At MuScure, we believe that science thrives when everyone is included. Inclusive science not only reflects the diversity of our world but also unlocks new ideas, insights, and innovations that can change lives. Through our project, we have identified several focus areas: gender, accessibility needs, socioeconomic status, global outreach, and empowering future generations. These areas shape our commitment to ensure that our work is accessible, impactful, and empowering for all communities. Together, we can create a world where diverse minds contribute to groundbreaking discoveries that benefit all of humanity.
We believe that real change and the power to shape the future begins today. Education is the foundation of that change, and it starts from a young age. By inspiring future generations—especially middle schoolers and even younger audiences—we can nurture a passion for science early on.
People are most curious when they are young, and this curiosity enhances their brain's ability to learn, helping them retain information even if the subject is not initially interesting to them. This makes fostering curiosity in childhood essential for long-term learning and growth.
To achieve this, we created an engaging and easy-to-understand animation video designed to capture the attention of young minds. Our goal is to make science fun, relatable, and exciting for them.
When designing our content, we used specific techniques to simplify the language so that even children could understand it. For example:
To captivate young minds, we created several animated videos that were both fun and informative:
The concepts and principles of synthetic biology are often abstract and difficult for teenagers to grasp. To address this, we drew a parallel between synthetic biology and modular programming, breaking down biological components into block-like modules. Our goal is to design educational software that mirrors modular programming, helping teenagers understand synthetic biology by simplifying it into building blocks. This approach aims to make synthetic biology more accessible and widely understood within the adolescent community.
After discussing with Codemao, a company specializing in modular programming, through an online meeting, we successfully developed a preliminary concept for a popular science software. This software was designed to simplify the understanding of synthetic biology by presenting it in a way that teenagers can easily interact with and explore.
The software is divided into two key panels:
The content is split into three sections:
The software first introduces users to the central dogma of biology and key laboratory techniques, such as DNA replication, transcription, translation, and reverse transcription. For instance, in the case of DNA replication, the component building panel provides essential materials like dNTPs, primers, template DNA, and DNA polymerase. Guided by shadows and arrows, users are led to build a PCR reaction. On the control panel, users then program the denaturation, annealing, and extension cycles in a modular format, unlocking the PCR process as they follow the instructions.
This approach allows us to demonstrate commonly used synthetic biology laboratory techniques, while also teaching fundamental biological knowledge rooted in the central dogma.
In the Basic Component Production section, we focus on two classic synthetic biology elements: the switch and oscillator. A switch consists of a pair of mutually repressed promoters and genes, showcasing bistability under different inducer concentrations. Using the component building and control panels, users can construct and visualize this process, unlocking the switch as a new basic component for further use.
Similarly, the construction of an oscillator can be demonstrated using the same approach. In this case, the switch and oscillator represent the equivalent of conditional and loop statements in programming languages. By encapsulating these components as basic elements, the software conveys the modular design concept of synthetic biology, much like circuit design in electronics. Additionally, the inclusion of logic gates will enrich the educational experience, allowing users to deepen their understanding of biological logic systems.
In the Free Design section, users can select common chassis organisms and design synthetic biology projects using components they have built or defined. This feature not only aids iGEM teams in visualizing their projects but also opens the door to organizing synthetic biology design competitions for teenagers. By giving young users the freedom to experiment with their own designs, the software fosters creativity and engagement.
In China, while tremendous strides have been made in reducing poverty, many children still face significant socioeconomic barriers, particularly in rural areas. By 2020, the government successfully eradicated extreme rural poverty, yet as of 2018, 19% of children were still living in multidimensional poverty, which includes limited access to education, healthcare, and other essential resources. [2]
To do our part, we traveled to a rural area in Sichuan, where we engaged with local children, introduced our project, and raised awareness about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Through activities and discussions, we aimed to inspire curiosity in science and provide them with the tools to envision a brighter future.
Ensuring that our wiki is accessible to individuals with diverse cognitive and visual challenges, such as autism, dyslexia, color blindness, low vision, and ADHD, was a priority for our team. Drawing from research on digital accessibility and user-centered design, we implemented a range of solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of these user groups. Below is a detailed breakdown of the steps we took, why we made these choices, and how we implemented each accessibility feature.
