We conducted a questionnaire on bacteria and cancer treatment, receiving a total of 93 valid responses. The gender ratio was nearly 1:1, and the majority of participants were aged between 18 and 28, indicating a high level of interest among young people. In terms of educational background, the largest group held a Bachelor's degree (46.24%), followed closely by those with a high school education (44.09%), reflecting a relatively balanced educational level among participants.

The results revealed that participants are highly concerned about cancer treatment, with an average concern score of 4.09 out of 5. However, most respondents had limited knowledge of cancer treatment options, with 68.39% only aware of 1 to 4 methods. This indicates significant room for improvement in public awareness. Additionally, understanding of gene editing technology was moderate, with a mean score of 2.61 out of 5, suggesting that while there is some awareness, it is not comprehensive. Participants generally agreed that bacteria are not entirely detrimental to the human body. However, opinions on the relationship between bacteria and tumors varied. Some believed in mutual checks and balances, others thought bacteria cause inflammation, and the most prevalent view was that bacterial infections can lead to tumor development. Regarding our project, most participants viewed the use of genetically modified bacteria for tumor treatment as a promising approach. There was a positive attitude toward this innovative method, although concerns were raised about the safety of genetically modified bacteria in the human body. Issues highlighted included genetic stability, non-toxicity to human cells, tissues, and organs, and containment to prevent spreading to non-target tissues or individuals.

In summary, participants have a certain understanding and interest in cancer treatment and gene editing technology, but lack understanding of the relationship between bacteria and tumors. They are open to using bacteria as a treatment method and emphasize safety issues in the application process. In our upcoming experiments, we will focus on safety issues and conduct cancer treatment science popularization for primary and secondary school students.

To address the lack of knowledge uncovered by our questionnaire, we have conducted four science popularization sessions targeting primary and secondary school students. These sessions aim to disseminate essential information about cancer and explore the potential of synthetic biology in developing new treatment methods.

On June 24th, from 8:00 to 8:40 AM, a science popularization session was held at Xiangshan County Experimental Primary School, covering the mechanisms of tumor development and potential treatment methods.

Qian Junbo used an engaging scenario imagination - the opposite assumption of "Meng Mu San Qian", to introduce the impact of a bad environment on learning and growth, thereby drawing an analogy to the cellular level, explaining the impact of adverse environmental factors such as smoking, drinking, lack of exercise, improper diet, radiation, and pollutants on cells, which may lead to cellular dysfunction and the production of tumor cells.

Then, he detailed the differences between benign and malignant tumors, highlighting the characteristics of malignant tumors, such as morphological abnormalities, uncontrolled division and proliferation, rapid growth, no clear boundaries with surrounding tissues, easy to spread and metastasize, and high demand for energy and nutrients from the body. In response to these characteristics, Qian Junbo introduced a variety of cancer treatment methods, including surgical treatment, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

In the summary part, Qian Junbo emphasized the impact of the environment on cells, pointing out that a bad environment is an important factor leading to the transformation of normal cells into tumor cells. In addition, he also mentioned the research work of the iGEM team at Westlake University in the field of cancer treatment, including finding new ways of tumor occurrence, drug design, cancer diagnosis and prevention, and the innovative method of using bacteria to deliver targeted drugs directly to tumors. The whole science popularization aims to improve the audience's understanding of the mechanisms of tumor and cancer occurrence, and to introduce current cancer treatment methods and scientific research progress.

On June 27th, from 12:10 to 12:50 PM, a science popularization session was held at Yinzhou No. 2 Experimental Middle School, with a scale of about 120 people, at the lecture hall, covering the mechanisms of tumor development and potential treatment methods, and briefly introducing synthetic biology.

Zhao Kun first introduced the history of cancer, from the records on papyrus in ancient Egypt in 2625 BC, to the cases reported in the "Edinburgh Medical Journal" in 1845, and then to the discovery of leukemia by German doctor Rudolf Virchow, showing the historical process of human understanding of cancer. Then, he pointed out that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world, with 9.6 million people dying of cancer worldwide in 2018.

In the part of the occurrence of cancer, the PPT explained that cancer cell division requires a lot of energy, and through mechanisms such as increasing the channels of nutrient molecules on the cell membrane and releasing vascular endothelial growth factors, it promotes blood vessel formation to provide energy for the growth of cancer cells. At the same time, it also introduced the aerobic respiration process of cancer cells.

In the part of the immune system's defense, Zhao Kun focused on the role of natural killer cells (NK cells) in fighting cancer, including identifying and killing tumor cells, releasing cytokines, and anti-tumor metastasis functions.

In the part of cancer treatment, he outlined a variety of existing treatment plans, including surgical treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy. In addition, he also mentioned the new treatment methods and individualized treatment strategies that scientists are researching.

