Overview

We emphasized imparting wisdom rather than simply conveying knowledge through our educational activities. We designed and implemented events to help everyone we encountered recognize synthetic biology as a form of essential wisdom.

Our events targeted two main groups.

Group1 consists of the general public who are not familiar with synthetic biology. Since this group makes up a majority, we focused on providing opportunities for them to learn how synthetic biology connects to everyday life and invited them to think about this connection.

Group2 included students with a keen interest in biology. We guided them in applying their biological knowledge to engineering, offering opportunities to address social issues through innovative solutions. To achieve this, we developed tools and organized events, with a particular focus on offering individualized support.

• Event Description

To clearly present the ingenuity of our events, we have explained them using the following format.

About the activity

• Details of the Event and Workshop : Overview of the events and workshops conducted.

Resources and Guides

• Provided Materials : Details of guides, tutorials, video recordings, etc., that others can use.

Planning and Implementation

• Preparation and Implementation Methods : Overview of the planning stages and implementation process of the activities.

Impact and Participation

• Impact on Participants : Explains how the activity attracted many people and promoted engagement.

Conclusion and Future Plans

• Summary of Achievements : Overall achievements and future plans or outlook.

Group 1 : Public Awareness Initiative [1000+ people]

iGEM game stall (iGEM Ennichi) [850+]

About the activity

We exhibited the iGEM Ennichi at the university festival. “Ennichi” is a form of traditional Japanese festival where various attractions and stalls line up at a shrine precinct, enjoyed by both children and adults. Based on this tradition, we planned events such as ring toss, puzzles, and fishing—often featured in Ennichi—representing the biological reactions from gene introduction into Escherichia coli to protein production, mainly for children to enjoy.

Planning and Implementation

In deciding what to exhibit at the university festival, we placed importance on whether children could enjoy learning about synthetic biology. Inspired by the traditional Japanese festival format known as Ennichi, we decided to implement the following three activities.

Ring Toss (Plasmid Toss)

Ring toss is a game where players throw rings about 20 cm in diameter toward targets and compete for points depending on the placement of the rings. We likened this to the process of introducing plasmids into E. coli. The rings resemble plasmids, and the difficulty of getting the rings onto the targets symbolizes the challenges of experiments.

ATGC Puzzle

Polymerase pairs nucleotides together like a puzzle. The ATGC Puzzle, similar to the work of polymerase, involves arranging paired nucleotides in order. Participants’ scores were determined by the time they took to complete the arrangement.

Fishing (Protein Catch)

A classic at Ennichi is simulated fishing using a rod with a magnet and paper fish with clips attached. In this Protein Catch, we screened proteins produced by previous operations. The goal was to see how many proteins of the same color could be caught within the time limit.

Resources and Guides

Below are the overall views of our event and photos of each part. All of these were crafted from readily available materials like cardboard, drawing paper, and cans.

We focused on creating colors and illustrations that are visually understandable for the children. Also, we established the flow to help them imagine the sequence of plasmid introduction → sequence replication → protein detection.

Impact and Participation

We initially expected that preschool children would play, but this prediction was pleasantly proven wrong. Not only children but also their accompanying parents, many junior high and high school students, and university students of various ages participated. More than 850 people visited during two days. The survey results from visitors are as follows.

We engaged visitors in learning about synthetic biology while having fun. Specific comments we received include:

• “It was fun! I want to come again!” (Multiple elementary school students)
• “Wonderful science communication!” (Father of an elementary school student)
• “A place where kids can play and learn! Please do it again next year!” (Mother of a kindergarten student)

This event became a space for people of all ages and genders to enjoy and learn about synthetic biology.

Conclusion and Future Plans

Our first endeavor at the university festival ended in great success. However, we encountered challenges such as inaccuracies in the flow and crowding. In the future, we aim to continue providing opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy learning about synthetic biology in popular gathering places by making content revisions and improving the flow of people.

Science and Technology Week Symposium [40+]

About the activity

“Science and Technology Week” was established in February 1960 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology to deepen public understanding and interest in science and technology and to promote Japan’s scientific and technological advancement. This year, the event was held for one week from April 15 to April 21. Various institutions nationwide held events related to science and technology during this period. We decided to hold an event on the relationship between synthetic biology and agriculture during the 2024 Science and Technology Week in collaboration with the Japan Science and Technology Promotion Association to raise public awareness about the importance of synthetic biology in agriculture.

