Stakeholder Engagement
Banana Distributor
We are planning to meet with the owner of a banana farm in the Dominican Republic, to know more about the process that goes on in the facilities with an insider's perspective. In this meeting, we will be able to also discuss our product, and be able to ask, if they had it, how would they implement it in their workplace. We will also inquire about the Panama Disease itself, if they are facing it, and if so, how are they currently facing it, as we also have to see if the Fusarium oxysporum is more efficiently defeated without our prototype or with their current methods of combating it. This meeting aims to help define the environmental factors and the actual implementation of the project, allowing a more realistic approach to battling the Panama Disease effectively and as realistically as possible. We have been in contact with this company for quite some time, but seeing how global and influential they are, we will just have the opportunity to meet with them on the 14th of october.
Banana Farm Visit
This visit that we are planning to the banana plantation is vital for the understanding of the impact our project has on a real world aspect. Fusarium Oxysporum, better known as The Panama Disease, is a fungal pathogen that affects up to 120 different species of plants, many of them being of vital economic importance. The fungus has an estimated mortality rate of 80%, and there is no effective treatment as of right now. Our visit to the local banana plantation will give us vital insight on the lives of countless blue-collar workers, and how our project can help their lives. We have been in contact with the owners of this farm throughout the project and not only have they shown great eagerness in collaborating with us, but they feel really optimistic on our progress and believe that our project can have a great impact on their agricultural methods.
Interview a representative from a pharmaceutical company engaged in synthetic biology technologies to discuss potential applications.
In order to further evaluate our project, we interviewed the scientist Dr. Jose Jimeno due to his expertise in finance, entrepreneurship, and biotechnology. Additionally, his knowledge in the agricultural scope of latin america complemented his answers with multiple points of connection between the field of synthetic biology and our problem at hand, fusarium oxysporum. We presented our project to Dr. Jimeno, and received his insightful feedback, as well as his personal statement on the topic of the impact of synthetic biology in our current society.
When asked about the integration of synthetic biology in his specific field, he commented on how “...the use of synthetic biology extends farther than the pharmaceutical industry to every industry involving live beings…”, highlighting the importance of projects similar to ours in a global context. The globalization of innovative technologies, such as ones present in synthetic biology, may be essential to the sustainable development and growth of our society; it ensures solutions to past problems seen as irremediable, through the fostering of science-based solutions. To further illustrate, he also commented on the current presence of synthetic biology, specific to the pharmaceutical industry. He said, “In the pharmaceutical industry, I think it’s just beginning as only in the last 5 years we have been witnessing cell and gene therapy involving the procedures based in synthetic biology” (Jose Jimeno, “iGEM In Panama”). Once again, this proved to us the long-lasting, and highly beneficial impacts synthetic biology has. Dr. Jimeno helped us visualize the benefit of developing this scientific field, and how the pursuit of current projects may lead to effective and reliable solutions.
Conclusively, through this interview we were able to understand the global impact our project has, and the importance of investing in the field of synthetic biology. Scientists such as Dr. Jimeno are necessary leaders in our society, seeing as they inspire young minds like ours to explore, pursue, and grow within different scientific fields. Our initiative behind the fusarium oxysporum project demonstrates that sustainable change is possible, and the beneficial impact of science in different societies.
Interdisciplinary Contacts
One of iGEM's core values is fostering interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex global challenges. iGEM highlights how we live in such a globalized and interdependent world where one needs all types of minds to come up with an innovative solution. With this in mind, through our project we collaborated with various industry tycoons in order to get their diverse expertise regarding not just scientific knowledge but economics, agriculture, and community outreach. We recognized that solving such a global issue would require the collaboration of many different industries and the support of all types of mentors.
- Jose Jimeno: Dr. José Jimeno is a physician with more than 18 years of experience in vaccines clinical research. As CEO of VaxTRIALS, a biotech company, Jimeno is motivated by a passionate commitment to the eradication of preventable diseases . He is also involved in the agriculture business and uses new technologies such as cloning. As a prominent businessman, scientist, and expert in agriculture, he was able to provide significant advice to our team on how to approach this issue outside of the lab.
