Team:XJTLU-CHINA/HP/Gold
Activity 4: Public speech for seeking suggestions of project on campus
In order to collect feedback about our project, we held a public speech from fellow students in different departments as well as some university professors. During the public speech, we made a brief team introduction to all students and teachers about XJTLU-CHINA iGEM team for 2016. During the activity, we highlighted the expected outcome of our muta in vivo project and the potential benefit for the society in future, especially the production of benefit mutation for agriculture and the practical use in pharmaceutical companies.
Besides, we consulted some professors seeking for the solutions of some obstacles when conducting the experimental practical. Especially we found the reasons of repeated failure in conducting the experiments. They also provided us with suggestions in the ideas and designs of our team project.
Activity 5: Road show at 2016 International STEM Festival
An international science festival focused on core literacy and STEM education attracting hundreds of students and their parents to see the latest science and technology innovations. The 2016 International STEM Science Festival featured a series of activities including project experiences, a forum and the 2016 World Robot Olympiad East China competition. As novel student research group of synthetic biology at XJTLU, we invited two other iGEM teams (ZJU-CHINA & NYU-Shanghai) taking this opportunity to publicize the significance of iGEM in promoting STEM subjects in synthetic biology area.
The four-day event invited experts from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Finland, as well as more than 40 well-known domestic and international enterprises, including Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard Development Company and Oracle. In particular, throughout this festival, hundreds of students and their parents are attracted to see the latest science and technology innovations.
With the demonstration of our team project, we set up an interaction activity with the surrounding guests in order to discuss the ethic issues about genetically modified food. It attracted a lot of people putting forward the idea on the given topic: Your attitude and potential consequences if genetically modified animal leave the lab and into practical use. During the interaction, we help the public to develop a more holistic and deeper insight towards the ethic issues in genetically modified food.
During the festival, we delivered a specific lecture on the practical application of mutagenesis and how biological sciences can provide help for achieving sustainability of the whole society. The Q&A session had effectively cleared public perception.
Our demonstration of the team project for 2016 attracted much attention from business leaders, young adults and even the senior citizens. The picture below showed the curiosity to our project. They told us that they care more about how our mutagenesis can help cure severe diseases and wonder how the project could be applied into practical use. This type of information inspired us to work hard and consider more about how our project can help the society to achieve sustainability.
On the last day, head of the Elementary Education Division at the Jiangsu provincial Department of Education as well as leaders from Ministry of Education, P.R. China accompanied by president of our university spoke highly of XJTLU-CHINA team members on independently conducting undergraduate student research project. We had shared ideas with them on public policy issues for current scientific subjects as well as the promotion of STEM subjects in China from undergraduate perspective.
Also, we are also involved in the discussion of cultivating students’ scientific and rational thinking, especially focusing on equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to solve tough problems with practical experiences.
Activity 6: Project demonstration at XJTLU Fablab
In September, student research groups at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University get together to share the experiences and detailed program to other research groups throughout the whole process of conducting research program. Other student groups come from electronic and engineering as well as computer programs.
We introduced synthetic biology to them by highlighting the multi-disciplinary requirements and the relative relationship with the association with knowledge in electronic or engineering.
Jo Johnson MP, The United Kingdom Minister for Universities and Science, showed great interest and commented our project on fascinating innovation and inspiration.
Reflections from the activities
1. From senior citizens: I am curious about your project since it is closely related to the medicine production. I wonder whether your project can help with the treatment of disease?
2. Residents in Shanghai: I wonder whether genetically modified organisms can pose negative impact on human life. Although it can facilitate the food production in China, what are the consequences for people if they had this type of food for decades?
3. From children at the age of 6: I was heard that the cell was negligible, but I could not imagine how complicated is the cell mechanism under my observation of VR. It is not easy for a little cell to conduct such sophisticated process!! It is amazing!!
4. From parents: Thank you so much for inspiring our children with so fascinating tools, actually it is quite nice with vivid animation. I hope the teachers can use more active teaching tools like your VR model. If so, my children will not feel boring in his study!
5. From middle school students in Suzhou: I think your project is interesting in terms of mutagenesis and it can have a huge impact on the society. But I cannot fully understand your project, especially retrohoming of Group II intron.
From senior high in Guangya Middle school: Your popular lectures are interesting. Although we are facing university entrance examination, it is worthwhile broadening our horizons through popular topics that we are interested in. Thank you for your nice preparation.
6. From teachers in traditional Chinese university: Honestly speaking, it is so difficult for students to generate random mutation through research. But think bravely and do bravely, maybe it can be true in the future. Who knows! Your example is encouraging. We need to encourage more students to conduct research of their interest!
7. From leaders in Ministry of Education in China: I am so very happy to see your research project. I cannot imagine how much effort you had devoted in your research project. In future, China is paramount to be equipped with elites in science and technology! You guys are the future of China!
8 From United Kingdom Minister for Universities and Science: I am happy to know what you are engaged in. It is significant to explore your interesting area when you are young.
Project improvement from public feedback
We took the feedback from the public raised seriously and aimed to make improvement in our project as well as our future human practice activities. During the activity, we have mentioned about the mutation breeding during the development of spaceflight. Through the UV light in space, the mutation can be randomly generated. Some of the benefit mutations are applied into agriculture to solve the food problem. The random mutation is similar to our mutagenesis project. Some local citizens showed worried to the mutations that may pose negative consequences in our daily life. They tend to be afraid of the super-bacteria that will be difficult to be treated. Stimulated by this comment, we paid much attention in particular doing the experiments. After working with the bacteria, we auto-cleaved them instead of simply flowing into water tank to avoid the mutation generated. When working in the lab, harsh rules were made including always wearing gloves in the lab to avoid being infected by bacteria accidentally.
Furthermore, since they are worried about the super-bacteria, we educate the public with scientific knowledge to clear their misunderstanding. The high frequency of antibiotic resistance has currently become an enormous threat to human being. The increasing number of multi-drug resistance bacteria has made current antibiotics hard to cope with because of the abuse of antibiotics by individual and hospitals. Thus, we strongly emphasize the significance of antibiotics use in daily life properly. In our project, we desire to generate more benefit mutations through our in vivo process. To modify our project, we can identify more possible mutations that can fight against the antibiotic resistance problem.