Many individuals, including those with autism, dyslexia, color blindness, low vision, and ADHD, face challenges when interacting with digital content. Common issues include difficulty processing overwhelming visuals, navigating unclear structures, and reading non-accessible fonts or low-contrast text.
Research shows that individuals with autism often experience difficulty processing overwhelming stimuli, which can lead to anxiety and frustration when navigating digital environments. According to the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, individuals with autism benefit from predictable patterns, consistent layouts, and minimized sensory input,This allows them to better process and engage with information.
Individuals with dyslexia often struggle to read standard fonts, as they can appear distorted or jumbled. According to Annals of Dyslexia, specialized fonts such as Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic improve readability for dyslexic individuals by reducing letter confusion through distinct shapes. Additionally, avoiding excessive italics or underlining improves text clarity.
Individuals with low vision or color blindness face challenges in distinguishing between colors and reading small, low-contrast text. According to the World Blind Union and research on low-vision accessibility, high-contrast color schemes and adjustable text sizes are critical for making digital content readable.
We began by reaching out to Mrs Bao Guohong, an expert from the China Braille Press, to understand the specific needs of visually impaired individuals. Her feedback was invaluable in guiding the adaptations required to make our booklet accessible for those with vision impairments
From Mrs Bao Guohong, we learned about the different categories of accessible formats, such as Braille, large-print books, and audiobooks. We were also made aware of key design principles, such as:
We decided to create an audiobook version of our booklet to ensure full accessibility for individuals who are blind, have low vision, or simply prefer auditory learning.
Research shows that approximately 8% of the global population is visually impaired, with around 2.2 billion people affected by some form of vision loss. Additionally, studies have found that up to 20-30% of people prefer learning through auditory methods, as it allows them to multitask and absorb information more effectively.
To ensure our content reached this significant portion of the population, we conducted research on the best practices for creating accessible audiobooks. This included selecting high-quality audio recording tools, ensuring clear and well-paced narration, and working with native speakers for the various language versions of the audiobook. By following guidelines on audio clarity and structure, we were able to produce an audiobook that is inclusive, engaging, and easy to follow, catering to the needs of individuals who rely on auditory content.
To maximize the global reach and inclusivity of our project, we strategically selected Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, English, and French for translations. These languages were chosen because they are among the most widely spoken languages in the world, allowing us to connect with a significant portion of the global population. In total, these languages cover more than 3.2 billion speakers, or about 40% of the world's population.
Most Commonly Represented Languages in Wikipedia Articles by Country (2014)
To ensure that these languages were well-integrated into all aspects of our project, we took a multifaceted approach:
Science Popularization Manual in English (click me to open the Manual!)
Science Popularization Manual in Chinese (click me to open the Manual!)
Science Popularization Manual in French (click me to open the Manual!)
Science Popularization Manual in Arabic (click me to open the Manual!)
To make our educational content accessible to a wider audience and foster inclusivity, we ensured that our materials are produced in both English and Chinese. This bilingual approach allows us to reach a diverse audience, bridging cultural and linguistic gaps.
For our lab experiments, we made sure to provide comprehensive educational content. Each video covers the entire experimental process, from start to finish, ensuring that viewers can fully understand each step. To make the material even more accessible and clear:
We have taken a dual-platform approach to make our content globally accessible:
This strategy ensures that our educational resources are available to a broader audience, fostering cross-cultural exchange and making science and education accessible to people across different regions and languages.
For more information about the instructional videos, please refer to Education: Public.
We carefully designed the interview questions for patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) based on the principle of patient care. Our primary goal was to foster a safe, empathetic environment where patients felt comfortable sharing their experiences.
We chose questions that explore multiple facets of living with IBD, such as physical symptoms, emotional challenges, treatment experiences, and common misconceptions. By asking patients to reflect on their personal journey, the interview becomes a way for them to share insights that are often overlooked. Additionally, this allows us to identify key pain points and areas where our project might offer support or improvement.
