Endless distance, countless people, are all related to me —— Lu Xun

As a project in the treatment field, our research on diseases will ultimately be directly applied to humans. We realize that it is not just about system design and experimentation, but also very meaningful to inform the public what we are doing and sow the seeds of synthetic biology on the vast land. At the same time, surveys have shown that the level of social attention given to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is still insufficient, with few people aware of its name. The LZU-China team hopes to increase the awareness of inflammatory bowel disease through education and popularization, enabling more people to understand this disease, pay attention to their own intestinal health, prioritize prevention, and help more people reduce the risk of disease.

Therefore, guided by the motto "Helping more people Live Zealously Under our Human Practice work", we have carried out various of educational activities and designed suitable educational content for different groups, hoping that those who participate in our activities can truly benefit from it.

Mode:

Radiation transmission:

Education Popularization progressing from Team Members to Individuals, Expanding from a Small to a Large Network Radiation Dissemination

Location:

Affiliated School of Lanzhou University

Target Audience:

Third grade elementary school students

Goal:

Education should start from a young age. We hope to use science education to familiarize children with inflammatory bowel disease and maintain their awareness of intestinal diseases. Through their popularization to families, we aim to form a network that radiates further and move closer to the goal of "HP's work being responsible and beneficial to the world".

Process:

"How many intestines are there in our body？"
"Why is the intestine curved？"
"What are the functions of different intestines？"

We first posed three questions to encourage students to speak freely and liven up the atmosphere in the class. The children had rich knowledge reserves and could basically answer the questions, which brought us great surprises. After understanding the basic structure and function of a healthy gut, we presented a comparison chart that enabled students to intuitively feel the difference between a healthy gut and an abnormal gut.

Figure 1-4

A healthy gut is smooth and tender, with regular folds and uniform intestinal diameter, while abnormal intestines can exhibit various pathological manifestations such as swelling, narrowing, ulcers, bleeding, polyps, etc. It can be imagined that people with such abnormal intestines will suffer from diseases.

As its name suggests, IBD is an inflammatory disease. If external stimuli such as trauma and infection are linked to evildoer holding guns trying to attack us, then the process of inflammation represents the defenders in our bodies lifting shields to resist the attacks. This battle is arduous, like a “fire” breaking out in the intestines. Therefore, recurrent abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloody stools will knock on our door. For patients with inflammatory bowel disease, racing against time with toilet paper has become a painful ordeal. And those with more severe conditions may also experience intestinal bleeding, intestinal obstruction, perforation, and even cancer.

Figure 5

Figure 6

Inflammatory bowel disease brings enormous physical and mental torment to patients, and the mechanism of its onset is still unclear. However, one of the important factors associated with the onset of inflammatory bowel disease is dietary habits. Therefore, what we can do is to develop good dietary habits and maximize the protection of intestinal health.

We invited everyone to share their own healthy eating habits or recipes and compared them with the recommended recipes for preventing IBD to help everyone deepen their understanding. We also encouraged students to share healthy eating recipes with their parents, helping to promote healthy eating recipes to more families.

Reflect:

Before the event began, our initial idea was to transmit knowledge from team members to elementary school students and then from students to their families to achieve a gradually expanding scope of knowledge dissemination. However, in the classroom, through interaction with children, we found that some children had achieved a high level of mastery in intestinal knowledge, which greatly surprised us. In later communication with their teachers, we learned that many children's parents work in hospitals affiliated with Lanzhou University. The influence of the family environment and parents' work environment has enabled these children to unconsciously acquire medical and scientific knowledge from a young age.

This phenomenon led us to rethink the originally designed knowledge dissemination structure of small to large radiation. In a highly educated social environment, the influence of the larger environment has led to the targeted transmission of knowledge from a broad scope to every child. This represents the concentration of education from large to small, and its path is exactly opposite to ours. Through our activities, knowledge of intestinal health was transmitted in both directions, providing a wonderful interactive experience.

