Education is one thing no one can take away from you. -- Elin Nordegren

This year, we recognized the importance of making advanced knowledge in synthetic biology and related fields accessible to a broader audience, particularly in connection with our project focused on developing therapeutic solutions for Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD). Our interactions with various stakeholders, including educators, researchers, and industry professionals, emphasized the need for clear communication about the complexities of bioengineering and the significance of spreading awareness about genetic disorders like FSHD. Notably, we consulted with representatives from the FSHD Society Europe, who provided valuable insights into the patient perspective and community needs.

After careful consideration and consultation with these stakeholders, we determined that the primary goals of our educational program are to enhance public understanding of synthetic biology and its applications in treating genetic disorders, to raise awareness specifically about FSHD and its impact on patients and families, and to inspire the next generation of scientists and researchers to pursue work in this field. To pursue these goals, we implemented a diverse range of initiatives including the Stanford iGEM Bioengineering Research Program (SIBRP), Phil's Laberia educational game, SWE GetSET Workshop, BioHacks, FSHD Chatbot, and an Internship Program. These initiatives collectively reached hundreds of participants globally, emphasized accessibility and diversity, and provided hands-on experiences in bioengineering and FSHD research, demonstrating our commitment to enabling broader participation in synthetic biology.

These initiatives were designed to break down barriers that prevent people from accessing cutting-edge knowledge while also raising awareness about FSHD. To ensure our efforts were effective, we participated in hands-on scientific research and incorporated feedback from experienced educators, gaining insights into what makes a successful educational program. We believe that by clearly communicating the complexities of bioengineering and highlighting the critical work being done to address conditions like FSHD, we can make a significant impact on both the scientific community and the broader public.

Education is a vital link between our team and the broader community. We view our educational activities as a two-way exchange; at the end of each event, we collect feedback from participants to continually refine and improve our approach. This feedback-driven process ensures that our programs not only educate but also resonate with and engage the diverse communities we aim to serve, while simultaneously spreading critical awareness about FSHD and the therapeutic efforts underway to combat it.

The Stanford iGEM Bioengineering Research Program (SIBRP) is a dynamic and inclusive initiative designed to introduce high school students and incoming college freshmen to the exciting world of synthetic biology and bioengineering. Over the course of four weeks, participants engage in a multifaceted learning experience, consisting of a Synthetic Biology Speaker Series, Lab Webinar, and Mentorship Program. Organized and executed by the Stanford iGEM Team, SIBRP fosters intellectual curiosity, allows students to develop their own research proposals, and inspires the next generation of bioengineers.

Program Overview

SIBRP features three main components:

(1) Interactive Lab Webinar:

The lab webinar comprises two sections: (1) lecture-style sessions, where students explore foundational principles of bioengineering and (2) collaborative workshops, where students have in-depth conversations with peers while creating their own research proposals in teams.

(2) Speaker Series:

Participants also attend a series of engaging talks by experts in the field of synthetic biology. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from precision medicine start-ups to cutting-edge advancements in optogenetics, offering a comprehensive introduction to the field of bioengineering. The talks were also open to the public to increase accessibility to bioengineering topics.

List of Speakers:

List of Speakers:

(3) Mentorship Program:

Students were paired with experienced Stanford bioengineers and synthetic biologists who guide them through their journey, offering personalized support and expertise. This mentorship fosters a strong sense of community and ensures that participants receive individualized support. We also had a Slack where students were able to connect with each other as well as iGEM Team members and TAs (SIBRP alums).

This year we also had Teaching Assistants who were participants from the program last year! They were an instrumental aspect of providing guidance and mentorship to this year's cohort. Huge shout out to Aarthi, Neha, and Emilio!

Inclusivity & Accessibility

At the heart of SIBRP is a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. We take pride in creating an accessible and safe space for budding bioengineers to cultivate essential skills. To achieve this, we have taken several important steps:

(1) Virtual Format:

This enables students globally to participate without the constraints of physical location, expanding our geographic reach.

