subtitles
Average overall satisfaction: 4.58/5
Kindergarten
Our team visited Hong Kong (Ascot) Preschool & Playschool to conduct some educational activities. There were about 25 children who joined the activities.
An interactive drama about was designed for kindergarten children. The characters include a Princess and a lung cancer cell, both portrayed by our students. The Princess was attacked by the cancer cell. The children had to complete three tasks to obtain the medicine needed to save him.
We first introduced the concept of DNA to kindergarten students. We explained the function and structure of DNA, as well as the rules for complementary base pairing.
In the activity, students first searched for small ATCG puzzle pieces hidden in various corners in the classroom. They then assembled these pieces to complete a DNA double helix strand.
In this game, each student received an ID card labeled with one of the four bases: A, T, C, or G. The students lined up according to the ATCG sequence provided on the question sheet.
Students are received a sticker resembling the medicine that they could stick on our student portraying the lung cancer cell. This illustrated the lung cancer cell was killed and the Princess was rescued. This part concludes our kindergarten activity. The children had learnt a lot about synthetic biology.
Our team members conducted the activities with patience and care. The children were cute and loving that our team members were very excited to meet the much younger version of themselves.
After the activities, the children were asked to fill in a feedback form by coloring the smiley faces, which indicated their satisfaction. The overall rating was high, scoring an overall average of 5.7/7.
Kindergarten
Please click here for the full version of the picture book
In order to reach a wider audience, we specially designed a picture book for kindergarten students. Our team seized this opportunity to spread the awareness of lung cancer and provide them the innovative usages of biotechnology. We created a fantasy story in which The Princess is suffering from lung cancer, so the determined Prince decides to find Anti-cancer Peptides (ACPs) to cure the Princess.
The picture book has been distributed to kindergartens all over Hong Kong.
Primary
A series of workshops for primary school students was organized at BLMCPS, B(STW)LMCPS & DCFWMS.
The aims are to:
Booklets made specifically for primary school students were distributed to acquire all participants a further understanding of our project.
The workshop can be divided into 3 sessions:
Details of the 3 sessions are introduced above in the “ Activities” section.
A survey was conducted to collect the feedback of the participants.
Overall average satisfaction was as follows:
The students listened to the instructions attentively and actively participated in the experiments while most of them did not forget the safety precautions. They even asked very sensible questions about synthetic biology, such as the mechanism of PCR and its usage. This showed that our programme had successfully promoted science and technology.
Primary
In the activities, 15 primary school students were given the opportunity to embark on a journey into the world full of bacteria and genetic engineering. The hands-on experiential lab session focused on bacterial transformation which is a fundamental process in iGEM biotech research.
Another workshop allows Primary School students to conduct a cytotoxicity test using the CCK-8 assay. They understand the basics of cell viability assays. This activity gives students a trial on laboratory techniques in an engaging and accessible way which is appreciated by the participants.
Secondary
Two workshops were held with the aim of enhancing students' knowledge in biotechnology and anticancer research. The first workshop was conducted to give students insights into the biotechnology knowledge needed and present in cosmetics. Students were given the opportunity to conduct experiments on facial masks with epidermal growth factors. For the second workshop, students were equipped to gain insights regarding ACP-19 through a string of wet lab experiments utilizing professional gears. There were 16 participants.
Secondary
Collaboration with other iGEM teams
We partnered with HK-UNITED and practicing doctors from 6batzi to organize a collaborative life education lecture for students. The session featured insights from Chinese medical practitioner Tse Chi Yung, who shared expertise on lung cancer treatments and the evolving role of traditional Chinese medicine in modern healthcare. Both our project and the HK-UNITED team’s project involves Traditional Chinese Medicine. This lecture provided an excellent platform for us to showcase how synthetic biology is being applied to modernize and enhance the efficiency of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Secondary
At BLMCSS, morning assemblies for both junior forms (Grade 7-9) and senior forms (Grade 10-12) students were organized respectively. The knowledge levels and presentation formats were adjusted for students of different ages.
In order to raise junior students’ interest in biology, a short drama was performed during the assembly. The drama showed that the Prince was searching for ways to cure the Princess who had lung cancer. There were also interactive parts in the performance. The major causes and treatment methods of lung cancer were discussed.
For senior students, the mechanism of our research was mentioned. We have introduced the A549 cell line as well as the generation of AI peptides. More information can be provided to the senior students for them to know about our project in a more organized manner.
Teachers had also learnt a lot through the assembly.
A morning assembly promotion was held at HPC in an attempt to strengthen students’ understanding about iGEM and synthetic biology. This was a precious opportunity for us to introduce students to this competition, including the topic of our current project - Anticancer Peptides (ACPs) and some past projects, as well as more knowledge about synthetic biology.
The assembly was held in order to reach all students, bringing them knowledge about our project as well as iGEM competition.
Through a series of announcements every three days, we share updates on our project's progress, discuss the basics of synthetic biology, and raise awareness about the potential of biotechnology.
Students were provided with a poster outlining key concepts in biotechnology and synthetic biology. We also distributed a Google Form filled with multiple-choice questions, designed to reinforce the material and test their understanding. We hoped to spark their early interest in the field and promote scientific literacy.
