Overview
Communication is an essential tool for sharing ideas, sparking interest, and mobilizing communities around a project.
It played a key role in spreading the word about CAP'siRNA, not only to raise awareness but also to educate the public on the challenges around agroecology and popularize synthetic biology. Our main objective was to make the complex scientific concepts underlying our project accessible while engaging diverse audiences. We also aimed to encourage participation in iGEM and to inspire other students to get involved in projects that offer innovative solutions.
To achieve this, we implemented a multi-level communication strategy to maximize the impact of our project by:
Participation to in-person events
Our presence on social media platforms
A publication in the press
In-person events
In-person events offer a unique opportunity to present our project directly to a specialized audience, interact with key stakeholders in the field, and receive immediate feedback. These events have significantly contributed to the development of our project by increasing our visibility.
Innovation Challenge Day
We presented our project to biotechnology engineering students during a 15-minute presentation. We also created a poster that visually summarizes our solution at a glance. This event allowed us to capture the attention of a student audience with a dynamic and visual format, facilitating a quick understanding of our proposal. We came in 3rd place according to the student ranking!
Figure 1: Photos during the Innovation Challenge Day
Biomim’challenge
This event during the Biomim’expo, dedicated to biomimicry, gave us an exceptional opportunity to present our project to industry professionals. Our pitch was awarded the jury’s special award, marking significant recognition of the relevance of our solution in a professional context.
Figure 2: Photos during the Biomim’challenge
Student Pitch Contest
At this event organized by La Maison des Entrepreneurs, we presented innovative ideas to a panel of entrepreneurial experts. This competition served as a valuable platform to receive constructive feedback on our project while strengthening our visibility among academic and professional actors (see on Entrepreneurship part).
Figure 3: Photos during the Student Pitch Contest
iGEM Meetups
During european meetups in Toulouse and Madrid (see on Collaboration part), we had the opportunity to pitch our project alongside a poster, followed by a longer presentation. These events enabled us to connect and exchange ideas with other iGEM teams across Europe, fostering idea sharing through discussions on respective projects. We received the Audience’s best prize in Toulouse and the Best Pitch and Best Presentation Award in Madrid!
Figure 4: Photos during Toulouse and Madrid iGEM Meetups
Social media
We have been present on social media on Instagram (@igem.ionis) and LinkedIn (IGEM IONIS). Social media played a crucial role in increasing the visibility of our project and allowed us to reach a wide audience of students, other iGEM teams, and biotechnology professionals. Each post was designed to achieve specific objectives, which we will develop below.
CAP’siRNA presentation
Through series of posts, we introduced CAP'siRNA in detail, from the issue it addresses to the science behind the project and its goals. We also introduced the team members and shared photos from the events we participated in. Finally, we released our promotional video, further strengthening the public identity of our project.
Figure 5: Examples of Instagram posts presenting CAP'siRNA
Agroecology awareness
Another goal of our communication was to raise awareness about agroecology issues while explaining how our project addresses these challenges. To do this, every Monday for a month, we posted "CAP’siQUIZZ" in our stories (see on Education part), an interactive quiz focused on issues related to agroecology, the current problems with sugar beets, and the solutions provided by CAP'siRNA.
Figure 6: Examples of CAP’siQUIZZ published in Instagram stories
Synthetic biology comprehension
Being aware that the concept of synthetic biology can be perceived as complex for many people, we wanted to make it more accessible and understandable. We published a post explaining this field. In addition, we published a post explaining the objectives and principles of the nine most commonly used laboratory techniques in molecular biology to help students better grasp this subject.
Figure 7: Examples of Instagram posts presenting synthetic biology
Inspiring students to participate in iGEM
We also sought to inspire other students by showing "behind the scenes" of the competition to encourage them to participate in next year's iGEM competition. Every month, we shared a one-minute video “Logbook” that recapped our journey throughout the month. This allowed us to showcase in a fun way the different steps involved in building a project. We also organized a collaboration with other iGEM teams: "iGEMeme week" (see on Collaboration part). We posted humorous memes about the competition sent by many other teams every day. At the same time, throughout the year, regular stories were posted to show daily life, adding a more personal and engaging dimension to the iGEM adventure.
Figure 8: Examples of Instagram posts and stories presenting iGEM and our daily life
Publication in press
We finally had the opportunity to promote our project in the press. We were interviewed by Solenne Denis, who subsequently wrote an article in La Gazette du Laboratoire, a magazine specializing in scientific news. In the article, we explain the aim of the iGEM competition and the technical design behind the CAP'siRNA technology.
This publication is an excellent opportunity to reach a more specific audience, particularly the scientific community. By showcasing our project in a well-known media outlet in the field, we are strengthening our visibility and credibility among experts and professionals in the sector.
The article will be available starting October 6, 2024, at the following link: https://www.gazettelabo.fr/ (official website of La Gazette du Laboratoire).
The draft of the article is already available.