(2) Holistic Application Review:

Our selection process considers applicant backgrounds, experiences, and personal stories, rather than focusing solely on academic achievements. We value unique perspectives and strive to create a diverse cohort.

(3) Cost-Free:

To remove financial barriers, our program is entirely free of charge.

Impact & Outreach

Our program reached 321 applicants hailing from 210 different institutions in 17 different countries

We asked our 154 students…

FSHD Awareness Lecture07-19-2024

One of our team members, Heloise, delivered an inspiring presentation on Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) to our cohort of SIBRP. She began by sharing her personal journey with scientific research, detailing how her passions led her to focus on FSHD. Heloise captivated the students with her story, highlighting the challenges and breakthroughs she encountered along the way. She explained the significance of FSHD, delving into the specifics of her research and the impact it has on improving the lives of those affected by the condition.

The students responded with great enthusiasm, expressing admiration for Heloise’s dedication and the clarity with which she communicated her work. Many were particularly impressed by how she connected the dots between scientific knowledge and real-world applications at a similar age as them. Her presentation not only sparked interest in the field of genetic research but also inspired several students to consider pursuing similar paths in their academic and professional futures and demystifying getting involved in research as a student.

Cultural Night07-29-2024

On Monday, July 29th, at 8:00 PM PST, a special cultural exchange event was conducted via Zoom. This gathering provided students with an opportunity to share and learn about the diverse traditions, cultures, and cuisines that make up their global community. Whether through formal presentations or informal discussions, participants celebrated their unique heritage and customs, enriching the experience for everyone involved.

In addition to the cultural presentations, students introduced themselves and forged meaningful connections with their peers. The event was a fantastic way to broaden understanding of the world while building friendships and networks across different cultures. The participation and contributions of everyone involved made it a truly enriching experience.

Top Proposals

The following proposals were selected as the best research proposals done during the program. We are incredibly proud of everything our scholars have done!

Individual Winners: Gabriel Fang, Rushil Medichalam

"Phages for the Future: Using the D29 Phage and ELISA to Identify Mycobacterium tuberculosis" by Varun Poojary, Bridget Wang

SIBRP is a testament to our dedication to nurture the next generation of bioengineers. Through educational initiatives, mentorship, and a commitment to inclusivity, we inspire and empower young minds to explore the possibilities of synthetic biology and bioengineering. Lastly, Stanford iGEM would like to thank the BioE Department's JEDI group for sponsoring SIBRP.

SWE is one of the largest organizations supporting women in engineering and technology, and a leading advocate and catalyst for transformative change worldwide. Under the Santa Clara Valley Section of SWE, Stanford iGEM hosted a Synthetic Biology Workshop with the Get Science, Engineering, and Technology (GetSET) Program. GetSET is an award-winning outreach program that has been running for over 30 years. Participants interested in STEM connected with over 100 peers, industry professionals, and volunteers experienced in engineering fields. Our team planned, organized, and led a two-day workshop, where we introduced both synthetic biology concepts as well as research and career opportunities to the participants.

Day 1: Introduction to Bioengineering and Bio-Art Activity07-15-2024

Day 1 of the workshop took place at Santa Clara University, where the GetSET participants engaged in introductory bioengineering skills. Students developed wet lab skills through a hands-on Bio-Art activity, where they crafted personal art by streaking chromoprotein bacteria on LB plates. Furthermore, they put their knowledge to the test through an interactive Kahoot trivia! The trivia quizzed the participants on topics ranging from protein structure to cloning techniques.

Day 2: Stanford Tour of Engineering and Science Facilities07-16-2024

Day 2 of the workshop was an in-depth, six hour tour of Stanford University’s engineering and science facilities. Ranging from the Stanford School of Medicine to the Gates Computer Science Building, students fostered a greater understanding of career and education opportunities available at higher education. The goal of the tour was to expose students to engineering environments, different academic disciplines, and the ground-breaking research conducted at top research institutions. Additionally, students were able to examine their Bio-Art products from the previous day.

