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Joseph Campbell once astutely observed, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a pail.” This concept profoundly embodies the essence of educational activities - to stimulate the desire to learn, rather than simply to instill knowledge. As a crucial part of human practice, education not only helps us to popularize the knowledge of synthetic biology, but also enhances the understanding of people from different fields and disciplinary backgrounds in this field. In line with the principles of Reflective, Responsible, and Responsive in human practice, the SDU-CHINA team is committed to passing on the knowledge and passion of synthetic biology to the younger generation through a variety of ways. We are confident that our work will have a profound and positive impact on their future development.
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1 Educational outreach
1.1 Popularizing science with Shandong University’s Voice of Life volunteer group
On April 21, 2024, SDU-CHINA team members and Shandong University’s “Voice of Life” volunteer team went to the Experimental School of Shandong University to carry out science education activities, and gave 20 primary and secondary school students a vivid and interesting biology experiment course, popularizing simple and interesting biological knowledge and phenomena. During the event, we designed simple and interesting biology experiments to guide the students to be interested in biology.
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We presented the microscopic world of common plants such as the inner epidermis of an onion scale leaf, the lower epidermis of a spinach leaf, and the petiole of a celery leaf, as well as the microorganisms that are ubiquitous but have escaped our naked eyes. After witnessing these biological structures, students were amazed at their wonders. In addition, some students expressed their desire and understanding of more in-depth biological knowledge. For example, Xiao Zhou asked, “Why do common plants have a tendency to grow upwards, and what are the things that support in it to stay upright and not fall down?” By comparing plant cells to energetic “little soldiers”, the team members explained how cellulose and other substances inside the cells act like soldiers’ armor, supporting the plant body to stay upright and thus resisting the effects of gravity.
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The purpose of this activity is to popularize biological knowledge among the younger students, and to promote understanding and practical skills through experiments.
1.2 Taking the Hunter Study Tour to Shandong University and introducing the related synthetic biology knowledge.
On July 27, 2024, members of the SDU-CHINA team acted as teachers and led the students to experience the culture of Shandong University, introduced the knowledge of synthetic biology and the International Engineering Machine Competition, and guided them to become curious about this unfamiliar field.
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After visiting the campus of Shandong University and introducing the culture of Shandong University, we led the students to the State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology (SKLMT) to enter the world of biology.
We introduced the development of the SDU-CHINA laboratory and the production process of degradable plastics, which were both interesting and informative.
To further stimulate students’ interest in synthetic biology, we designed an interactive game. Students were encouraged to draw their imaginary self-operated “factory” and explain the functions of each “part” in the “factory”. Through their drawings, we introduced them to the practical application and profound significance of these “parts” in synthetic biology, thus helping them to better understand the subject.
1.3 Participation in education with Shandong University (Qingdao) Youth League Committee mission to Laixi
On August 17, 2024, members of SDU-CHINA went to the Little Raindrop Social Volunteer Service Center in Hetoudia, Laixi - a temporary group of elementary school students in the lower grades.
Initially, we led the students to plant seeds of sunflowers, mimosas and other plants, teaching them to plant a seed while hoping to plant a seed of reverence for life in their hearts.
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In this activity, we took the common plastic products in our life as the starting point and analyzed in detail the recycling process of plastic, glass, iron and other recyclable items, encouraging students to recycle these resources in order to save resources and protect the environment. We then discussed the seven main types of plastics in depth and emphasized the “safe use limits of different plastics” to ensure the safety of the students in the process of using them, and at the same time, broaden their knowledge horizons. In addition, we also introduced biodegradable plastics such as PHB, aiming to expand the students’ knowledge and enhance the social impact of the project. Through these contents, we hope to plant a seed of bio-innovation in the hearts of students and inspire their love of science and desire for exploration.
2 Social media
Offline events alone don’t satisfy our desire to spread knowledge. We’ve expanded our reach by creating a variety of social media outlets.
2.1 Texts
We record our daily activities on our public website and also share some interesting knowledge on our public website, which serves as a kind of popularization of science. In the following, we will briefly introduce our science articles.
2.1.1 Introducing Venter
Many scholars in interdisciplinary fields may not be familiar with John Craig Venter, so we will begin with a brief overview of his remarkable accomplishments and then move on to the central theme of this paper, artificial life. By describing in detail the process of Venter’s “creation of life” and the difficulties he overcame in the process, we will show the reader how this scientific feat was accomplished.
2.1.2 Introduction to Synthetic Biology
This article will introduce synthetic biology from four aspects: development history, core technologies and methods, application status and future prospects. The article adopts easy-to-understand language and combines application examples closely related to people’s daily life to enhance the readability and attractiveness of the content.
2.1.3 Popularizing Microplastic Degradation
The impact of plastics on the environment is obvious; these materials are difficult to degrade in the natural environment and play an integral role in our daily lives and industrial production, thus placing a heavy cyclical burden on the Earth’s environment. However, the problem is not limited to virgin plastics; microplastics produced by the degradation of plastics can cause secondary pollution, and they can act as carriers or sequestering agents for a variety of pollutants. Microplastics are highly susceptible to entering and accumulating in soil and aquatic ecosystems, directly or indirectly threatening the health of plants and animals. In this paper, we will focus on enzymatic degradation, which solves the problem by changing the hydrophilicity of the microplastic surface without destroying the structural units of the microplastics. Taking polyethylene as an example, we will describe in detail how laccase degrades microplastics.