Our primary objective was to gather qualitative data from a diverse group of patients. This information helps us better tailor our project to meet patients' real-world needs, especially in terms of improving treatments, addressing misconceptions, and understanding the emotional and psychological impacts of living with IBD. We also aimed to uncover potential gaps in current medical treatments, such as side effects or inefficacies in medication, so that our project could provide more patient-centered solutions.
we strategically designed our interviews to cover diverse age groups, genders, and geographical locations. Our aim was to capture the full spectrum of experiences that individuals with IBD face, as both the symptoms and emotional impacts can vary significantly based on factors such as age, how long they've lived with the condition, and cultural or regional influences.
We consciously interviewed people from different age groups to capture the varying challenges they encounter at different stages of life. We included participants aged 25 and under, as younger individuals often face unique social pressures, particularly in relation to school, relationships, and self-image while dealing with IBD. Conversely, we also interviewed individuals 35 and older, who could provide insight into managing long-term treatment and balancing IBD with careers and family responsibilities.
Additionally, we made a point to include both recently diagnosed individuals and those who have been living with IBD for a long time. This allowed us to compare the initial shock and adjustment phase with long-term management strategies and the emotional toll that living with a chronic disease can bring.
We ensured a balanced representation of genders to understand if and how experiences might differ between men and women living with IBD. For instance, societal expectations and stigma can manifest differently depending on gender, as can the management of symptoms and treatments. This diverse representation helps paint a more inclusive picture of the struggles faced by all individuals with IBD.
One of the common misconceptions we aimed to dispel through both the interviews and the survey was the belief that IBD primarily affects women and is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, research shows that IBD affects both men and women at comparable rates, and both genders face unique but equally challenging experiences with this chronic condition. By including both male and female patients in our recorded interviews, we were able to highlight diverse perspectives and experiences, ensuring that all voices in the IBD community were represented.
Answers from our survey about common misconceptions
Our interviews were conducted across various regions in China, including cities such as Shanghai and Anhui, to explore how regional differences in healthcare access, awareness, and cultural attitudes towards chronic illness shape the IBD experience. By interviewing three people from different regions of China, we aimed to see whether rural versus urban healthcare systems, or regional cultural differences, affected their treatment and quality of life.
On a global scale, we expanded our research by conducting an interview with Sara Levitt from Canada. Currently, we are in contact with Lauren Highla, who is based in Australia, and are working to finalize a time for the interview. Similarly, we are coordinating with Lenette Sparacino from the USA to agree on a suitable time for her interview.
The interview is structured around several key topics:
1. Personal Experience: Beginning with open-ended questions about their journey with IBD.
2. Symptom Impact: We explore the frequency and severity of symptoms and how they interfere with daily life.
3. Treatment and Side Effects: This section focuses on the efficacy and side effects of current treatments.
4. Misconceptions: We ask patients to highlight common misconceptions about living with IBD to understand the social and emotional challenges they face.
5. Advice: This section is designed to gather compassionate advice for newly diagnosed patient.
6. Feedback on Our Project: Finally, we explain our project briefly and gather feedback on aspects we may have overlooked from the patient's perspective. This helps us refine our project to better meet patient needs.
Conducting patient interviews was an eye-opening experience that gave us insights far beyond what we had gathered from textbooks and research papers. Reading about the symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)—such as chronic pain, fatigue, and digestive issues—provided us with a clinical understanding of the disease, but hearing patients describe these struggles in their own words had a profound impact on us. It brought the emotional and psychological toll of the disease to the forefront in a way that written descriptions could not.
Listening to the patients talk about the daily challenges they face—such as the unpredictability of flare-ups, the social stigma attached to the condition, and the strain it places on their relationships—was deeply personal and moving. These interviews reinforced our commitment to improve our project.
Sara Levitt interview
Sara Levitt is a Canadian Crohn's disease and ostomy advocate from Montreal, who has become a powerful voice for raising awareness about life with an ostomy. Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at age three, Sara's condition progressed to Crohn's disease when she was 11 years old. After battling the disease for years and undergoing several surgeries, including a life-saving surgery at age 15 that resulted in her getting a colostomy bag, Sara had to adapt to living with an ostomy.
During our interview with Sara Levitt, she shared some of the more personal and intimate experiences that truly deepened our understanding of what living with Crohn's disease entails—particularly the side effects of medications that we had previously overlooked. Sara recounted how, from a young age, she was on a regimen of multiple medications, sometimes taking up to eight pills a day.