- Luis Marti: Luis Marti, a Stanford University graduate and PE investor in financial institutions and Fintech, provided us with invaluable economic insights for our project. As we embarked on our journey, he guided us through the financial requirements of participating in iGEM, helping us understand the economics of our work. Additionally, Luis connected us with key individuals in the agricultural sector, expanding our network and opening opportunities.
- Possible sponsors: As our finance team prepared logistics for our attendance to Paris, they were able to contact over 6 small businesses, representatives of Copa Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Air Europe and local corporations in Paris who were all interested in possible sponsorship. Through this process our team was able to present our project, gather feedback and conscientize the business industry on synthetic biology.
- Felix Falabella: Felix Falabella, one of our biggest sponsors, is a prominent Panamanian businessman who has great influence in Panama and Latin America. Through his financial support, guidance, connections and expertise we were able to delve into the agriculture industry and receive lots of feedback on our project.
- Ernesto Gomez: Ernesto Gomez is a teacher and scientist whose academic background is rooted in microbiology, where he dedicated over twelve years to research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, in collaboration with the Department of Biology at the University of Copenhagen. He is the co-author of four scholarly papers published in esteemed scientific journals and co-founded the first Panamanian iGEM team in Synthetic Biology which received a bronze medal. His expertise and knowledge on iGEM allowed us to further understand the goals of requirements of this prestigious competition.
- Ediner Fuentes: Ediner Fuentes, co-founder of The Bridge Biofoundry, has been an invaluable mentor to our iGEM team, guiding us through the scientific process and addressing our doubts. With expertise in capacity management and agri-food systems, he specializes in biotechnology biosafety and evaluates policies related to the bioeconomy and synthetic biology. His consultancy work with international organizations has allowed him to help us in project management, policy analysis, and strategic communication.
In developing our project we were also fortunate enough to interview a diverse group of experts who enriched our understanding on synthetic biology and the iGEM competition:
- Alonso Segura: Alonso is a Master Student Researcher at Serrano Lab, CRG, serves as the iGEM Ambassador for LATAM and has led multiple iGEM projects. One of our members has been working with him and was able to get a better understanding on what iGEM is and what its objectives are.
- Nadia Chamana: Nadia, an award winning iGEM ex participant, is a Venture Science Analyst at Marble and founder of a synthetic biology startup in food tech. She was able to help guide our Human Practices work by sharing insights on scaling up synthetic biology solutions for sustainability which we later implemented in our work with the Environmental club (more below)
- María Andrea Gonzales Castillo: Maria is an award winning iGEM ex participant who has co-funded an early-stage food tech startup called MikuyTec based on her previous iGEM project. Meeting with her has allowed us to not only get her scientific advice on our project, but she was able to help us realize how we can interact with our local community regarding the Panama Disease.
- Uriel Miralle: Uriel is the Co-Founder & CEO at BioSpi who participated in iGEM startups. He has a mission to unite bright minds to bring bold ideas into tangible realities. He guided our Human Practices efforts by sharing his expertise in entrepreneurship and sustainable biotechnology, allowing us to get a better idea on what we can do to help our community.
Ms. Patricia Jaar and Food Safety (Meeting with a local lab) :
On Friday, September 15, 2023, our IGEM team arranged a meeting with a local laboratory for physicochemical and microbiological analysis of food and drinkable water called Food Safety in Panama. The team was able to arrange a meeting with Ms. Patricia Jaar, the manager of the laboratory, as she is a parent from our school community, and generously offered us a meeting to discuss our synthetic biology project. Even though the area of expertise from this laboratory is microbiology focused on bacterias, mold and yeast in regard to food sanity, they were surprised and interested after hearing our project idea. Ms. Patricia Jaar noted how our project itself was a very good initiative. She really loves the idea of using innovative science to solve problems in our local community ; it relates to SDG #15 (Life on Land), and how through our knowledge, we become pro-active global citizens.