Planning and Implementation

In planning the event for Science and Technology Week, we collaborated with Mr. Miwa, the director of the Japan Science and Technology Promotion Association. After considering how we could spread synthetic biology to the general public, we came up with the idea of explaining its applications in agriculture, which aligns closely with our theme. Therefore, we decided to give a lecture on agriculture and synthetic biology using examples from iGEM. Mr. Miwa, who is usually involved in science communication for the general public, gave us the following advice:

• Concepts of “probability” are very difficult for the general public to understand, so it’s better to avoid them as much as possible for better comprehension.
• It’s better not to assert that “this is absolutely safe.” Showing sincerity in the attitude of “continuously verifying” is important.

Based on the above, we prepared the materials.

Resources and Guides

Below is the overall view of our event and the presentation we used. After introducing Kyoto and WageningenUR, both of which were nominated in last year’s agriculture division, we introduced RNA pesticides related to our project and explained what our project is about.

We tried to make the slides easier to understand by using simple words.

Impact and Participation

There were about 40 applicants for the event. Many adults who are usually interested in synthetic biology participated, while some participants with less interest in the field learned about the event through SNS. Our event consisted of a 30-minute keynote lecture followed by a Q&A session, where questions about the safety and efficacy of RNA pesticides were raised. Questions were asked continuously, and the one-hour event ended in no time. After the event, participants provided the following feedback:

• “I understood well the relationship between synthetic biology and agriculture.” (Male in his 40s)
• “I realized that RNA pesticides are different from conventional pesticides.” (Female in her 30s)

Conclusion and Future Plans

We conducted an event on synthetic biology for the general public, creating an opportunity for many to envision how synthetic biology can be applied in the agricultural field. This event was online, and fortunately, the Q&A was lively, but we felt the need to design ways to make it easier for participants to ask questions and to provide opportunities to enhance interaction.

Homecoming Day [100+]

About the activity

Homecoming Day is an annual event for interaction between alumni and current students. To communicate our activities more effectively, we created two posters. We created two posters. One was an introduction to the activity called iGEM, and the second was an explanation of our project this year.

Planning and Implementation

Homecoming Day is an annual event, and we were fortunate to have the opportunity to present as a student activity. There were various formats like stage presentations and slide presentations, but we chose the poster session format so that many people could casually stop by and engage in discussions. It was our first opportunity to present our project for this year on a poster, so we were careful to ensure completeness without excess or deficiency.

Resources and Guides

Below is the poster we used. We crafted the poster content so that people with a related background could understand it, and we decided to provide simpler explanations during discussions. We tried to make the poster easy to understand using diagrams.

Impact and Participation

At Homecoming Day, there were participants from various backgrounds, including the general public, university professors, people developing LNPs (lipid nanoparticles) in pharmaceutical companies, and those involved in national projects related to SDGs. Through the poster session, we were able to provide a simple explanation of synthetic biology and introduced our project. We asked attendees how they felt about the pesticide we are creating, sought technical opinions from experts, and held discussions. We also distributed the introductory book on synthetic biology that we created.

• “It was easy to understand; it seemed difficult, but I could understand the project.” (Mother with her family)
• “I’m developing LNPs, and the idea of surface display is new and interesting.” (Male working in a pharmaceutical company)
• “I had the impression that RNA pesticides seemed dangerous, but understanding the underlying mechanism reduced my resistance a bit.” (Adult male)

Conclusion and Future Plans

We had the opportunity to engage with a wide variety of alumni and their families and were able to convey our activities. While there were difficult aspects of presenting through posters, we were able to complement and deepen our understanding through discussions. To engage with more people, we felt it necessary to prepare visually striking posters and scripts to make the conversation more lively.