Location:

Luotuo Lane, Baishu Lane, and Linjiazhuang Children's Activity Station, Qilihe District, Lanzhou City

Target Audience:

Children aged 8-12 in the community

Goal:

Most of the children in the activity station live nearby, but these places lack high-quality educational resources, and the education level of their elders is generally low. We hope to introduce these children to the world of science through education and help them create magical science with their own wisdom and hands. Our goal is to facilitate the dissemination of knowledge from individual to families and from families to the broader society.

Activity 1: Gut Explorer

Imagine that there's a busy and intricate “secret garden” hidden in your belly—your intestines. The large and small intestines each have their roles, diligently doing their jobs. The small intestine, with its winding shape and tiny villi and folds, has plenty of space for digesting and absorbing food, while the large intestine oversees absorbing water and electrolytes, as well as forming and excreting poop.

But in this vibrant land, sometimes there are “uninvited guests” like inflammatory bowel disease. Inflammatory bowel disease includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, which have similarities and differences.

Figure 7

Activity 2: Synthetic Biology Wizard

The kids were no strangers to the term “synthetic”: they thought of Lego pieces being put together. What synthetic biology aims to do is pretty similar: imagine a box filled with building blocks of all different colors and shapes——these blocks are like the “biological parts” in synthetic biology, such as gene fragments and proteins. Synthetic biologists assemble these “blocks” according to blueprints, just like building a model with Lego. If the model works well, it can be applied in real life, like manufacturing drugs, producing biofuels, or improving the environment. They wield their “DNA wands”, programming tiny biological cells with precision to create unprecedented miracles of life.

We gave an example to help the kids better understand what synthetic biology is about. By extracting a protein gene that only harms insects from soil bacteria and integrating it into the corn seed genome, the corn's yield can significantly increase because it gains traits like pest resistance and cold tolerance. This reduces the use of chemical pesticides, which not only lessens environmental pollution but also produces better quality corn.

Figure 8

Activity 3: Wash Your Hands Well

The hands are often a carrier of dirt and various bacteria and viruses because they come in contact with many surfaces several times throughout the day. Hand washing is an essential process to ensure cleanliness and resist various diseases including gastrointestinal diseases. Because bacteria can stay alive on the hands for up to three hours, washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations.

Learn the seven steps of handwashing to ensure cleanliness and help stop the spread of germs and viruses.

seven steps of handwashing

Molan Li from the LZU-China team taught the kids the “seven-step handwashing technique”, demonstrating it step by step. She emphasized the importance of the handwashing method and how long to wash.

figure9

Activity 4: Synthetic Biology in My Heart

After the kids learned some basic theories about synthetic biology and inflammatory bowel disease, both teams organized a clay crafting activity for them. This allowed the kids to unleash their creativity and make various microorganisms or piece together their ideas about synthetic biology.

figure10

Summary:

This fantastical journey of scientific exploration may eventually come to an end, but the seeds of science have been planted in the hearts of the children. They will take root and blossom with the brightest light in the days to come. This event was not just a collision of knowledge and fun but also the beginning of a journey for their science dreams. Let’s look forward to these little explorers and wizards continuing to create more miracles and beauty with their wisdom in the days ahead!

Location:

The Datang Little Fish Picture Book Museum in Yuzhong County, Lanzhou City

Target Audience:

Children aged 6-10 and their parents

Goal:

LZU-China collaborates with Datang Little Fish Picture Book Museum to host a picture book science popularization event. The team members directly participate in parent-child activities, try new educational models, and hope that a science popularization event can achieve mutual benefits for both children and parents.

Activity 1: Science Popularization Explanation

Wu Jinyun introduced concepts such as synthetic biology, building blocks for bioengineering, and constructing castles with building blocks through engaging and interesting picture book stories. The children actively participated and eagerly shared their thoughts.

figure14

Zhao Wenjun then provided a detailed explanation of inflammatory bowel disease and the seven-step handwashing technique.

figure15

Activity 2: Microscopic Observation

The subsequent activities were even more exciting. Under the guidance of Li Xiaonan, the children observed microbial specimens through a microscope, marveling at the wondrous world beneath the lens.

figure16-19

Activity 3: Hands on Experiments

The final science experiments were conducted by Luo Yuanhao and Zhao Wenjun, featuring three small experiments: demonstration of digestive enzyme activity, pH testing of simulated stomach acid, and the bio paper battery experiment. The children were very excited and eager to try these themselves.

figure20-23

Summary：

The entire event was tightly organized, with rich and diverse content that encompassed knowledge explanation, practical operations, and interactive exchanges. Through these activities, the participating children not only learned about gut medicine and synthetic biology but also deepened their understanding of the scientific world through hands-on experiments, broadening their personal horizons. The event achieved good educational and popular science effects, enhancing the youth's interest in and understanding of science. Both the children and parents spent a fulfilling and meaningful time during the activities, creating wonderful and warm memories together with the team members.