Since synthetic biology involves some elements from microbiology, the whole team at Food Safety was able to get the basics of how our project worked and the different things we worked on to develop our project.
Even though our meeting was focused on getting a possible sponsorship from this laboratory, we were also given a tour through their lab facilities. It was a wonderful experience for our IGEM members as they were able to experience first handed how a professional lab works. They were able to observe different instruments, equipment, and the overall flow of how a lab works. Our IGEM team was able to also meet some of the fellow scientists that worked in this lab and discuss various topics. Some of these worked on previous projects with our mentor, Mr. Ediner Fuentes.
This meeting was a huge success as apart from getting a possible sponsor it was wonderful to meet a scientific community within our community that showed interest for our project. It meant a lot for our team to impress fellow professional scientists with our project idea. Not only this but the overall learning experience that the IGEM team was able to gain was outstanding.
Banana Producer Interviews in Bocas del Toro, Panamá Interview With Professionals:
Our IGEM team organized a meeting with Cameron Forsythe, a (profession). During this interview, our team discussed the effect that Fusarium oxysporum, the crop disease our project will target, has on different crops in Panama (our host country), and in other nations of the word.
During the interview, Forsythe was asked about his experience with Fusarium oxysporum, to which he described how “the biggest stressors dealing with Fusarium Oxysporum were sanitation and prevention. Quarantining imported plants, making sure to wash boots and tools before working or inspecting the fields'' (Forsythe). Besides his emphasis on preventing the disease from getting passed from contaminated equipment, Forsthe also expresses the challenge of “detecting the fungus and informing our workers. Detecting this disease is only apparent when its effects are visible within the plants, like yellowing leaves and student growth, although those can be symptoms of other diseases as well” (Forsythe).
Forsythe also expresses his concern on physiological effects Fusarium Oxysporum is causing to the workers, as he described how they have become “paranoid” from the possibility of crops being infected. Due to this, they take “extensive and expensive testing” which causes many loose crops, even when the fungus has not settled (Forsythe).
Community and Social Impact
Survey Conducted: Public Perception of Biotechnology and Synthetic Biology of High School Students in Panama
"Synthetic biology is a field of science that involves redesigning organisms for useful purposes by engineering them to have new abilities. Synthetic biology researchers and companies around the world are harnessing the power of nature to solve problems in medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture." (National Human Genome Research Institute, 2019).
In Panama, GMOs are not generally approved beyond commercial purposes. The population is unaware of the advantages this knowledge can provide, such as input for politicians, growth and development. The Protocol of Cartagena (Protocolo de Cartagena) was ratified by Panama's government in December of 1991, as it follows an objective of contributing to ensure an adequate level of protection safe transfer, handling, and use of genetically modified organisms, GMOs (CIMB Panama, 2020). This established the National Commission on Biosafety for GMOs, which defines institutional competencies, and mandates the creation of sectoral committees in the agricultural, environmental, and public health sectors (CIMB Panama, 2020). The project aimed to facilitate and ensure transparent, informed, and appropriate decision making about GMOs, advancing responsible GMO production in Panama and preserving the conservation of native genetic resources (CIMB Panama, 2020).
The perception of Synthetic Biology in Panama is greatly varied, due to context. This context surrounds the level of education and interest an individual has on scientific-based knowledge. When analyzing public perception, we focus on their understanding and knowledge of technology, and a positive correlation is frequently seen between the knowledge of the topic, and the acceptance of it.
Our focus of research is the perception of GMOs based on the knowledge students have received in Panama, predominantly in higher-education institutions which provide rigorous courses such as the International Baccalaureate. Participants' interests related to sciences range from physics-mathematical sciences, biochemical medicinal sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as arts and culture.