Reflecting on our project, Sara noted that our approach stood out because it was different from the typical treatment style. She described it in her own words:
"It's not your typical ordinary treatment style, it's not an injectable, not a pill. It's a scent, and when I think of a scent, it's soothing, relaxing, aromatic. There are a lot of emotions that are related to ease and softness. When you have to swallow pills that are the size of my AirPod case, that in itself is stressful and brings anxiety, and we all know stress is also a major trigger for Crohn's disease."
Ms. Sara Levitt @saralevs
In 2006, my life took a dramatic turn when I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. I went through countless medications—Remicade, Humira, steroids. In 2008, I had my first emergency surgery, and I woke up with an ostomy bag. I remember sliding my hand down to feel if it was real, and pulling it back in shock when I realized it was.I struggled deeply with the fear of what others would think and hid my bag from the world for 15 years. But over time, I realized this bag saved my life. I now openly share my journey to break the stigma, showing that life with an ostomy can still be beautiful and full of confidence.
If you would like to learn more about some of the personal stories shared by individuals like Sara Levitt, you can visit our homepage.
After conducting our initial interviews, we realized that to reach an even wider audience, it was important to gather more perspectives. To do so, we created a survey in addition to our recorded interviews, hoping to connect with individuals who preferred a more private or anonymous way to share their experiences. This allowed us to include those who might not be comfortable with face-to-face interviews but still wanted to contribute to raising awareness.
Answers from our survey about an ideal treatment
We shared our survey across various social media platforms, with the cooperation of IBD support groups who kindly allowed us to post on their forums. In addition to this, we are reaching out to IBD associations and organizations to explore potential collaborations. By partnering with these groups, we aim to extend our reach even further and gather a more diverse range of experiences and insights from individuals affected by IBD.
Our goal is to foster empathy and inclusivity in conversations about IBD, and through our interviews and surveys, we are working toward empowering all individuals affected by this condition.
For our Asian audience, we created a scented bag, inspired by the cultural significance of scented sachets, particularly in Chinese culture. These sachets, often filled with aromatic herbs, are deeply rooted in tradition, symbolizing health, protection, and good fortune. This made the scented bag design a culturally relevant and familiar choice for users in Asia, where such items are frequently used in daily life and traditional festivals. By incorporating this design, we aimed to blend our scientific solution with cultural practices, making it more acceptable and attractive for users in these regions.
Based on patient feedback from our interviews, we made several key adjustments to our hardware design to better address their needs. One male interviewee mentioned that the current design was less convenient for him to use regularly, which led us to explore the development of a bracelet version of our device. This more discreet and wearable format is intended to provide greater flexibility for users who prefer a more subtle and convenient form factor, particularly during daily activities.
At the same time, to accommodate users outside of Asia or anyone who prefers a more discreet and modern option, we designed a bracelet. This allows the device to be more inconspicuous and seamlessly integrated into daily wear, making it both practical and stylish. The bracelet caters to those who may prefer a more subtle solution.
Additionally, some interviewees expressed interest in having control over the timing of scent release. They felt that being able to adjust the release time themselves could give them more autonomy in managing their symptoms and stress levels throughout the day. This feedback prompted us to explore the integration of a manual control feature into the hardware. We are currently working on implementing this feature, allowing users to personalize their experience by adjusting the time intervals of scent release according to their preferences and needs. These adjustments demonstrate how patient input directly informed the evolution of our design, ensuring that the hardware is as user-friendly and practical as possible.
By offering two distinct designs, we ensure that our hardware is not only functional but also resonates with the cultural and aesthetic preferences of our global audience. If you would like to know more about our Hardware.
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[3] Visual Capitalist. (2024). Ranked: The Top Languages Spoken in the World.
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[15]Elowitz MB, Leibler S. A synthetic oscillatory network of transcriptional regulators. Nature. 2000 Jan 20;403(6767):335-8. doi: 10.1038/35002125. PMID: 10659856.
[16] Gardner TS, Cantor CR, Collins JJ. Construction of a genetic toggle switch in Escherichia coli. Nature. 2000 Jan 20;403(6767):339-42. doi: 10.1038/35002131. PMID: 10659857.This strategy ensures that our educational resources are available to a broader audience