Goal：

We deeply understand that the dissemination of science and love will not be hindered by time and space. In this year's cloud teaching activity, the Lanzhou University iGEM LZU-China team and the Lanzhou University of Finance and Economics teaching group have joined forces to build a bridge of knowledge across time and space. With the power of science and technology as the medium, coupled with the love of knowledge and the passion for passing it on, we have achieved this. In August 2024, we crossed geographical boundaries and built a close connection in the depths of our hearts. This ensures that the light of knowledge can penetrate the screen to warm and illuminate every thirsty soul.

figure24

Activity 1: One-on-One Lessons, Precise Transfer of Knowledge

One of the highlights of this cloud teaching activity is the one-on-one learning partnership between university student volunteers and primary school student volunteers.

Lanzhou University iGEM LZU-China team carefully prepared three major themes. Firstly, synthetic biology in the field of cutting-edge science and technology, revealing the mysteries of biotechnology in simple and easy-to-understand language. Secondly, popularizing knowledge about inflammatory bowel disease, guiding children to pay attention to intestinal health, and cultivating good habits. Lastly, the practical teaching of the seven-step handwashing technique, emphasizing the importance of personal hygiene and strengthening the prevention of diseases.

figure25-28

Activity 2: Fun Crafts to Stimulate Learning Interests

To make the learning journey colorful and full of fun, the cloud education activity ingeniously added a synthetic biology creative handicraft session. Under the careful guidance of college volunteers, elementary school students transformed themselves into little scientists and created a series of handmade works closely related to synthetic biology —— from vivid clay models to creative handbooks and stickers, each piece of work shone with the light of the children's wisdom. This hands-on process not only greatly nurtured the children's innovative thinking and practical skills, but also allowed them to deeply understand the connotation of scientific concepts and inspired their infinite curiosity and desire to explore the world of science.

figure29-30

figure31

Activity 3: Energizing Reading and Exercise to Build Pathways to Adulthood

In addition to the curriculum, we added two activities, Healthy Exercise Punch Card and Happy Reading and Sharing, to create an environment for children to grow both physically and mentally. Volunteers acted as exercise instructors and worked side by side with primary school students to complete the weekly exercise check-in challenge. Each sweat is a brave leap to the limit of oneself, which not only strengthens the children's physique but also plants the seeds of persistence and perseverance in their hearts.

The volunteers also carefully selected colorful books to lead them to roam in the hall of knowledge. In the after-reading sharing session, the children excitedly shared their encounters and feelings about the books. The charm of words took root in their hearts, making the fragrance of books a warm companion that accompanies their happy growth.

Feedback:

Elementary school students who participated in this event shared their insights and gains from the cloud teaching activities.

Zhang Ruoxi said that she was very happy to participate in the Cloud Teaching activity during the summer vacation and the experience was very rewarding for her. Not only did she learn a lot of new knowledge, but she also made the vacation both enjoyable and fulfilling. Although she was far away from her volunteer sister, she still felt the fun and gain of learning through the diverse activities such as Cloud Reading, Cloud Sports and Cloud Lecture.

Yang Junyi was excited to share his experience in the Cloud Teaching activity. He mentioned that the activity filled him with a sense of freshness and fun every day. He not only strengthened his physical fitness and perseverance by playing sports, but also fell in love with reading, broadened his horizons through books, learned more knowledge and became a thinker.

Yin Lexuan shared her profound experience of the Cloud Teaching activity. Although the activity was short, the daily punch card exercise made her realize the power of persistence and perseverance, while reading enriched her inner world.