Survey on Public Perception of Synthetic Biology and GMOs
The process of making an analysis of the public perception about Synthetic Biology and GMO, our group has decided to make alterations to an already done survey by Dr. William K. Hallman from the Department of Human Ecology at the State University of New Jersey “Rutgers''. Hallman's survey is titled “Public Perceptions of Agricultural Biotechnology: A Survey of New Jersey Residents''. After having studied this survey and the responses from the public, we adapted the survey to the local context in Panama, specifically, Panama City students in private schools such as ISP and the MET. We modified Dr. Hallman's to the context in Panama among students, as well as, modifying certain questions and formatting responses with a scale from 1 to 5 on how much the receiving side agrees with such statements.
The target audience for this survey were students from the International School of Panama and the Metropolitan School of Panama with a range between 15 and 19 years old. These students' responses were segmented by sampling age, gender, school, educational inclines, and classes that the student would like to take in the Diploma Programme. The students sampled are focusing on either social, physical, biological, or art sciences. With this information, we also studied what classes they would like to study in the DP, deciding between the sciences of: physics (HL/SL), chemistry (HL/SL), biology (HL/SL), or environmental social sciences.
The survey we conducted was launched online through Google Forms (link) and was distributed by email and social media applications, such as Instagram and WhatsApp group chats to random students studying at ISP, MET, or any other school contacts this might have reached, this was labeled as the “Other” option.
The survey was based on the Likert scale, giving values from 1 to 5, represented by stars, to the answers of the questions. The possible answers were: 1= strongly disagree; 2= disagree; 3= undecided; 4= agree; 5= strongly agree. The survey consists of 30 questions, grouped by different topics. These topics include:
- Basic knowledge about food production.
- Knowledge and level of approval of hybrid plants and animals.
- Level of approval of GMOs and general knowledge about biotechnology.
- GMO considerations.
- Synthetic Biology considerations and awareness.
After a few days of gathering responses, 101 surveys were answered, having to filter them to 87, as 14 of them were not filled out correctly. As the size of the analyzed population was not big enough to differentiate each school's group, the team decided to segment it into only two groups; “MET students”, “ISP students”, and other schools.
Results were finally analyzed by using the chi-squared test with the significance level (x^2 & p) in order to find significant differences between both groups and correlations among different questions in search for reasons and causes of their level of approval about biotechnology practices and GMO's. These results were used for the development of the risk analysis tool and the planning of the educational practices with high-school students that the team conducted.
Result
To determine if the difference in acceptance of genetic modification between the two schools is significant, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. The results of the analysis showed that the difference is significant (p < 0.001). This means that there is a very low probability that the difference is due to chance.
Specifically, the analysis showed that the mean acceptance of genetic modification at the MET school (0.68) is significantly higher than the mean acceptance at the ISP school (0.44). This means that MET school students are 51.1% more likely to accept the creation of genetically modified plants and animals than ISP school students (Table 1).
Table 1. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) between ISP and MET students
MET school students have more favorable attitudes towards genetic modification than ISP school students, as in all cases the p-value is less than 0.001, meaning that there is a significant difference between the two schools in the response to the question (Table 2 and Table 3).
