Team:Tsinghua-A/HP/Silver

    Overview

    Our project is about information flowing through gene-regulatory networks and it contains both theory of information and biology. The human practice we did fit our project very well. We show the students who have no idea about what synthetic biology is the fun it have and also make the cross subjects knew by more people. We all think we have did a meaningful practice and help promote development of the cross subjects which is also the aim of iGEM. In a word, human practice gives us a chance to tell more people about our idea and the makes more people realize the charm of synthetic biology.

    Eliminate Chinese’s prejudice about biotechnology

    After hearing the community's concern about biotechnology, we held two lectures to clear their prejudice. Meanwhile, we printed 200 booklets to expand publicity.

    Background

    In China, because of the UN human issue that scientists used 60 children to examine their new transgenic product, Golden rice last year, the question about the safety of transgenic technology remains indistinct. The masses even became scared of the transgenic technology as well as the total biotechnology. As a result, transgenic products were resisted all over China.

    Lectures

    Although many biologists came out to prove their justice, many Chinese still have stereotypes of biotechnology. We hosted two lectures about the correctness of biotechnology for college freshmen and high school students. We introduced the current stereotype phenomenon, then presented the biological applications that have made great contributions, such as bio-fuel, Artemisinin (kind of drug for malaria, first extracted by Chinese pharmacist Youyou Tu) produced by yeast and microorganism which can curb environmental pollution. Because our project involve the knowledge of both biological process and the lecture also involved the development of Synthetic Biology, which is a course of cross-disciplines, requiring us to look at a living organism from the perspective of information system. These contents attracted the attention of students from College of Information.

    Brochures

    To circulate synthetic biology knowledge and inspiration, we demonstrated key ideas in the discipline in a booklet and handed out the booklets to more high school students. Two students e-mailed us to express their interest in synthetic biology and consulted to us about how to be admitted by Tsinghua University.