Education

Communicating science to the public is an often underestimated part of scientific work. Education has a huge impact on how science is viewed and how quickly we can move technologies forward. This was very evident during the pandemic, when there was great mistrust in the efficacy and safety of vaccinations. Science communication certainly saved lives. This is why we should not only focus on science itself, but also on making science accessible to everyone, because only together can we improve scientific work and its impact on our lives.

Girls’ Day

Even though in recent years, there have been many attempts to involve more women in the science and research sector, there is still a big disparity between the number of men and women in STEM, especially when focusing on higher positions, such as professorships. To show girls early in their education to follow their passions and not be scared of non-women-typical professions, we wanted to do our part in engaging more women and girls in science. This is why we took part in the national Girls’ Day program, where girls are invited to look into careers that are predominantly chosen by men. We decided to organize such an event as iGEM Team Munich and prepared an exciting day for 20 girls, together with the help of three different Chairs of Natural Sciences at the Technical University of Munich (TUM).

After a short presentation about the PCR reaction and an introduction to pipetting, volumes, and dyes, the participants had the opportunity to apply their brief training hands-on. We let the girls carry out their own PCR, which was exciting for them as this method gained broader popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. They then carried out a gel electrophoretic analysis of their replicated fragments. After lunch, we took some time to do a quiz, where the girls formed teams and tried to answer as many questions as possible. The day ended with an inspiring presentation with Prof. Dr. Zeymer, a professor of protein biochemistry, who, as a woman in STEM herself, highlighted the role of women in science, gave an interesting perspective on her own career, and motivated the girls to follow their interests.

Before the girls went home, we asked them to fill out a survey for us to better understand how our workshop was perceived. More girls could imagine themselves in a career in chemistry/biochemistry/biology (increased on average by 5%), and most of the girls felt like they got a good insight into the work of life science scientists and research (78% of a perfect score (“YES”)). Some have rated the contents as slightly too difficult (47% to an optimal score (“Just right”)), but this was seen more as motivation for further science encounters. All included, we felt that this day was a success, and we look forward to seeing these girls, among others, in science!

Event Photos - Girls’ Day

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Survey

We developed a survey to evaluate the success of the events with clear learning outcomes of a predefined group. Analysis of the results is subsequently displayed in bar graphs, and the focus was laid on knowledge and interest in pursuing a career in biochemistry/bioinformatics and the difficulty of the content. This majorly helped to design the following education events, general feedback, and to improve our work. The individual questions are displayed in English language in the graphical analysis of the results.

Podcast

In order to reach people outside the university and research community, and to introduce iGEM and our project idea to a wider audience, we decided to record a podcast episode. This year we contacted the host of the “Medtech 101” podcast series, Rodney Moses. This podcast series discusses topics in medical technology, pharmaceuticals and popular trends in current biomedical research, from basic to advanced, for public understanding. This podcast has already reached people in 67 countries, so it was a perfect opportunity to share our insight into synthetic biology and our project idea with as many people as possible. Our team was represented by Nika (Kobetic) and Felipe (Navarro), who talked about iGEM as a competition, touched on potential project applications, and emphasised the opportunities that synthetic biology approaches open up for investigating biological mechanisms and developing molecular tools. The video was released in June 2024 on various platforms, including Spotify and YouTube. On YouTube, the video of the talk has now been viewed over 4300 times, which we are very excited about. It was a remarkable experience and we are deeply honoured to have contributed to this podcast series.

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Puzzle

In previous years, the iGEM Munich team has organized numerous educational events with students between the 6th and 12th grade. We realized that you can not speak about synthetic biology without talking about the building blocks of life - DNA and RNA. This year, our project is heavily based on using the molecular processes of encoding, decoding, and changing the genetic information in the cell. That’s why we centered our educational events on understanding these essential molecules’ basic mechanisms and molecular biology’s central dogma. Even though it is a topic often covered in high school, due to the limited time and the complexity of the processes, the topic is frequently misunderstood or remains too abstract for the students. We gained this insight first-hand while reviewing the feedback from our first educational event, Girls’ Day.