The SWE GetSET Program Workshop inspired and empowered the next generation of scientists and engineers. Through engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and exposure to cutting-edge research environments, we introduced students to pioneering research and encouraged their future contribution in the fields of science, engineering, and technology.

Thousands of high school students have had exposure to the fundamentals of molecular biology through classes, but are still hoping to gain experience working with hands-on research. We acknowledge that, due to access to resources, not all High Schools have lab facilities in which students can keep pursuing their interest in hands-on scientific research. Hence, we wanted to provide that valuable research experience to High School students, creating a space in which they can learn useful wet lab techniques while engaging in the multiple interdisciplinary aspects of iGEM. We also saw the program as a vessel to expand our synthetic biology education efforts through the Bay, spreading the word of Stanford iGEM and our project. Going through High School ourselves, we would have wanted to access an opportunity like this.

Parallelly, the Stanford iGEM Team contains only 8 full-time equivalents during the summer research months, even though there is a possibility of making the team bigger in size. We all know why this is—college students are busy. Whether it’s a limitation on volunteer hours or it’s a cap on the number of stipends a university can offer, the reality is that most teams are left wanting more person-power at the end of the day. So, we saw the program as a bonus to also fill that need of an extra hand.

We decided to take two students for this year’s Intern Program as we prioritized creating a deep and engaging experience for those involved. Even though we wished we could take more, we considered that an increased number would hinder the learning process.

About the Program

The internship program aims to not only make iGEM known to local High Schools, but also giving an opportunity to engage in exciting, hands-on scientific research. This year we had two driven and committed High Schoolers from the area: Christopher Xu and Edithe Lam. Even though both of the interns had different focuses, they both had the opportunity to get a taste of the interdisciplinary nature of iGEM engaging in wet lab, dry lab, education and entrepreneurship efforts of the team.

Program Design

As we fleshed out the target audience for the program, we started off from the same goal: finding high school research interns interested in biology, bioengineering, computer science/programming and/or web dev. They would develop skills in their area of interest while working in a Stanford lab, and we were especially interested in students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM. We would consider sophomores, juniors, seniors and incoming college freshmen.

A common pitfall of outreach is to selectively reach out to High Schools who are already well-connected to such opportunities. And being situated in the Bay Area, this issue is even more pertinent: it would be relatively straightforward to get ample applicants by simply contacting one or two private high schools with already well-established internship programs. We wanted to reach beyond this, however. Thus, we made it our goal to spread the word to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to get engaged with lab research. In order to achieve this, the Stanford iGEM Education Team aimed to diversify the High Schools to reach out to.

For our selection criteria, we agreed to not solely focus on previous experience, but prioritized the enthusiasm and intellectual vitality of our applicants. We recognize that not all High School students have access to lab facilities to learn lab techniques, so we wanted to emphasize that we looked for students eager to learn from the multiple dimensions of iGEM.

Program Outreach

To achieve this aim, we reached out to local high schools with the help of students local to the bay, advertised the position through our Instagram page, as well as to relevant school clubs and organizations on campus. The message published was the following:

Application Process

From the beginning of the process, we emphasized that prior lab experience was not required or expected, and we encouraged applicants to highlight other skills and experiences outside of the classroom that may have given them applicable skills to working with a team on a long-term project.

The application process consisted of 2 stages: a written application with short questions followed by an interview with two iGEM team members. The questions and deliverables in the application included:

(1) Which component(s) of the project would you most be interested in? Please describe your experience and interest in.

(2) Read the attached articles. How would you propose addressing the expression of DUX4-fl? We completely understand if you don't fully understand what these articles are talking about or are confused about some of the more complex terms and ideas! We just want to see your creativity and critical thinking.

(3) In one page, describe why you are interested in interning with the Stanford iGEM team, what you hope to learn from your experience, and what you hope to contribute.

(4) Resume/CV

Program Structure - How did our day-to-day look like?

