Team:Mingdao/Engagement

This year, our project researches the issues of the field sobriety test. We visited the judges, the policemen, the wine tasters, and the health care workers, who we considered as experts who may give us advice. Surveys were designed for the public concerning the breathalyzer test. We also met iGEM teams (NCTU, NTHU, CGU) and attended 2016 iGEM Asian Conference to exchange project ideas and share experience. In addition, a biotech company, BIONIME corp., provided us with technical supports. This page particularly presents our efforts concerning the Human Practices events.

Scenario: One day, a man drove lively on the road after eating lychees. Suddenly, he lost his control and his car bumped into the tree on the sideway. And he fell into a coma. For a while, a police officer came up and asked him to take a sobriety test. It turned out that he exceeded the legal alcohol limit in a breathalyzer test. He felt upset and decided to take action. How could we help him prove that he was innocent?

After researching news concerning the field sobriety test, we found many debates against the breathalyzer test such as individual metabolic differences, diabetes, refusals, people dead or in coma. We studied the principle behind the test and believed that there’s a way more reliable. Therefore, we went to the judges in the court, the police officers in the police station, the health care workers in the hospital and the wine tasters in a working place to discuss the issues and seek for opinions. We also designed a questionnaire to survey the public about their experience in the sobriety test. On campus, we educated the younger schoolmates with biotech skills and engaged the school’s teachers to experience the breathalyzer test. To connect iGEM community, we met teams hosted by NCTU-Formosa and attended the Asian conference held by NCKU-Tainan that provided us opportunities to exchange ideas and share experience. To work with iGEMers, we collaborated with NCTU-Formosa and helped them to confirm a function of one of their BioBrick parts. To develop IGEM BLOOD ALCOHOL METER (iMeter) and apply it to the real world, we worked with BIOINIME corp., a biotech company who is an expert working on blood glucose meter innovation. Finally, we presented our work at school to show our achievement and the hard work in the lab and beyond the bench in the whole year. We learned a lot from such splendid activities which fulfilled what is all about Mingdao iGEM 2016.