For this reason, we decided that it would be of great help to the students if we developed an interactive game where they can see and experience the different steps of the replication, transcription, and translation processes. With an interactive game, the students can move the parts at their own pace, explore and try out which molecules interact, why adenosine always binds to thymine and not guanine, etc. We drew inspiration from the McGill 2023 team, who developed a 3D puzzle illustrating protein expression, and they generously shared their 3D models with us. However, when reviewing these models, we realized that their complexity and the nature of the puzzle would pose challenges for younger students and may not be suitable for printing on more affordable and accessible 3D printers. Additionally, the original puzzle does not include all aspects of the three major processes: replication, transcription, and translation. ​
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Design Principles

That is why, when designing our puzzle, we were inspired by the shape of the jigsaw puzzle pieces instead that fit together only with their designated counter-pieces - exactly how the bases in DNA and RNA bind to their complementary partner to build the complex puzzle of life. When developing the concept of the puzzle, we put the following priorities and goals:

• The bases should be universal and work with all the components of the different processes - replication, transcription, and translation.
• The 3d model should be easy for every educator with no 3d printing experience - no complex parts, no filler needed when printing.
• The 3d models should be easily customizable to represent other molecular processes.
• There should be a reporter system that allows you to assemble the right parts together - bases should only fit complementary, and only one amino acid should fit on a tRNA with the respective anticodon. The foundation of our design is built upon three core puzzle design principles: Eliminating undesirable solutions, Concept-Specific Learning and Automated Quality Control.

1. Eliminating Undesirable Solutions: We ensured that only correct base pairings and processes could be completed, guiding players toward accurate replication, transcription, and translation without shortcuts. We also ensured that only the correct amino base can be added to a tRNA with the corresponding anticodon. We use a magnetic system: each tRNA (an amino acid part) has 3 magnets. Since every magnet has two poles, there are currently 3^2 = 8 possible anticodons that can be encoded in this automatic backup system. Every tRNA has an unique combination of three magnets that comply compatible with the corresponding amino acid. We tested that even the difference in one of the magnets is enough that the wrong amino acid will fall off the tRNA.
2. Concept-Specific Learning: Each step of the puzzle directly reinforced the molecular biology concepts, requiring students to engage with the correct mechanisms of the central dogma. Puzzle pieces are the same for the three mechanisms, and the same sequence is first replicated, transcripted, and translated, showing the connectivity and interchangeable parts.
3. Automated Quality Control: The 3D-printed components ensured that the puzzle was consistently accurate and easy to use, and the provided instructions ensured that even when reprinted, puzzle pieces would still fit together. The backgrounds and puzzles are already scaled accordingly in the embedded documents.

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Demonstration of the puzzle

For a quick demonstration of the game’s basic capabilities, check out our stop-motion video:

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Open Day LMU

Igniting minds for nature and the miscellaneous ways of life is extraordinary. That’s why engaging the public facilitates this proactive science communication and strengthens the understanding of heavily curtained work and approaches towards the living world from a fundamental perspective.
Building a booth at Ludwig-Maximilians-University at the Open Day with posters about iGEM and our project, DIY molecular experiments, central mechanism puzzle - that day was filled with quizzing and engaging minds, having a close contact and infecting inexperienced heads with our vibrating excitement about molecular recording and synthetic biology. Children, future students, undergraduates, teachers, researchers, and retirees all joined us in engaged discussions that day, allowing mutual learning experiences and, not to forget, a lot of fun.
A custom 3D-designed and printed modular DNA replication model with individual bases, enzymes, and the possibility to learn by playing was offered for an explanation. People were able to extract DNA from bananas hands-on and take home their macromolecules. A quiz served as an ice breaker and challenged guests with quirky biological questions such as estimating the stack height of the human genome printed on A4 paper (pt 12). Parallel to the hands-on learning about the biological world, people were discovering all parts of the iGEM competition and our involvement in them. We also prepared a blueprint-like poster about the design of our molecular recording mechanisms that showcased the project in a well-digestible and graspable way. We also asked our visitors to fill out a survey prepared by us, which we made available by a QR code.
By introducing our project idea to the public at the LMU open day, we were able to reach a lot of people, from children to students to professors, which was a successful completion of our goal.
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Event Photos - Open Day LMU

