Education and Public Engagement
Primary School Kids Education and Workshop
Description
During our experiment, we considered how the knowledge can be utilized in real life and the importance of science fields in our routine. Our team believes sharing our scientific knowledge and awareness of science education is necessary for the younger generation. To reach our team’s goal, we went to Huaxing Elementary School for 5 days of science activities from August 18, 2024, to August 23, 2024. Through hand-making and brainstorming, our team promoted the importance of science knowledge and teaching for further real-life application. On the other hand, to raise awareness, our team developed games and activities that inspire children’s curiosity—for example, the experiment about mini volcanos and non-Newtonian fluid. These fun experiments encourage the children to extend their knowledge of the science we taught in these 5 days.
Reflection
The discussion during the seminar with children allowed our iGEM team to encourage and advocate science. Converting complex science knowledge to a basic concept for children reflects the importance of advocacy. It also reminds us of the value of education and public engagement as critical components in promoting scientific thought and interest in technology. Furthermore, these events also remind our team members that fun science events can foster a lifelong passion for science.
STEAM Fair and Workshop
Description
To achieve our commitment to education and public engagement, our iGEM team organized a STEAM Fair and workshop for junior high school students. The activity is designed to introduce students to fundamental concepts in biology and biotechnology. Our team guides the junior high students in constructing the DNA double helix origami and demonstrates a simple method for raw DNA extraction from bananas. Our sessions also include pipettes and live demonstrations of DNA gel electrophoresis.
Reflection
Through the workshop, we observed students' excitement and curiosity. They are excited to participate in every event and engage with scientific concepts and techniques. These outreach activities encourage and build the next generation of future iGEMers. This experience also allowed our team to gain our own understanding and communication skills. When teaching younger students, we simplify complex topics and make science more accessible.
Campus Lectures
To attract communities and enhance the educational experience, we held two important lectures in our school. Those lectures improve our knowledge related to our project, including application of synthetic biology, and enzymes. Our purpose is not only to provide theoretical knowledge, real life application, while placing greater emphasis on the role of biotechnology in global challenges and issues.
Synthetic Biology Talk
Description
We are honored to host the speech about synthetic biology by Professor Ying-Chou Chen from the Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences at the National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University. Professor Chen is an outstanding researcher who is an expert in genome sciences, specifically in molecular biology and synthetic biology. What he does for work daily involves research and practical utilization of scientific knowledge. He makes all the complex concepts easy to understand for us high schoolers.
During Professor Chen’s speech, he discussed synthetic biology, including its basic concepts and innovations targeting this topic. He emphasized on the potential of how synthetic biology can address different global issues, for instance, improving agricultural practices and developing innovative biotechnological applications. What he said during the lecture provided us with a deep insight into the ethical considerations of synthetic biology and its future potential, all of which made us reflect on how we could do as a team to improve the community.
Reflection
Professor Chen's talk enhanced our understanding of synthetic biology and its applications, particularly in relation to our project on enzyme-supplemented animal feed. His expertise helped us to see the broader implications of our work, not just from a scientific standpoint but also in terms of its potential impact on society. The knowledge we gained from this lecture directly influenced our project design and encouraged us to think critically about the ethical and practical aspects of our research.
Enzyme Application Talk
Description
We are fortunate enough to invite Professor Hung-Jen Liu from the Institute of Molecular Biology at National Chung Hsing University to deliver a speech about the applications of enzymes in biotechnology. Professor Liu is famous for his research on enzymes, especially in the application of secondary sector industry and biotechnological innovations. His work enhanced the understanding and application of enzymes in the agriculture field.
During Professor Liu's speech, he talked about how enzymes contribute to modern biotechnology. To be specific, he emphasized how to effectively enhance the production of agriculture and the efficiency of animal feed, in addition to the development of a sustainable secondary sector industry function. The talk also includes the potential challenges of enzyme application and its current usage for innovating a better and more efficient enzyme system.
Reflection
Professor Liu’s lecture strengthened our understanding of the application of enzymes, which were all related to our project objectives. His insight into how enzymes affect small from the science lab to the secondary sector industry inspired us to utilize enzymes to add to animal feed. This speech not only strengthened and provided approval of our project strategy but also helped us emphasize the influence of our project on the society and environment.