2.1.4 University Collaboration - Unraveling the Mysteries of Synthetic Biology
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Together with Peking University, Beijing Institute of Technology, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology, we have created the “Universities in Collaboration: Uncovering the Mysteries of Synthetic Biology” public tweets, which aims to promote the development of the field of synthetic biology in a more effective way. Through this series of tweets, we will reveal the fascination of synthetic biology from the perspectives of nucleic acid aptamers, endocrine disruptors, microplastics and microbial cell factories.
2.2 Voice
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We have partnered with Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing University of Technology, Ocean University of China, and Hubei University to present a sound-based presentation for podcast enthusiasts. Our section will focus on the popularization of microplastics and cell factories, while the other four universities will each provide in-depth introductions to areas such as modern biology and synthetic biology, as well as carry out popularization activities themed on mangroves, plasmids, and so on. Through the joint efforts of the five universities, we have created the “BioShimmer” series of podcasts, which aims to popularize the knowledge of biology to the public, and stimulate the curiosity and desire to explore the field of biological sciences.
2.3 Image
2.3.1 Comics
We present synthetic biology and our programs to a wider group of people in a more visual way. With their visual images and concise text, comics are more likely to provide clarity of thought for people across a wide range of fields.
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2.3.2 Brochure design and team presentations
In order to promote our laboratory project more effectively, we elaborated a promotional brochure, which not only covers a brief description of the project, but also includes details of the dry and wet experiments, completed HP work, and our specially created cartoon.
On August 30, 2024, we went to Shilaoren Beach in Qingdao to introduce our project to the tourists visiting the beach there. This event greatly helped us to broaden the scope of our program and raise public awareness of our work.
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2.3.3 Participate in beach cleanup with Sandbar of Life to raise environmental awareness
On September 7, 2024, members of SDU-CHINA and Shandong University’s Sandbar of Life team jointly organized a meaningful beach cleanup. We gathered at the beach around the university, and after an afternoon of hard work by the team members, we managed to clean up nearly 50 kilograms of garbage, with plastic products making up the majority of the garbage. After the event, we interviewed several volunteers and their feedback was thought-provoking, with some saying, “I’ve never seen so much trash before.” Others said, “I really didn’t think there would be so much trash on the beach.” One person even lamented, “This activity has made me more deeply appreciate the importance of protecting the environment.”
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This beach cleaning activity not only improved the quality of the local environment, but also greatly enhanced the participants’ awareness and sense of responsibility for environmental protection.
3 Public Service Announcement with the Microbial Biosynthesis and Metabolic Regulation Team (MBMR) of Shandong University
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On April 27, 2024, SDU-CHINA and all members of the Microbial Biosynthesis and Metabolic Regulation (MBMR) team from Shandong University went to Qingdao Wheat Island Park to carry out a public service publicity campaign with the theme of reducing plastic pollution. We used the combination of “poster publicity + physical display” to vividly reveal the harm caused by plastic waste to the environment and human beings, explained in detail the classification of plastics and the use of scenarios, elaborated on how to effectively reduce plastic pollution, and demonstrated the significant achievements we have made in the biodegradation of plastic pollutants and the synthesis of new biobased biodegradable plastics. We also demonstrated our achievements in biodegradation of plastic pollutants and synthesis of new bio-based degradable plastics. Through in-depth explanation, we popularized the great harm caused by plastic pollution, and called for everyone to act together to protect our common global home.
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In the course of the activity, we also set up a quiz session and distributed the science book “One Minute Microbiology” written by the teachers of the State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology as prizes, so as to attract more people to participate in the activity and further understand the great role microorganisms play in our lives. The event successfully attracted people from different industries, including graduate students engaged in related research, environmental enthusiasts, employees of a marine equipment manufacturing company focusing on plastic waste treatment, high school teachers and many parents with children. Everyone agreed that the event was not only informative but also highly educational and had a positive impact on raising public awareness of environmental protection.
4 Preach the public about the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) through Shengshengbuxi Peer Workshop
On April 13, 2024, two teams, 2023 and 2024 SDU-CHINA, presented the details of the iGEM competition to 40 students from the Faculty of Life Sciences through the medium of the Born This Way Peer Workshop.
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2023SDU-CHINA presented the nature, core and process of the iGEM Competition in their eyes through storytelling. During the competition process, not only did they have the opportunity to visit various places and meet many like-minded people, but they also created rich social value for the HP project during the exchange. From the rustiness when answering the questions from the panel of judges for the first time to the proficiency when introducing the project content to everyone later; from the recognition and compliments received when presenting exquisite cultural and creative products and communicating with the teams from different countries to the nervousness when presenting the debriefing and demonstration in the long and narrow space to the joy of capturing the team’s name on the big screen during the gold award presentation, these moods constituted a fulfilling and interesting process of the whole competition. These interesting experiences also made many students curious about the competition.
In the last part of the presentation, the participants were enthusiastic and asked their curious questions to the seniors of 2023 SDU-CHINA. Finally, 2024 SDU-CHINA made an invitation and many students offered to join us after the meeting.
5 Interacting with other teams in the Conference of Chinese iGEMer Community (CCiC) Exchange Meeting
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From July 12-14, 2024, the SDU-CHINA team went to Suzhou to participate in the 11th CCiC. During this event, we shared and presented our research project to 89 undergraduate teams and 35 high school teams from all over China.
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We presented a comprehensive overview of our project by displaying posters covering four main sections: experimental procedures, metabolic modeling, HP work, and future perspectives. During the poster presentation, many teams came to exchange ideas and we elaborated our research ideas and actively sought feedback to promote mutual growth and development.