Team:OUC-China/Investigating
Investigating & Promoting
Our novel regulation element reflects on synthetic biology as the realization of quantitative expression. To explore the potential applicaton of our design, we firstly carried out a questionnaire survey about quantification and synthetic biology.
QUESTIONAIRE
We analyzed the survey result, to our astonishment, most people were lack of basic perception about quantification. For example, among more than 500 investigators, 40% people didn’t consider meals combination as an example of quantification, and more than half frankly said that they knew little about synthetic biology. Click here to see the survey result.
Figure 1 Extent of the public knowing of synthetic biology
We found the problem of insufficient popularization of quantification as well as synthetic biology, then we focused on the spreading of basal knowledge in many ways from campus to society.
SPREADING AROUND US
For people who are interested in natural science, we designed a series of activities for them to enjoy personal experience about synthetic biology.
Firstly, in our school, we held lectures to introduce synthetic biology in details and encourage them to learn more about it. The lecture attracted about 100 students and got the feedback that they were interested in this newly developed subject and some were grouped together to explore more about it .We tried to train them from three aspects: literature retrieval and utilization, divergent thinking and experiment skills and they had gained a lot from these activities.
Then we extended our influence to the middle school, and were glad to welcome students form Qingdao No.39 middle school. To meet the students’ curiosity, we guided them to visit museum about marine animials. Moreover, we opened our lab and made detailed introduction of basic knowldege to them. For example, we simply explained what is molecular cloning. Surprisingly, their response was warm which firmed our belief that the synthetic biology would have a bright future. And we will keep communicating with more schools.
Besides, we held an academic summer camp and invited about 20 students from different universities. We stayed together with them for two weeks and shared a lot with them. Besides basic communication in literature and experiment skills, we also held a small academic jamboree activity with integral presentation and poster sections. Moreover, after the camp closing, we received the feedback that they enjoyed this academic exploration very much and would share what they had learned with more people.
Figure2. Lecture, lab visiting, group sharing and poster
POPULARIZING TO THE PUBLIC
For the public, we tried to publicize synthetic biology by using relatively easy words toward as many people as possible through our activities.
On the Internet, we set up our official account named oucigem on Wechat, one of the most popular social software in China, in order to introduce synthetic biology widely. We wrote high quality of articles mainly about the synthetic biology for readers to improve their awareness of the profound influence of synthetic biology in daily life.
Figure 3 The articles content of our official account
We also posted our original video on website which used simple words and vivid flash to introduce the basic knowledge of synthetic biology. We endeavored to promoting synthetic biology more widely and influence as much people as possible.
Besides, we went to communities and tourist attractions and met people from the young to the old. With the help of distributing brochures, we explained basic knowledge of synthetic biology and the meaning of quantification in their daily lives(Figure 4,5).
Figure 4,5 Popularizing to the public
SPREADING KNOWLEDGE VIA SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Other novel ways are come up to spread synthetic besides above traditional ways. We got connected with Qingdao Association for Science and Technology, a non-profit social service organization for popularizing science and technology knowledge to the public
At there, we got the chance to displayed scientific knowledge to visitors. For example, we held an academic lecture for a delegation from Tibet Autonomous Region, where the economic and educational development is relatively backward (Figure 6). According to the feedback from them, they were willing to know more innovative things and encourages us to do more.
Figure 6 We held a lecture to the delegation from Tibet
Cistrons Concerto
Thanks:
1.Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
2.NEW ENGLAND Biolabs
3.GenScript
Contact us:
E-mail: oucigem@163.com
Designed and built by @ Jasmine Chen and @ Zexin Jiao
We are OUC-iGEM