Table 2. Statistically significant differences in attitudes toward genetic modification
| Question | p-value |
|---|---|
| In the supermarkets where your family normally shops, have you seen fresh fruits and vegetables labeled “Organic,” “Pesticide-Free,” or “GMO-Free”? | 0.001 |
| In the supermarkets where your family normally shops, have you seen fresh fruits and vegetables labeled “Organic,” “Pesticide-Free,” or “GMO-Free”? | 0.001 |
| Awareness of crossbreeding methods for food production | 0.001 |
| Production of hybrid plants morally correct? | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified animals production is morally correct | 0.001 |
| Approval of hybrid plants | 0.001 |
| Morally correct hybrid animals | 0.001 |
| Science and Technology understanding | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified plants level of approval | 0.001 |
| Is plant genetically modification morally correct? | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified animals level of approval | 0.001 |
| Is animal genetic modification morally correct? | 0.001 |
| GMO's could be dangerous for the environment if they could reproduce by themselves | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified plants are better than plants which requires pesticides | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified plants should be considered as “organics” | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified plants should not be sold in “natural product shops” | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified organisms are a potential risk for human health | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified organisms requires a strict regulation | 0.001 |
| Genetically modified organisms risk have been exaggerated | 0.001 |
| People should not know how to genetically modify an organism | 0.001 |
| Only moderate regulations would be needed to regulate genetic modification of organisms | 0.001 |
| Unjustified fears about the genetic modifications of organism have seriously blocked the development of beneficial foods | 0.001 |
| Genetic modification of organisms could improve my quality of life | 0.001 |
| Research in genetic modification or organisms should increase worldwide | 0.001 |
| Knowledge about Synthetic biology and its potential uses | 0.000 |
| Agree with the use of this technology in the scientific field | 0.000 |
The answers to questions 13, 14, 15, and 22 are correlated with an average correlation of 0.78. This indicates that there is a strong positive relationship between the variables. This means that, in general, the answers to questions 13, 14, 15, and 22 tend to go in the same direction.
Statistical analysis of the significant differences between MET and ISP schools in each question and their correlation is assesed in table 3:
Table 3. Correlations between attitudes towards genetic modification and other factors among MET and ISP students
In this case, the correlation indicates that students who are more in favor of genetic modification also tend to agree more with the following statements:
- Genetic modification of plants is morally correct.
- Genetic modification of animals is morally correct.
- Genetic modification of plants is safe for the environment.
- Genetic modification of plants requires strict regulation.
Therefore, the value of 0.78 suggests that the answers to questions 13, 14, 15, and 22 are indicators of general acceptance of genetic modification.
A person who has a high response to one of questions 13, 14, 15, or 22 has approximately a 78% chance of having a high response to the other questions.
A person who has a low response to one of questions 13, 14, 15, or 22 has an approximately 22% chance of having a low response to the other questions.
Discussion
Finally, the results showed a tendency towards acceptance of genetic modification associated with students who intend to select university careers in Biosciences, chemistry, and health sciences compared to their peers in Physical Sciences-Mathematics, Humanities, and Social Sciences and Arts.
The iGEM Team Zamorano study on the Public perception of university students in Honduras about Biotechnology, Synthetic Biology, and GMOs (2014), the findings from this study demonstrate how students from Zamorano and other Honduran universities reflect significant differences amongst their knowledge, and attitude towards Biotechnology. Zamorano students demonstrated greater knowledge on food production, hybrid plant and animal techniques, and genetic modification, compared to students from other schools. Although, Zamorano students appeared to be less concerned about pesticides, and more favorable and accepting of GMOs. In contrast, students from other universities appeared to be more cautious of genetically modified food production and animals. In accordance, both groups supported the strict regulation of GMOs, yet they both showed limited knowledge about synthetic biology and GMOs. Overall, the results demonstrate how educational background plays an influential role in the knowledge and understanding of biotechnology in a student population.
In the New Jersey study, Synthetic Biology Perceptions: Aligning the Public View with Scientific Fact (2015), the study focused on the current public perception of synthetic biology and the reasons behind these perceptions. The study identifies how sensationalist thinking and false information, along with how complex synthetic biology can be, contributes to the prejudiced opinions of members of the general public. In order to resolve these concerns, the article provides three primary initiatives: the first is introducing nations to genetic modification to educational systems, second is creating a separate government agency with authority, and offering adult learners appropriate educational opportunities. These initiatives are designed to correct factual errors and raise awareness of synthetic biology, promoting more informed decision-making. The adoption of these alternatives is anticipated to have a substantial influence on bringing public awareness of synthetic biology into line with scientific agreement.
Overall, both articles present the significance of educational context/background in the understanding and development of approval of GMOs in many parts of the world. Both studies agree upon the importance of monitoring and regulating GMOs and Synthetic biology practices.