Reflection：

In the process of cloud teaching, a scene of warmth was constantly staged. On the screen, college volunteers patiently answered every question, stimulating the elementary school students’ desire for knowledge with encouraging words. Under the screen, elementary school students listened attentively to the lectures attentively or actively practiced with their hands, and their eyes glittered with the desire for knowledge and the vision of the future. The friendship between teachers and students across the screen has become the most valuable memory of this activity.

With the successful conclusion of the second cloud teaching activity, we know that this is just a beginning. In the future, Lanzhou University IGEM LZU-China team will continue to explore more diversified education modes to bring the light of knowledge and the hope of growth to more children. Let's work hand in hand to deepen the understanding of synthetic biology, strengthen the awareness of IBD prevention, and build a healthy future!

Purpose:

The team considered that they were unable to effectively popularize science education for children in mountainous areas, and the general public in the mountainous areas themselves had a very low level of awareness of IBD. To address this pain point, the team produced creative keychains, creative neutral pens, creative stationery boxes, creative drafting paper, and some sketchbooks, and plans to donate these items to mountain schools to improve the awareness of IBD among children and parents in remote mountain areas.

Progress:

We selected a primary school and a kindergarten in Tianzhu County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province as donation pilot sites. The team members promptly contacted the principals of the two schools, and after discussing with them, the team donated 100 ballpoint pens, 100 stationery boxes, 100 keychains, 100 drafts, and 100 drawing books to the two schools respectively. It's worth mentioning that we added the team's WeChat public account QR code and the team's Douyin QR code to the back of the stationery boxes, so that the children and their parents can scan the code to see IBD's popular science knowledge.

Significance:

When we saw the happy and delighted expressions on the children's faces after receiving the donated items, we knew that this activity was meaningful. Furthermore, the two principals told us that the awareness level of the parents and children in the mountainous areas is relatively low, and they have limited access to quality activities like this. If there are similar activities in the future, they can contact us at any time to work together to bring happiness and well-being to the children in the mountainous areas.

After the donation activity at the pilot school was successfully completed, this suggests that we need to extend this activity to more mountainous schools, and spread the light of science popularization to every corner of society.

Location:

Tanjianzi Community, Lanzhou City

Target Audience:

Community volunteers and residents

Goal:

1.Establish a network connected to the community that promote communication and exchange between residents, especially patients, and medical professionals.

2.Enhance residents' awareness of IBD, reduce social misunderstandings and biases.

3.Raise public awareness of early symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease, encourage individuals with relevant symptoms to seek medical attention in a timely manner, and achieve early diagnosis and intervention.

Process:

The LZU-China team first explained IBD-related knowledge to community volunteers, answered questions they might encounter in science popularization, and provided them with preliminary IBD knowledge.

figure32-33

In the early morning, at the Tanjianzi Community Square, the sunshine was warm and the breeze was pleasant, with many residents working out there. The team members and volunteers arrived at the square, bringing pre-prepared brochures on inflammatory bowel disease to promote and educate the residents.

“Let's look at our science popularization, uncles and aunts. Students from Lanzhou University Affiliated Hospital will explain to us how to prevent intestinal diseases for our physical health!” The enthusiastic words of the volunteers attracted many people to stop and listen. We took out brochures, distributing and introducing them to the residents. We explained the key issues of inflammatory bowel disease in simple and understandable language from multiple aspects such as symptoms, status, causative factors, and healthy eating habits.

figure34-37

figure38

“Little girl, what should I do if I often have abdominal pain and diarrhea? Do I have the disease you mentioned?”

“How do I determine if I have the symptoms of 'rectal bleeding' that you mentioned?”

“You said that inflammatory bowel disease cannot be cured? Then what should we do?”

“If I want to have a physical examination to see if there are any problems with my intestines, what should I do?”

“How is ‘smoking’ written in the risk factors? What is the relationship between smoking and intestinal diseases?”
……

After listening to our science popularization, some people were puzzled, which was also expected by us. At present, the popularization of inflammatory bowel disease in society is still relatively low. Except for medical professionals, patients, and their families, few people are familiar with IBD related knowledge, which is precisely our mission and original intention.