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iGEM@school

To integrate science into education, we continued our efforts from iGEM Munich 2022 with the iGEM@school program. This year, we visited 5th and 7th-grade classes from two different secondary schools, acknowledging that some schools place less emphasis on science, resulting in varying levels of familiarity with synthetic biology. While last year, we invited students to our university lab, this year we brought science directly into their classrooms.

We developed a comprehensive program that included a presentation, interactive game, quiz, and a hands-on experiment, aimed at engaging students and sparking their interest in synthetic biology. The goal was to introduce basic lab concepts like pipetting and volume measurement, with a focus on the central dogma of molecular biology—DNA to RNA to protein. We introduced more advanced concepts to expand students’ knowledge and guided them on scientific documentation and critical analysis of their experiments. The central dogma, though part of the curriculum in Germany, is often taught in higher grades and not at every school. We believed that understanding how genetic information flows is important for everyone, so we made it the focus of our day. The day was divided into theoretical and practical parts. In the theoretical section, we explained DNA replication and transcription to both grades, and added RNA translation for the 7th graders. We simplified explanations to avoid overwhelming the students with too much information. Their enthusiasm was clear as they listened attentively and asked insightful questions.

After introducing lab safety measures, we split the class into two groups. One group participated in a quiz, while the other worked on a puzzle demonstrating the central dogma. The quiz featured fun and surprising questions, like the length of the human genetic code, which captivated the students. The puzzle allowed them to simulate transcription and translation, helping them better understand how the building blocks of life are assembled. For the hands-on experiment, we divided the students into smaller groups and introduced them to pipetting and volume measurement. The first experiment involved extracting DNA from bananas, which the students found exciting—especially squashing the bananas to access the cells. While some groups struggled to isolate DNA, everyone got to see successful results from others and take home a sample in an Eppendorf tube. The second experiment used the BioBits® Cell-Free System kit, kindly provided by miniPCR bio™. This kit, ideal for classroom use, allowed students to visualize transcription and translation using fluorescent markers. After pipetting DNA into tubes and waiting for incubation, the students could see green fluorescence under a blue light. Pre-prepared samples showed red fluorescence, sparking excitement among the students.

We concluded the day with a feedback survey. Most students rated the experience positively, with a 20% increase in those considering a career in life sciences. 79% felt they gained insight into laboratory work, while only 9% found the content too difficult. The teachers were enthusiastic and asked us to return next year to work with a more specialized biology class, allowing us to explore synthetic biology in greater depth.

Overall, this year’s iGEM@school program was a success, generating excitement and curiosity about science among young students and opening doors for future engagement with synthetic biology.

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Event Photos - iGEM@school

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Panel Discussion

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an integral part of everyday life, often in ways that are seamlessly integrated into routine tasks. However, the intersection of AI with scientific research, particularly in biology, is a rapidly evolving frontier. Historically, biology has progressed through experimental and observational methods, but recent advances in AI have revolutionized fields such as genomics, drug discovery and computational biology by enabling the analysis of complex datasets on an unprecedented scale. As the 2024 iGEM team Munich, we organized this panel as an educational initiative for students and the wider scientific community, with the aim of critically examining the growing role of AI in life sciences.