Dialogue with High School Students [40+]

About the activity

On June 17, we had the opportunity to convey how synthetic biology can be useful for high school students interested in enrolling in our university. Chiba Prefectural Funabashi High School is a prestigious school in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and when about 40 first and second-year students aspiring to Tokyo Tech visited the university, we had the opportunity to interact with them. The themes were as follows: Central Dogma, Gene Expression Regulation, RNA Interference

Planning and Implementation

We focused on RNAi, which is central to our project, and thought to demonstrate its high versatility to high school students. RNAi is a technology used not only in pesticides but also in the field of pharmaceuticals.

We devised ways, such as using examples, to make high school students interested in biology and encourage them to listen actively. Also, since some high school students had little knowledge of biology, we avoided using technical terms and used easily imaginable words so that even beginners could understand.

Resources and Guides

Below are the slides we actually used. The first half was about the Central Dogma, and the second half presented an overview of RNA interference and our project.

Impact and Participation

After the initial presentation, we set aside time for Questions and Answers (Q&A). They listened to the presentation attentively. When we asked them to discuss questions posed during the presentation with those around them for about 30 seconds, we heard quite lively discussions, which gave the impression that they were actively learning from each other. Also, at the end of the presentation, we distributed the iGEM booklet we created last year , hoping that they would read it at home to gain better understanding of synthetic biology and iGEM activities.

Conclusion and Future Plans

We were able to provide an opportunity for high school students to think about biological knowledge and its applications. Through Q&A and discussions, we were able to help solidify the students’ understanding. We felt that increasing the number of presenters or incorporating electronic methods such as voting and Q&A sessions using smartphones would be necessary to foster more interaction.

Group2 : Student Engagement Support

iGEM Internship Spring

About the Activity

We organized the iGEM Internship to provide students interested in iGEM and biology with a deeper understanding. This program is aimed at middle school, high school, and first-year university students, focusing on developing solutions to social issues using synthetic biology over two days.

Planning and Implementation

Although the participants are interested in iGEM and biology, their knowledge may still be limited. It is quite challenging for such participants to work on a project independently. Therefore, we have implemented two strategies for these participants. The first is to provide a lecture on synthetic biology in advance. This lecture is more like a “workshop” rather than a “lecture” in a university setting, showcasing actual iGEM projects and demonstrating the potential of synthetic biology. The second strategy is to assign 1-2 mentors from TokyoTech to each team to assist with progress and support idea generation. This setup allows participants to ask questions to mentors whenever they have difficulties.

The two-day program proceeds as follows:

On the first day, after ice-breaking activities and a lecture on synthetic biology, participants explored various social issues to decide on a project. By the end of the day, they finalize their topic and are given homework to think about potential solutions at home.

On the second day, participants finalize the details of their solution-oriented project, create slides, and present to the entire group. After the presentations, there is a Q&A session with mentors who are participants and iGEM members to further develop the projects.

Resources and Guides

Impact and Participation

The projects proposed by the participants included the “Bacterial Degradation of Microplastics” and the “Satoyama Conservation Project.” They thoroughly considered the feasibility and impact of these projects, allowing them to grasp both the excitement and the challenges associated with iGEM projects. This experience heightened their interest in synthetic biology and deepened their understanding of the subject.

Conclusion and Future Plans

Some participants spread the word about this event to their high schools, creating anticipation for future participants of the internship. Additionally, some of the new university freshmen have continued to engage with our activities after participating in the event. We have successfully expanded the community of synthetic biology enthusiasts. Moving forward, we aim to increase the number of participants and further enhance interest in synthetic biology among those who are interested in biology.

BioSolution Day

About the Activity

BioSolution Day was an event aimed at middle school students to deepen their interest in biology. While it shares some similarities with the previous iGEM Internship Spring because it involves developing solutions to social issues using synthetic biology, the target audience and approach are different. This event specifically focused on middle school students, starting with more fundamental biological knowledge.

Planning and Implementation

Before the event, a survey was conducted to understand participants’ interests. This allowed us to select social issues that would engage the participants and prepare relevant activities. Many middle school participants were unfamiliar with iGEM and synthetic biology, so we started with a detailed explanation of the basics. By introducing the fundamental concepts of synthetic biology and its applications in an easy-to-understand manner, we were able to spark participants’ interest, thereby building a foundation for them to engage in the project.