The results associated with the significant approval of MET students may be influenced by their lower average age compared to ISP students. This suggests a potential connection between academic maturity and the public perception of biotechnology. In this context, both schools displayed higher biotechnology approval rates among students who intend to pursue careers in the life sciences, which could also impact the positions of these student groups.
The analysis confirms a trend observed by the iGEM Zamorano team, where a majority of students expressed approval for agricultural sciences, aligning with our study results.
Another interesting point is that, in both studied groups, approval for synthetic biology significantly surpassed that for genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Despite being closely related disciplines, this discrepancy in acceptance may be attributed to the unfamiliarity and novelty of synthetic biology within the emerging field of biotechnology.
This analysis offers an initial assessment of biotechnology, GMOs, and synthetic biology approval among high school students. It could potentially inform the development of policies aimed at fostering students' interest in these fields and thus strengthen the capabilities of the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
Engagement with Environmental Club:
From February to April, we collaborated with the MET's environmental club to plan their annual environmental conference, METGREEN. This event brought together over 100 students from various schools across Panama and featured more than 15 panels and workshops led by industry leaders, all focused on conserving our planet. We included panels on synthetic biology to educate the new generation on the opportunities and future of this science—the "science of tomorrow"—and the positive impact it can have on the environment. During this conference, we align our efforts with Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) to ensure our work contributes meaningfully to global sustainability initiatives.
SDG Goal 2: Zero Hunger - Our project targets the Panama disease, which directly contributes to food security since over 400 million people depend on bananas as a key ingredient in their diet. This supports the fight against hunger by safeguarding an important food resource and improving agricultural sustainability.
SDG Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production - By focusing on early detection and mitigation of Panama disease through bioluminescent bacteria, we aim to promote efficient agricultural practices and reduce wastage due to crop failure.
Education and Outreach
Creation of Documentary
Our world is all about development and for the last few decades we have been witnessing a new field of science emerging from it, Synthetic Biology. Even so, we realized that not everyone had access to this information and this amazing opportunity. This is why one of our team members has decided to create a 1 hour documentary on synthetic biology where scientists explore and explain the science, opportunities, weaknesses and solutions of synthetic biology. We plan to not only upload this documentary on the internet, but to visit less fortunate schools in our community and present it to them as well.
BioHacker Workshop
The International School of Panama (ISP) and The Metropolitan School of Panama (MET), carried out a course called BioHacker, to promote science and technology by training young people from Panama in the fields of synthetic biology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology and bioentrepreneurship. The 20 high school students that participated were provided with a 5 day theoretical course in which they are able to understand the molecular process that occurs while modifying DNA, cell sections and names and more. After the thoracic sections, the participants attended a practical session in which they modified an E. coli bacteria to serve as reporter protein, using what they had learned on the theoretical sessions and new procedures taught by the instructors.
In this first edition, the participants came from 5 different panamanian schools which consisted of ISP, MET, Howard Academy, Oxford School and La Salle. This increased outreach in participant diversity helps us in our search for the democratization of science, coupled with the fact that the participants could work together with people of different schools and nationalities
This event, held from April 24th to May 6th, 2023, consisted primarily of academic presentations, which included basic knowledge from introductions to genetic material to the design of genetic circuits. Subsequently, orientation conferences were given over include “Bioeconomy”, “Future and Potential of Biotechnologies”, and “Genetic Edition and Biosafety”, as well as “Bioentrepreneurship”.
Moreover, we also carried out various online capacitations in the following few months for new members.
Here is the experience of some students:
- Veronica Siem With this course I wanted to get a better understanding of what synthetic biology was, and to have more lab experience. I also wanted to meet new people who were interested in the same things I am interested in, and learn alongside them new mechanics about synthetic biology. During this course, I got to understand synthetic biology from a different point of view, and had a lot of fun during the lab work. The theoretical lessons were key to understanding everything we were doing in the lab.