During HCY's Math and Science Week, we set up a booth to teach students about cell culture using a hands-on activity. By using Oreos and chocolate syrup to simulate the spreading of agar plates, we provided a visual and interactive way for students to grasp the concept. This initiative helped raise awareness about synthetic biology among the participants.
Our booth included interactive Q&A games focused on lung cancer and our project. This was a valuable opportunity to enhance students' understanding of challenges posed by lung cancer, the benefits of ACP as well as the significance of synthetic biology in our research.
Our team has been publishing a monthly newsletter, the HK-Joint-School iGEM Newsletter. This inter-school publication is distributed to students across all participating schools. The newsletter highlights our team’s progress, educates readers on synthetic biology, and provides updates on iGEM activities.
Materials:
Suggested number of players: 2-5
Suggested duration: 15-30 minutes
ACP cards: Whenever a player reaches a green grid on the board, he/she has to draw an ACP card. There are 9 types of ACP cards in total. 4 of them are extracted from Cordyceps militaris and the remaining 5 are generated by artificial intelligence.
Function of the event cards: Whenever a player reaches an orange grid on the board, he/she has to draw an event card. The card will affect his/her actions. The player has to follow the instructions written on the card.
Upon starting, players should put their character chess on the starting point. They take turns to throw the dice and move their character chess. If the dice is thrown to 6, players can choose to throw it again or move 6 grids forward. If the dice is thrown to 6 for the second time, the player will need to hand over an ACP card to the player whose chess is the closest to the starting point.
The game ends when all ACP cards are drawn or one player arrives at the finishing point. The player who gets the most ACP cards or the player who arrives earliest at the finishing point wins the game. If more than one player gets the same number of ACP cards, the player who is closest to the finishing point wins the game.
Secondary
Public
To educate students more about synthetic biology and biotechnology, our team has designed reading-to-learn Google Forms targeting different students. A few topics on these Google Forms include, but are not limited to: cancer clinical treatments; and scientific breakthroughs on curing cancer in China. Ultimately, enhancing students' knowledge on such topics. Bonus marks will be added for the students who have completed the form for encouragement.
Reading to Learn Biology 24-25 - Science Focus
Reading to Learn Biology 24-25 - Newspaper Article
Another Google Form for the public is centered around the promotional video of our team, including questions directly related to the video content. It tests viewers’ understanding of our project. We also incorporated extra sections that raise awareness about the dangers of smoking. These questions aim to educate people on both scientific literacy and health education, encouraging healthier lifestyles.
We aimed to arouse the participants’ interest in basic genetics and synthetic biology.
Target groups: the general public & all secondary school students (~80 participants)
An interactive workshop with 3 sessions was organized:
(mentioned above in “Activities” section)
To collect feedback from participants, a Google Form was designed for them to share their opinions. This served as a reference when we organized different activities. Their comments were invaluable to our education programmes.
Overall average satisfaction: 4.78/5
On the Open Day of KTL, biotechnology workshops were conducted throughout the open day by numerous student instructors. One of the most notable experiments was the one about gel electrolysis. Participants were given a scenario where someone was murdered in which they were tasked to find the murderer through gel electrolysis. There were 50 participants.
Public
Social media is an integral part of our lives. With its increasing popularity, we can reach out to people of different ages and educational levels through our Instagram account, @hkjs_igem.2024, and our YouTube channel, HKJS - Cell Culture Lab.
Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hkjs_igem.2024/
Link to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC30ZES83KQs6eW9YdHGu82A
Aims:
Highlights:
Public
Collaboration with other iGEM teams
We co-hosted with universities and high schools in Hong Kong and Macau in the Hong Kong-Macau Symposium to share our project and communicate with other teams in order to gain suggestions and make improvements of our project. The theme of the symposium is Beyond the Bench: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Community. The symposium was successfully held.
Inclusive
The HK-Joint-School team engaged in the PKW Charity Walk organized by Pau Kwong Wun Charitable Foundation on 8th September, 2024. The Charity Walk aims to raise funds for children cancer patients. The money raised will be used to provide assistance for the children to relieve their pain during treatment and support cancer patients after their recovery.
The Human Practices team has been actively engaged, both virtually and in person, meeting new faces and exchanging ideas. For these twelve members, each encounter with expert interviewees provided an opportunity to examine their own research project from different perspectives and contextualize it with the wealth of insights shared with them. During less intense exchanges, such as street interviews and a school fair, these members seized the opportunity to communicate their newly internalized learning and engaged with their interlocutors, pursuing their agenda to promote the project they were striving to understand. This summary reflects on how they have made sense of the views and stories gathered over the past five months.
Full paper:
In conclusion, we believe that educating people about our project and serving them with our heart is definitely fruitful, meaningful, and our key mission. Introducing basic scientific knowledge to others has proven to be successful, as many of the young children and students were eager to learn and discover more about synthetic biology. We are elated to serve the people in need during the education scheme. It has allowed our team to gain a variety of experience within community service this year, and stepping into other people's shoes. In turn, recognising the plethora of talents and thoughts dispersed in the community. We sincerely hope that our project can inspire and bring new perspectives and experiences to the participants, influence the community and raise public awareness on cancer, health and synthetic biology. This is the real essence of science communication.