After Christopher and Edithe accepted the intern position, we wanted to ensure that both had a broad understanding of what iGEM is. Hence, after giving an onboarding presentation and introducing the team, we kicked the program off with lab orientation and the Stanford Bioengineering and Synthetic Biology community. The first week was an introductory time to iGEM and its branches, the second week was focused on dry lab work, and the third week focused on wet lab work. After that, both interns could choose where they wanted to focus for their final project and work with the team accordingly. Additionally, there were time slots for engaging in entrepreneurship and education, as they both helped conduct lectures in the Bioengineering Research Program (SiBRP) and performed market research with the entrepreneurship team. More details can be found on our Human Practices page.

For further reference, here is the syllabus we presented the interns: Stanford iGEM Intern Program Syllabus.

Program Feedback

We also had a meeting with both to gather some feedback along the way. These are some takeaways from the meeting:

(1) Logistically, it would be better to get them immediate access to the buildings. As they did not have an ID to get into the buildings, they could not do so themselves.

(2) They liked the dry lab dynamic of using Google Colab to keep track of the code. It helped understand the logic and the division of the steps to get to the solution.

(3) We concluded the intern project for both: Christopher would continue developing the Markov Chain Model he proposed at the beginning of the internship (check it out in our modeling section!) and Edithe would work on the MRI data pre-processing pipeline for dry lab future directions. She would also keep working on the entrepreneurial efforts she was already working with.

(4) They highlighted that workshops would be nice to have, for example, introductory material on how general experimental protocols are run, and write down the experimental goals of the subprojects in the wet lab.

(5) The overall methodology of learning was shadowing wet lab efforts. However, they brought up the need to be more supervised in the beginning, as interns might not feel very comfortable running important experiments at the start.

(6) Both recommended doing a master document with more thorough orientation for onboarding.

(7) 2 is a good number for interns, and having both with different interests as we had this year was seen as a significant advantage to learn.

We are excited to integrate these changes for next year’s interns. As we design the program for next year, we would highlight the points above to the next iGEM Team, as most of the feedback can be applied if organized in advance.

Program Closure

For the last day of the internship, Christopher and Edithe delivered a presentation to the team summarizing their experience. They talked about what they learned, things they enjoyed about the program and their final intern project.

Through the program, Christopher and Edithe gained invaluable insights and hands-on experience in synthetic biology. They developed skills with both the wet lab and dry lab teams, deepening their understanding of interdisciplinary research. But beyond the technical skills, they also experienced the collaborative and dynamic environment of a research team, which gave them the space to contribute to our ongoing scientific efforts. This experience not only solidified their passion for STEM but also equipped them with the confidence and knowledge to pursue further opportunities in scientific research and innovation. The program’s focus on mentorship and personal growth ensured that the interns left with a strong foundation and a clear understanding of the potential impact they can make in the field of synthetic biology, and we are glad to see they are both interested in taking the next step of their careers in line with their takeaways.

BioHacks is a unique bioengineering and biomedical computation hackathon that brings together the power of collaboration, technology, and innovation to address the challenges faced by individuals with muscular dystrophy. The primary goal of the hackathon is to foster the development of prototypes or concepts that could be transformed into tangible products or services to improve the quality of life for those affected by the condition. BioHacks emphasizes teamwork and interdisciplinary problem-solving, uniting participants from various fields to ideate and innovate. The event provides a platform for aspiring bioengineers and scientists to showcase their projects, which will be highlighted on the hackathon’s website, the Stanford iGEM website, and through partner channels to encourage further development and adoption by the broader community.

More than just a competition, BioHacks is a collaborative effort aimed at driving meaningful change within the muscular dystrophy community. By connecting participants with industry leaders and experts, the event cultivates an environment where cutting-edge research and technological advancements can converge to tackle real-world problems. One of the highlights of the event was a guest talk by Dr. Kurt Fischbeck, a renowned expert in neuromuscular diseases, whose insights into muscular dystrophy research inspired participants and underscored the importance of their work. BioHacks represents not only a catalyst for innovation but also a movement to foster progress and empowerment in the muscular dystrophy community.