- Daniela Zuluaga With this course I wanted to get the hands-on experience of working in a lab to determine if this was something I wanted to do in the future. With the guidance of the teachers, I was able to also understand the conceptual part of what's happening while I was doing the experiment. Working in the lab was really fun, as I got to see what I had learned about, taking place in the lab! With this experience, I was able to determine that working in a lab is something that I want to do later on in life.
At the end of this edition, observing with great satisfaction our impact on young participants, we plan to continue training human talent in Panama, working for accessible science for all.
We are deeply grateful for the support of more than 20 volunteers, who diligently worked and studied to make these sessions outstanding. Also, for our team of staff who was in charge of all of the organization and logistics to make this experience happen. This event would not have been possible without all of them. - Jaime Reyes When I joined this course, I wanted to learn how to work with synthetic biology in a lab. During this workshop, I was fascinated with responsable, careful, and exact procedures when we were doing the genetic modifications. This was a unique experience that will help me in the near future because I am now confident in what I want to study
IGEM workshop
Representing the Met, around 8 students participated in the iGEM workshop led by the ISP. The workshop consisted of 4-5 online, after school lessons capacitating us with the correct knowledge regarding synthetic biology. Most of the classes were really challenging, since most of the concepts hadn't been previously explored. The classes were taught by Ms. Marivi Gondola, Mr. Daniel Garcia, and synthetic biology expert: Ediner Fuentes. The lessons prepared us as a team for both our lab-work, and working in the synthetic biology field. The classes were followed by presenting lab-work at the ISP, where we were accompanied by the teachers previously mentioned. During the lab-work, we were isolating and modifying a variant of an E. coli bacteria. As a team, we all thought the lab-work was very entertaining, learning induced, and overall a beautiful way to express our past learning in a hands-on way.
Collaboration (iGEM Panamá Evolutech in iGEM Design)
This year, the International School of Panama (ISP) and the Metropolitan School of Panama (MET) worked together to represent Panama on the 2023 Jamboree. The ISP hosted a synthetic biology course called “Biohacker: Unlocking the Secrets of Synthetic Biology” from April 25, to March 6. In this course, members of the MET, alongside other Panamanian schools attended the course. Throughout this course, the students from the iGEM Panama Evolutech team (who form part of the Latin America iGEM design league competition, being the only team representing Panama), were able to engage with genetic circuits both theoretically and practically. Capacitors were provided to do lab work to isolate and clone strains to evaluate the genetic expression that was desired. Students were also able to share with the different members of the members of the iGEM Panama team, who participate in the Jamboree.
After the course was completed, the ISP and the MET formed an alliance to work collaboratively to participate in the Grand Jamboree of 2023. Even though both of these schools are forming a team, due to the ISP inspiration on the MET, the MET is considering forming an independent iGEM highschool team, who would use the previous capacitaciones and knowledge about genetic circuits to participate as an additional team to the Jamboree of 2024, next year.
Social Media and Public Awareness
The iGEM club is structured into three main teams: Social Media, Finance, and the STEM team. These three groups help maintain the club’s focus on its mission, where social media and finance teams actively contribute to broaden the human practices of our work. The social media team mainly focuses on spreading awareness about synthetic biology, finding innovative ways to attract more attention to local issues such as the Panama Disease. The finance team helps ensure that the club has all resources needed by managing budgets and organizing fundraising events to support iGEM research. Together, these three teams within the iGEM club fosters a stronger relation between science and the real world impact on our community.
In order to raise more public awareness, our social media team produces strategic and engaging content that highlights the club’s projects and ongoing initiatives. Manage our digital presence on platforms such as Instagram, we develop engaging posts that encourage others to get involved. By sharing project updates and interactive posts, we shun light to local issues that iGEM tackles, highlighting our presence and perseverance in solving such issues. Our social media campaigns are also crucial in promoting our fundraisers, like raffles and the Banana Cup, where we engage with the community in meaningful ways while raising funds for our projects. Through these efforts, we are able to build stronger connections with both local and global communities.