Our invited speakers Prof. Dr. Antonella Di Pizio, Prof. Dr. Wiktor Mlynarski, Prof. Dr. Kristian Unger and Maximilian Braun addressed key scientific questions, including “How is AI changing research methods?” “What are the key benefits and limitations of these tools?” “What misconceptions persist within the scientific community regarding the integration of AI?” In addition, the discussion included a critical assessment of the risks and challenges associated with the adoption of AI in biological research, such as over-reliance on AI-driven models, the ethical implications of data privacy, and algorithmic biases. These concerns were discussed in the broader context of rapid technological progress, where AI is not only reshaping experimental techniques, but also influencing the ethical and societal frameworks in which scientific research is conducted. This reflection emphasized the dual responsibility of harnessing the potential of AI while addressing its wider implications for academic integrity and societal trust in science. A video recording of the event was made available for anyone who couldn’t attend.

To keep the event engaging and accessible, we organized a short break with drinks and snacks, giving guests the opportunity to talk to the speakers about their research in a more informal setting. This social and relaxing break was followed by a Q&A session, allowing the audience to dive deeper into the role of AI in various areas of biology. Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with speakers praising the scientific depth, organization and execution of the panel. We were delighted to see such an engaged and curious audience and hope that the event provided a comprehensive understanding of the transformative role of AI in modern biology. Attendees left with not only a greater appreciation for the applications of AI in biological research, but also a critical awareness of the ethical and societal considerations that accompany these technological advances.

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Event Photos - Panel Discussion

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Bioinformatics Day

Computer science is increasingly important for students, particularly in fields such as bioinformatics and synthetic biology, where computational tools are essential for analysing data and designing biological systems. Early exposure equips students with the skills needed to navigate the growing role of technology in the life sciences.

Using programming and bioinformatics tools, students gain hands-on experience with tasks such as drug discovery and genetic analysis, while also exploring how synthetic biology uses these methods to develop new biological solutions.

A group of 23 students from grades 8 to 12, representing various schools, participated as a focus group at the TUM campus in Garching to explore the field of bioinformatics and its significance in synthetic biology. The day’s structure was designed to progressively build their understanding, beginning with foundational concepts in the morning and transitioning to more complex tasks in the afternoon.
The session started with a brief introduction to the central dogma of molecular biology, illustrating how bioinformatics can be applied at each stage to analyze biological data. Following this, the students were introduced to programming using Python in the Google Colab environment, allowing them to independently write and test their code in an interactive setting.
With this groundwork laid, the main task of the day was presented: identifying a potential drug candidate for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) using computational tools. The students were provided with a DNA sequence commonly found in CML patients, which encodes the BCR-ABL fusion protein responsible for the disease. Guided through the process, they identified the open reading frame in the DNA and translated it into the corresponding amino acid sequence. Depending on their experience level, students could either code these steps themselves or use online bioinformatics tools to complete them.
Once the amino acid sequence was obtained, the students employed AlphaFold to predict the 3D structure of the BCR-ABL protein. With this structure in hand, they performed molecular docking of 10 different drug candidates, ultimately identifying imatinib as the drug with the best binding energy to the protein—a key finding that pointed to its potential as a treatment for CML.
The day concluded with a discussion on the current use of imatinib in treating CML and the challenges associated with its application, offering students a real-world context for the bioinformatics techniques they had explored.

The post-day survey of participants showed a positive impact of the day. While imagining a career in bioinformatics increased on average by 2%, the perceived insight into the work of bioinformaticians was reported high (86 % of a perfect score (“YES”)). The difficulty was rated as slightly too easy (19% to an optimal score (“Just right”)), but this was seen more as motivation for further science encounters.

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Event Photos - Bioinformatics Day

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Open Day TUM

On the 3rd of October the annual Open Day at TUM will again take place and we, as iGEM team Munich, will also be present. We will again showcase our puzzle, for everyone to visualize the central dogma of molecular biology. Additionally, we will do some hands-on experiments like we did for the LMU Open Day. For our booth, we have prepared posters that explain our project and also iGEM as a whole. As iGEM 2024 is almost at its end, this is also a good opportunity to recruit new interested students for next year’s competition.