Given the difficulty level for middle school students to conceptualize a project, we provided support with three mentors, more than in the previous event. The mentors assisted with project progression and played a role in eliciting ideas. All participants worked together to think about social issues and their solutions using biological knowledge and compiled their ideas into a presentation.

On the first day, after an ice-breaking session, participants brainstormed social issues and their solutions with the mentors. They then narrowed down their interests to one topic and spent time delving into it. On the second day, they researched the chosen social issue and its solutions, summarized their findings in a presentation, and presented it to the group. After the presentations, there was a Q&A session and a summary review by the mentors, deepening the understanding of the project content. The event concluded with a networking session, which helped foster broader communication by discussing university life and iGEM.

Resources and Guides

Impact and Participation

With the support of the mentors, middle school students who had just started learning biology were able to actively participate in discussions. By actively applying the biological knowledge they had learned to solve real social problems, they experienced the excitement of putting knowledge into practice. They also reflected on what constitutes a good presentation and improved their expressive skills through hands-on experience. This event successfully generated interest in synthetic biology and iGEM, with the positive reputation of the event spreading to the participants’ schools, leading to high expectations for an increase in future participants.

Conclusion and Future Plans

Through this event, we were able to provide an opportunity for participants to independently think about how to solve social issues using biological knowledge. We plan to continue offering this kind of experience to more middle school students in the future, thereby deepening their awareness of social issues and interest in biology. Additionally, we aim to raise awareness of iGEM activities among middle school students and further stimulate interest in synthetic biology.

Workshop for freshmen

About the activity

iGEM is an initiative to solve social issues using technologies in synthetic biology. To help new university freshmen understand the concept and activities of iGEM, we conducted activities modeled on those we organized for high school students last year.

Planning and Implementation

Since freshmen are newly entering, we needed to think of ways for them to develop the foundational thinking of iGEM activities by having them think of projects themselves, investigate, and present. Therefore, we introduced iGEM and synthetic biology using a method evolved from what we did for high school students.

During the two-week program, the freshmen formed groups of 3-4 and thought of specific iGEM projects as a team. Senior members also assisted freshmen as mentors. The teams were required to balance their research and considerations across Wet, Dry, and Human Practices, as is typical in iGEM projects. On the final day of the project, all groups present, and they conduct Q&A with each other.

Resources and Guides

• Provided Materials : Details of guides, tutorials, video recordings, etc., that others can use.
  • Access Method : How to access the materials (e.g., website link).

Impact and Participation

Each group spent the first half of the two weeks brainstorming ideas and the second half preparing for the presentation. In brainstorming, they each selected social issues they were particularly interested in (such as food shortages or space debris) from recent problems. Then they investigated and discussed what synthetic biological approaches would be effective for solving them. Finally, they chose one from several ideas as the final plan. In presentation preparation, they researched papers to support their idea and created presentation slides.

In the presentations, each group presented based on their unique slides. The Q&A was actively conducted, centering on the freshmen.

The senior students who served as group mentors had the following impressions of the freshmen’s presentations.

• “Putting feasibility aside, there were many imaginative ideas, and it was interesting. It was good that the first-years seemed to have become friendly.”
• “The active questions reminded me of the discussions when creating actual projects.”
• “They found interesting papers on their own and worked hard even without knowledge of synthetic biology.”

The freshmen’s attitude toward the project was generally positive. The two questions to the freshmen are as follows.

1. Did your understanding of iGEM deepen through this event?

“Greatly deepened,” “Deepened,” “Neither,” “Not deepened,” “Not deepened at all” were the five questionnaire items used for evaluation.

1. What did you learn from this event? (Multiple choices allowed)

In the questionnaire, we asked participants to choose from five items: “How to come up with ideas,” “How to proceed with group work,” “How to find references,” “How to present,” “Others.”

As above, many freshmen showed positive reactions to the project.

Conclusion and Future Plans

We were able to provide an opportunity for more freshmen to creatively tackle problem-solving. Many students who participated in this event decided to participate in iGEM, and even those who didn’t join iGEM expressed a desire to be active in synthetic biology fields in the future.

In this event, many groups were able to present well, but considering the detailed biological elements, there were some projects that might not work well. To prevent such issues, it might be better to consider more detailed mentorship or hosting events over a longer period.