In particular, he mentioned the research topic of the iGEM team at Westlake University, that is, designing targeted drugs and using bacteria to deliver drugs to tumors. Finally, he raised an interesting question: Can cancer cells evolve into independent individuals, and took myxosporea as an example for discussion.

This science popularization also included a Q&A session and an appendix section, which involved topics such as the tumor microenvironment and Bcr-Abl, providing the audience with more in-depth reading materials.

On June 28th, from 12:20 to 13:00 PM, a science popularization session was held at Ningbo No. 15 Middle School, targeting the second-year junior high school students, at the lecture hall, covering the mechanisms of tumor development, potential treatment methods, and a brief introduction to synthetic biology, and conducted a reflection and summary. Which is:

Before the science popularization discussion at the middle school, we carefully deliberated on what to present. We thoroughly reviewed our script and ideas, outlining exactly what we planned to teach the classes. However, after giving a mock presentation to the middle school teachers in preparation, all that planning went out the window. The teachers told us they couldn’t understand what we were talking about—there were too many technical terms and nowhere near enough context. So, the night before our presentation to the middle school students, we were still revising the PowerPoint, hurriedly reviewing which parts needed more explanation and what was already understood by our audience.

We went to the middle school worried that nothing we would talk about would be understood and the students wouldn’t be interested. However once we started presenting, the enthusiasm of the students surpassed my expectations. We seemed to capture the attention of every student, and I began to realize that we weren’t so different from them as it had initially seemed. As the main speaker, I began with a "middle school-ish" introduction to the concept of cancer cells, followed by a brief explanation of how our immune cells respond to them. I then asked what they knew about cancer treatment methods. To my surprise, they were able to name all the chemotherapy and radiotherapy methods I had intended to introduce.

This enthusiasm was inspiring, and as someone who aimed to raise awareness about new science, I wanted to further fuel their curiosity and critical thinking. So, I posed a final question: "Is it possible for cancer cells to evolve into animals?" A student immediately raised his hand and said, "No, because cancer cells are unregulated and would proliferate uncontrollably within tissues..." For a middle school student, his answer was impressive. I then introduced them to a paper titled "From Tumors to Species: A SCANDAL Hypothesis." In this paper, scientists compared the genomes of myxosporea, finding a significant loss of tumor suppressor genes and other evidence suggesting that the ancestors of myxosporea might have been cancer cells. I also emphasized that published papers are not necessarily correct and that further exploration is always needed.

This final conversation with the students was truly astounding—not only because of their eagerness but also because of how quickly they grasped new ideas. I hope that after my presentation, those students continue to develop their understanding of the wonders and mysteries waiting to be explored.

On the morning of July 23rd, a science popularization session was held at the summer care class of Yueqing Hongqiao Town No. 8 Primary School, targeting the fifth-grade students, at the lecture hall, covering the mechanisms of tumor development, potential treatment methods, and a brief introduction to synthetic biology, and introduced cutting-edge knowledge obtained through discussions with professors. In addition, there was a significant improvement compared to previous sessions, which increased the participation of children, allowing them to experience designing plasmids themselves.

Xue Chenlu focused on the intersection of cancer treatment and synthetic biology, using her personal research experience in Ju Feng's laboratory at Westlake University and as a member of the iGEM team, to introduce the basic knowledge of cancer to the students, including the differences between tumors and cancer, the characteristics of tumor cells, and various treatment methods for cancer. She detailed the differences between benign and malignant tumors and explained how cancer cells evade immune system surveillance and their rapid proliferation and metastasis characteristics.

Further, she explored the potential application of synthetic biology in cancer treatment, emphasizing the efforts of scientists in finding new ways of tumor occurrence, designing new drugs, cancer diagnosis and prevention. In particular, Xue Chenlu introduced how her team used the principles of synthetic biology to design targeted drugs and directly deliver drugs to tumor cells through bacteria, demonstrating the innovative potential of synthetic biology in precision medicine.

In addition, the PPT included an interactive session, encouraging the audience to design their own plasmids, whether to conquer cancer, beautify the environment, monitor health, or create multi-functional "hero bacteria." This session not only increased the interest of science popularization but also stimulated the audience's imagination and creativity in the application of synthetic biology.

Finally, Xue Chenlu ended with the importance of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention, reminding the audience to adopt a positive lifestyle to prevent diseases. The whole science popularization aims to educate the audience about cancer knowledge and stimulate their interest in the application of synthetic biology in the medical field.

Additionally, we have organized several lab visits for primary and secondary school students, as well as students participating in biology competitions, offering them a brief yet insightful introduction to the field of synthetic biology. Our aim is to ignite their curiosity and provide a glimpse into the cutting-edge research happening within this discipline.

Furthermore, to extend our outreach and engage a broader audience, we hosted a poster exhibition on synthetic biology at the Mid-Lake Lecture Hall on our campus. This event was designed to offer college students and publics an accessible way to learn about the concepts and applications of synthetic biology, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for this exciting scientific frontier.