The FSHD (Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy) Chatbot is an innovative tool currently under development, designed to provide accessible and personalized information about FSHD to patients, caregivers, and the broader community. This chatbot aims to demystify the complexities of FSHD by offering clear, concise explanations of the disease, its progression, and the latest therapeutic interventions. Once complete, the chatbot will serve as an essential resource, helping users understand the condition and offering insights into ongoing research and treatment options.

Though still under construction, the FSHD chatbot will ultimately empower the muscular dystrophy community by making information available at their fingertips. By integrating up-to-date research, the chatbot will be an invaluable tool for patients looking to learn more about managing FSHD, caregivers seeking advice, and anyone in the community wanting to stay informed about developments in FSHD therapies. With the potential for future enhancements, the FSHD chatbot will stand as a bridge between the latest scientific advancements and those directly impacted by the condition.

In order to expand access to bioengineering education, volunteers translated the game script into a diverse array of languages. This includes languages such as Chinese, French, Hindi, Mongolian, Portuguese (Brazil), and many more. These translations enable students and learners worldwide, regardless of their linguistic background, to engage with the educational content. Phil's Laberia is an interactive game that teaches bioengineering concepts through a virtual gameplay setting, making complex topics accessible and engaging.

We are currently in the process of integrating these translations into the game, which will further enhance its accessibility to a global audience. You can view the translation files in this folder: Phil's Laberia Translation Folder.

This initiative aligns with our mission of democratizing access to science education and fostering inclusivity for learners from various linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Along with our initiative rooted in accessibility, we also prioritize the safety of the youth joining our education program. The Stanford iGEM team met with an officer at the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) to register with Stanford’s Cardinal Engage and Protection of Minors Management (ePOM). Through these offices, our education coordinators on Stanford iGEM completed staff training, underwent background checks, and collected participant waivers. Below is a list of the steps Stanford iGEM followed and completed to ensure the safety of the youth participants in our program.

(1) The Stanford iGEM team first needed to become approved by the OSE office based on our organization's approved mission and constitution before reaching out to youth, schools, and communities.

(2) Stanford iGEM organized a meeting with an OSE advisor to review our educational mission and program plans.

(3) We registered with Stanford’s CardinalEngage, which is Stanford’s platform for student organization and campus engagement.

(4) All education coordinators completed Minors Online Training.

(5) All staff members underwent Background Checks.

(6) We collected signed Liability Waivers from all participants.

Registration with ePOM

Registering with the Protection of Minors Management (ePOM) enabled our education program to ensure the safety of all our students. This registration process involved providing essential information about the location of the program, anticipated minor count, whether minors would be working in the lab, and the age group involved. Additionally, our educational coordinators completed certification to fully understand Stanford University’s Protection of Minors policy.

SIBRP Safety

Minors Online Training

(1) All education coordinators completed online training, including the following: WWM-1000 Working with Minors, WWM-PROGRAM-2000 Working with Minors at Stanford, and Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement.

(2) Within our program, we ensured that at least two mandated reporters were present at all times, supervising participants in every session.

Background Checks

Educational staff involved in the Stanford iGEM Bioengineering Research Program completed and passed background checks and live scans, which were verified by the Protection of Minors Management system as well.

Liability Waivers

All participants were required to fill out and submit a liability waiver to join the program. The signed waivers were then reviewed and submitted to the Protection of Minors Management System. This system also enabled parents and guardians to review the liability waiver for additional oversight.

SWE-GetSET Safety

(1) During our SWE-GetSET workshop, safety was of paramount importance. We ensured that all participating students wore gloves during lab activities, and we properly disposed of their plates after use, following biohazard safety guidelines to ensure the health and well-being of everyone involved.

Internship Safety

(1) The safety process extended to our internship program, where interns were required to complete the same online trainings as all other members. This included the Minors Online Training and Mandated Reporter Acknowledgement.

(2) Interns also underwent background checks and had to sign and submit liability waivers before participating in any educational activities.