Education | Tsinghua

In the 2024 Tsinghua IGEM competition, our education module is committed to popularizing the knowledge of synthetic biology to groups of different ages through a series of carefully designed activities. Our goal is to inspire scientific interest and cultivate scientific literacy among middle school students, college students, and the general public.

For middle school students, we have carried out a series of educational activities at the Southwest Pilot Experimental Middle School in Pingchang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province. Through interactive teaching and experiments, we guide students to understand the basic knowledge of biology and stimulate their interest in science. At the high school level, we have organized science clubs and workshops at the Affiliated Middle School of Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang Province. These activities aim to provide a deeper scientific experience and help students establish a basic understanding of synthetic biology.

For college students, we have utilized the Tsinghua University Laboratory Open Day activity to provide a platform for students to experience the scientific research environment firsthand and understand the latest developments in synthetic biology. These activities not only enhance students' experimental skills but also cultivate their scientific research spirit.

For the general public, we have released popular science videos through major media to popularize scientific knowledge in an understandable way. These videos cover the basic principles and applications of synthetic biology, aiming to improve the scientific literacy of the public and stimulate their interest in science.

Through these activities, we have achieved comprehensive educational promotion for groups of different ages, ensuring that everyone can learn synthetic biology in a way that suits them. Our education module not only focuses on the imparting of knowledge but also pays attention to stimulating learners' curiosity and spirit of exploration, laying a solid foundation for training future scientists and engineers.

Junior High School: Southwest Pilot Experimental Middle School in Pingchang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan

At the Southwest Pilot Experimental Middle School in Pingchang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, we have designed a series of educational activities that cater to the cognitive level and curiosity of middle school students. Through interactive teaching and experiments, we guide students to understand the basic knowledge of biology and stimulate their interest in science. For instance, on August 21, 2024, the school organized an orientation event for the incoming first-year students, which included the distribution of promotional manuals, assisted reading, and comprehensive quality enhancement training. These activities not only increased the students' understanding of biological sciences but also cultivated their teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Senior High School: Affiliated Middle School of Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang Province

At the Affiliated Middle School of Harbin Institute of Technology in Heilongjiang Province, we have provided high school students with more in-depth scientific communication and interactive activities. We organized popular science lectures and online communication activity, enthusiastically answering students' questions about synthetic biology. These sessions allowed students to understand the development history of synthetic biology in China and its remarkable achievements, helping them to establish a basic understanding of synthetic biology and stimulating their passion for scientific exploration.

University: Tsinghua University Laboratory Open Day Activity

At Tsinghua University, our Laboratory Open Day event, such as the one held by the iGEM team on September 7, 2024, offered university students a firsthand experience of the scientific research environment. This event was not just an exhibition of knowledge and inspiration but also a bridge connecting dreams with reality, collaboratively drawing the grand blueprint for future technology.The event commenced with presentations by the three captains of the Tsinghua iGEM 2024 team, Chang Haoran, Li Zhefu, and Chen Jiahui, who used a well-prepared PowerPoint to explain the iGEM project and introduce the progress in both wet and dry lab experiments as well as humanitarian practices. This was a collision of ideas, a burst of inspiration, allowing participants to roam the ocean of knowledge and experience the infinite charm of life sciences.

Following the presentations, students were taken on a tour of the laboratories. Through on-site visits, they felt the rigor and passion of scientific research work, igniting their boundless yearning for scientific exploration.At the end of the event, a free communication and discussion session was specially arranged where iGEM members exchanged ideas face-to-face with students from all over the place, engaging in academic discussions, sharing experiences, and colliding innovative thoughts.The Tsinghua iGEM Open Day is not only a platform to showcase the achievements of the Tsinghua 2024 iGEM project but also a starting point for gathering wisdom and stimulating potential. The iGEM team members and students, passionate about life sciences, jointly explore the unknown and contribute their strength to achieving sustainable development for human society.

Public: Public Lectures, Popular Science Videos, and Manuals

Training for New Employees at China Huadian Corporation Hunan Branch

At China Huadian Corporation Hunan Branch, we provided newly hired employees with an in-depth public lecture on synthetic biology. The lecture was designed to offer staff a comprehensive understanding of synthetic biology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and the Tsinghua University iGEM project for 2024. At the beginning of the lecture, our team introduced the basics of synthetic biology, including its definition, development history, and wide applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Through engaging case studies and stories, we demonstrated how synthetic biology drives technological innovation and addresses real-world issues.Next, we delved into the concept of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), its symptoms, causes, and current treatment options. We emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and introduced the potential applications of synthetic biology in IBD research and therapy.

Additionally, we provided a detailed introduction to the Tsinghua University iGEM team's project for 2024, including the project background, research objectives, experimental design, and expected outcomes. We showcased how the iGEM team applies synthetic biology to solve practical problems and the positive impact of their work on the scientific community and society.At the end of the lecture, we arranged an interactive Q&A session, encouraging employees to ask questions and share their thoughts. The lecture not only enhanced the employees' understanding of synthetic biology but also stimulated their passion for scientific exploration, providing valuable knowledge and inspiration for their future work at the company. Through this training, we hope that new employees will apply the scientific knowledge and innovative thinking they have learned to their work, contributing to the development of China Huadian Corporation Hunan Branch.

Popular Science Manuals

In addition, we have produced a popular science manual aimed at popularizing scientific knowledge and improving the scientific literacy of the public. The manual provides a detailed introduction to the basic concepts, symptoms, and causes of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), helping readers understand this complex medical issue and thereby raising awareness for early recognition and treatment. At the same time, it explains the scientific principles involved in the diagnosis and treatment of IBD, such as blood tests and imaging examinations, enhancing readers' understanding of the medical process.

Furthermore, the manual delves into synthetic biology and the iGEM competition, stimulating interest in this emerging field of science, and showcases the application of synthetic biology in the treatment of IBD, such as the "MuScure" project, highlighting its innovation and potential effectiveness. The manual also describes the workflow of the iGEM team, conveying the basic methods of scientific research and cultivating readers' scientific thinking and problem-solving abilities.

By showcasing the practical applications of the Tsinghua iGEM team, the manual encourages readers to consider the application of scientific principles in daily life and career development. Visual elements such as charts and flowcharts help readers understand complex concepts more intuitively, and the provided contact information encourages interaction and further exploration of scientific knowledge. In summary, this manual, with its rich content and diverse forms, not only provides knowledge about IBD and synthetic biology but also stimulates the public's interest in science, playing a significant role in enhancing scientific literacy and education levels.

To ensure the popularization and widespread coverage of scientific knowledge and education, we have specially produced multilingual versions of the "Science Popularization Manual" including Arabic, English, and French, to meet the needs of the public with different language backgrounds. In addition, to support and include visually impaired individuals, we have provided an audiobook version, which uses text-to-speech technology to convert the content of the manual into spoken words, allowing visually impaired individuals to access information through hearing. At the same time, we have also published a large print version to accommodate readers with poor vision, ensuring the accessibility of information.

These materials have been widely distributed through our social media accounts, making them easily accessible to the public. We believe that through these multiform and multilingual educational tools, we can effectively improve the scientific literacy of the public, stimulate their interest in science, and promote the popularization and dissemination of scientific knowledge.

Summary

Through these activities, our educational module has achieved comprehensive coverage of educational promotion for groups of different ages, ensuring that everyone can engage with and learn synthetic biology in a way that suits them. Our educational module focuses not only on the dissemination of knowledge but also on stimulating learners' curiosity and spirit of exploration, laying a solid foundation for cultivating future scientists and engineers