EDUCATION

The University of Waterloo iGEM's conference, “BioSynphony,” was a carefully planned event aimed at introducing students from different academic backgrounds to synthetic biology. We had 78 people sign up and over 50% of the people attended. The goal was to bring students from various disciplines together and provide a space for them to explore how synthetic biology can address global challenges, from improving healthcare to promoting environmental sustainability, and how they can fit in to this growing field.

At BioSynphony, students took part in lively discussions about the ethical issues surrounding synthetic biology, focusing on how to balance innovation with social responsibility. The event featured interactive activities, including a Jeopardy game that tested participants’ knowledge and case studies that encouraged creative problem-solving and teamwork. Additionally, students heard from experts in synthetic biology who shared their experiences and thoughts on new technologies and their future impact.

By emphasizing education, hands-on learning, and community involvement, BioSynphony not only encouraged students to think critically about how important synthetic biology can be in our future, but also how it can be used as a useful tool right now, by them. The conference highlighted the huge potential of the field to revolutionize industries, improve lives, and even help build a more sustainable world. BioSynphony inspired students to see the power of synthetic biology to drive meaningful change, making it a memorable and impactful experience for everyone involved.

At our conference, BioSynphony, we hosted a highly engaging networking bingo activity designed to help our attendees practice the skill of networking. This interactive session aimed to break the ice across the various disciplines of science, mathematics, engineering, and health students. Each attendee was given a Bingo card filled with prompts such as “Discuss ethical issues in gene editing” or “Discuss the role of AI in synthetic biology,” to challenge them to actively engage with other students in a fun and exciting way.

The Networking Bingo activity facilitated dynamic conversations, allowing students to find common interests and talk about their professional goals, while also broadening their understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of synthetic biology. As attendees filled out their Bingo cards, the activity created a lively and collaborative atmosphere, where participants were sharing their social medias, such as LinkedIn accounts, to keep in contact after the conference was over. By the end of the session, many attendees had not only completed their Bingo cards but made special connections with others from different disciplines, contributing to the overall sense of community that BioSynphony aimed to provide. This activity proved to be an effective way of blending networking with fun, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in driving innovation within the field of synthetic biology.

At the conference, we held a highly structured pitch strategy workshop, where attendees were divided into eight different groups aligned with their academic disciplines and professional interests. Each group was tasked with addressing problems in synthetic biology ranging from business marketing, ethical considerations in biotechnology, advanced scientific research, and engineering scale-up. Equipped with only poster paper and markers, each group was required to work together to devise innovative, actionable solutions within a 30-minute timeframe, and present their ideas to the room in a formal 4-minute elevator pitch presentation.

For example, in the business category, Groups 1 and 2 were tasked with devising a marketing strategy for AgriGreen Innovations, a biotech company that developed a livestock feed additive. This additive significantly reduces methane emissions, positioning it as a valuable product in the fight against climate change. While the additive had passed clinical trials and received FDA approval, the challenge lay in convincing farmers—who are traditionally risk-averse and focused on cost efficiency—to adopt this novel product. The groups who received this prompt were tasked with developing a proposal that outlined both a fundraising strategy and an appealing marketing campaign that would entice farmers by demonstrating the product's long-term economic and environmental benefits. Groups 1 and 2 worked in their respective areas and presented their different strategies to appeal farmers to their product. Participants were encouraged to research ideas for their solutions. At the end, the room voted on whether group 1 or group 2 had the best ideas.

The pitch workshop showed how valuable it is to bring real-world-like business and scientific challenges into synthetic biology education. It encouraged out of the box thinking, creativity, and research, and it helped attendees develop practical solutions to our synthetic biology prompts. The elevator pitches also encouraged students to deliver an attention catching presentation in a short time frame, an important skill to learn in order to grab the attention of any investor, professor or collegue in a hypothetical elevator. They practiced skills to outline in a clear and concise format their problem and proposed solutions.

We organized a game of Jeopardy as an interactive session during the conference, designed to educate and reinforce our attendees knowledge of synthetic biology in a competitive, engaging format. The game featured five different categories; History of iGEM, Synbio Basics, Synbio Tools and Techniques, Applications of Synbio, and Famous Breakthroughs in Synbio. Each category challenged our attendees with a range of questions, progressively increasing in difficulty, requiring both foundational understanding and knowledge of scientific tools that are commonly used in synthetic biology. Participants were split into groups, with each team taking turns selecting questions and racing to answer correctly. The categories covered important topics, from the beginnings of iGEM to the latest in synthetic biology, giving everyone a chance to review key ideas while gaining a better understanding of major technologies and breakthroughs in the field. The interactive setup encouraged collaboration and friendly competition, making the learning experience both fun and educational.

During the conference, we organized an ethical case study to evaluate the feasibility and implications of developing a gene-therapy solution for Hereditary Hemolytic Anemia (HHA). This event focused on meeting two goals; exploring the relationship between synthetic biology and gene therapy, and addressing the ethical, societal and regulatory implications behind it. The students were split into four groups of 6-8 members and assigned the same case study, which presented a scenario involving a biotech company's development of a synthetic biology solution to target the root cause of Hereditary Hemolytic Anemia (HHA), a condition caused by genetic mutations affecting proteins essential for the stability and function of red blood cells. The case study outlined key stakeholders, including patients, regulatory bodies, and healthcare providers, as well as important considerations such as access, equity, germline versus somatic gene therapy, and the safety of the proposed solution. The groups were given 15 minutes to discuss their ideas, followed by 5 minutes to present their solutions to another group, and then 10 minutes for an open discussion. This activity promoted a holistic understanding of how innovative therapies can be responsibly developed, ensuring patient safety, equitable access, and long-term sustainability, while advancing the future of personalized medicine.

Dr. Dara Gilbert’s talk at the BioSynphony conference gave students a clear and engaging overview of the history of synthetic biology, explaining how the field evolved and when the term really started to gain traction. She walked through some of its real-world applications and career prospect, helping students see how synthetic biology is already making an impact. What made her talk especially educational was the advice she shared with students, encouraging them to take advantage of interdisciplinary learning, stay curious, and actively shape their own academic paths. Her talk not only informed but inspired students to think about how their future might have a chapter in synthetic biology.

The conclusion of the BioSynphony conference focused on the future potential of synthetic biology, highlighting its ability to reshape fields like healthcare, agriculture, and energy. By discussing advancements such as personalized medicine, climate-resilient crops, and biofuels, students were encouraged to see the vast possibilities synthetic biology holds for solving real-world problems.

The conclusion also discussed the importance of ethical considerations, teaching everyone that innovation must be paired with safety and fairness. By urging everyone who attended to reflect on their role in advancing synthetic biology, the conference provided not only scientific knowledge but also inspired a deeper understanding of how they can actively contribute to its future.