One of our biggest and most successful fundraisers was the Banana Cup, an engaging football tournament opened for all to join and participate in. This fundraiser had an extremely positive impact in spreading awareness about the presence of the iGEM club and the importance of our project. Promoting the Banana Cup tournament in various interactive ways such as announcements in schools, videos, and instagram posts, the social media team was able to reach a wide range of individuals to join this football tournament. Through the Banana Cup, we were able to create a space of community where individuals could enjoy a friendly competition while supporting an important cause.
Ethics
Ethical Considerations in Survey:
During the survey that we conducted, we included several questions regarding the ethics apcets around synthetic biology. As a club we realized that a problem that many people faced regarding the idea of synthetic biology was the ethical aspects and we received some comments mostly concerned with the poor use of technologies such as this one and the general idea that it was against nature. Despite this, the general response we were able to receive from the audience regarding the ethics behind synthetic biology was very positive, as the majority looked at the potential it had in different fields such as agriculture, health and others.
Documentary Discussions:
One of our members created a documentary discussing synthetic biology. While he was developing this film, he structured it such that one of the most significant themes was the ethical aspects of synthetic biology. The documentary included multiple interviews with different synthetic biology specialists who addressed the ethical concerns regarding the implementation of synthetic biology modification in agriculture, particularly its potential impact on food safety and local ecosystems. This documentary is a key component for us to share about synthetic biology to the world, as we can teach through this documentary to others how the correct use of synthetic biology has minimal ethical concerns and a large amount of potential.
Community Engagement:
Through our project we also had the chance to meet with various stakeholders, including farmers, scientists and small businesses. In each of our meetings and interviews we were able to discuss the ethical aspects of our project and on the field of synthetic biology. We were surprised to find out how ethically supportive most of the stakeholders were. Even so, we did realize that many of them lacked basic understanding on synthetic biology which is why besides addressing all their ethical concerns, we decided to engage in many community activities to educate our community.
Reflections and Evaluations
| Activity | Lessons Learned | Areas for Improvement |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting with Local Lab | During this visit, we were able to learn that even professional laboratories are not always familiar with synthetic biology. We were able to teach them about our project, and the bases of synthetic biology. This experience was also positive for the STEM sector of our club, as they were able to experience firsthand a professional lab with all the procedures and machinery that is used. | We only visited this lab once, and not all of the members from our STEM team were able to have this experience. Meeting multiple times with local labs would help our STEM team to experience firsthand lab work, but also help the club as a whole to continue sharing the wonders of the science of the future: synthetic biology. |
| Banana Cup | This tournament was very successful as there were a large number of categories that took place during this event, ranging from small children to adults. It was a great activity as it helped generate funds for the club, while also promoting synthetic biology in a dynamic and fun way that was attractive for a wide range of people. | Something to improve for next time would be to target a larger audience, as our tournament consisted mostly of members from our school. |
| Collaboration with MET Green | MET Green is an annual conference held in our school, in which many local schools and guest speakers attend. Having such a large audience, including the guest speakers and multiple students, helped us learn how synthetic biology is a significantly attractive field of science for all types of audiences. | Something we would have done to improve would have been to set a stand for people or guest speakers to join our synthetic biology club if they were interested. Many were intrigued with the idea of synthetic biology, and providing an opportunity for them to know more about it would be really effective for us as a club and for the overall spread of “what synthetic biology is.” |
Impact Evaluation
After the different activities that we held as a team, we can successfully conclude that the perception of synthetic biology from our local community increased tremendously. By implementing the club at the school, we have been able to target students from ages 13 - 18, and a diverse number of teachers and parents. In our school, there is a larger impact on what synthetic biology is, and the potential it has. We have been able to merge with our science department inorder to offer lab activities that teach further upon the science behind synthetic biology. We have also generated awareness in our local community by conducting meetings with labs, entrepreneurs, and local farmers. Our social media platform has also significantly helped us to share about what we do in a modern way which we have seen to have an impact on the young generations. The best thing we can do to improve is go a step further, not only to show our community about what synthetic biology is, but how they can get involved.