During the science popularization process, there was a grandmother who left a deep impression on me. When I mentioned inflammatory bowel disease, she answered fluently. We were curious about her rich knowledge reserves. She told us that someone in her family had inflammatory bowel disease, so the family members closely monitored their intestinal health and planned their diet strictly. Her spouse also quit smoking. We praised the grandmother's family's approach, while telling her to follow the doctor's advice for treatment and not to be too nervous. We also suggested that she and her family regularly undergo physical examinations to prevent problems before they occur.

figure39

Special section

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Brochure
To cooperate with promotional activities and present knowledge more intuitively to the public, we have designed an inflammatory bowel disease brochure, which provides concise and clear introductions from the aspects of introduction, development status, pathogenic factors, and patient life adjustments. You can follow us by scanning the QR code on the brochure, view our published articles on the WeChat platform, and gain a deeper understanding of IBD and Entero Guard.

Location:

the Kang Le Hospital in Chengguan District, Lanzhou

Target Audience:

the elderly and their caregivers

Goal:

Carrying out a public awareness campaign on inflammatory bowel disease aimed at the elderly and their caregivers is of great significance. On one hand, it can enhance caregivers' understanding of inflammatory bowel disease, allowing them to care for patients in their daily caregiving tasks better. On the other hand, educating the elderly about inflammatory bowel disease helps raise their awareness and preventive consciousness regarding the condition. Through these activities, we can increase social attention to inflammatory bowel disease, assist patients in achieving self-management of chronic conditions, and improve their quality of life.

Activity 1: Caregiver Training

Caregivers play a vital role in the daily care of patients. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease often require special attention, and caregivers equipped with relevant knowledge can provide better care. In terms of nursing key points, the priority is arranging a reasonable diet. The diet for inflammatory bowel disease generally advocates high sugar, high protein, low fat, and low residue intake, while appropriately supplementing with folic acid, vitamins, and trace elements. Secondly, enhancing hygiene care is important, as patients often experience symptoms such as diarrhea and bloody stools, which needs avoiding secondary infections.

Additionally, providing psychological support is crucial. Since inflammatory bowel disease tends to relapse, patients may experience negative emotions. Caregivers should instill confidence and courage in them to overcome the illness.

figure40

Activity 2: Health Education

Our team distributed brochures on inflammatory bowel disease to the elderly and provided a detailed introduction to the disease’s definition. Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of chronic conditions that includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We also explained that symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease include persistent diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever, and blood in the stool, enabling the elderly can recognize abnormalities in their bodies in a timely manner. Additionally, we emphasized the importance of prevention and management, such as maintaining good lifestyle habits and paying attention to dietary hygiene.

figure41-43

Summary:

The event achieved significant results. Through the inflammatory bowel disease awareness campaign, caregivers gained a deeper understanding of the condition and will be able to provide more professional care to patients in the future. The elderly also developed a certain level of awareness and preventive knowledge about inflammatory bowel disease through brochures and explanations. Everyone expressed that such activities are very meaningful and hoped for more similar events in the future.

Modern people's lives have long been inseparable from the use of mobile phones and the Internet. A small screen and an intangible network have become the main way for people to receive messages from all walks of society. We need to make good use of social media tools and utilize various forms to expand our influence.

Form 1: WeChat Official Account

The WeChat official account is the main front for LZU-China to publicize itself. Over the past few months, we have uploaded dozens of high-quality graphic and textual contents here, detailing our work mainly focused on HP, and have accumulated tens of thousands of clicks and reads. The likes, shares, and recommendations between friends help spread knowledge through clicks to jump .

Form 2: Podcast

Fast-paced life fully mobilizes the five senses. Wearing headphones to listen to something while running for fitness or commuting to work has become increasingly popular among people as a way of life. LZU-China collaborates with the iGEM team from Beijing University of Chemical Technology to launch a series of podcasts, allowing our voices to be heard.

Society should provide equal opportunities and guarantees for everyone's development. We deeply understand that the dissemination of love and knowledge should not be hindered by diseases and disabilities. The launch of podcasts can bridge the gap between the colorful and dark worlds, allowing visually impaired people to access science popularity with similar or even equal value.

click here