The iGEM Concordia team wanted to get young kids excited about science while teaching them a bit about our project. On July 27th, we spent an afternoon with three groups of children from the Concordia Athletic Sports Camp. The ages of these children ranged from 6 - 8 years old. We started off by introducing ourselves and giving them a brief description of our project at a level that they could understand. We then proceeded to perform three experiments with the kids: while explaining the science behind what was happening. Some of these experiments were very hands-on for the kids and they seemed to enjoy these the most. For example, one of the experiments involved the kids making “goop” out of corn starch, water and food coloring. The kids could see how fun science could be while also learning about solids and liquids. We were happy to hear many of the children mention that they were interested in becoming scientists. Below you can find our introduction to the students as well as the protocols for the experiments we did.

Elephant Toothpaste:
Start with 10 mL of 30% H2O2 in 3 erlenmeyer flasks.
Add detergent and food coloring to each flask.
To begin the reaction, pour 25-30 mL yeast in each flask
The yeast catalyzes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. The oxygen being released from the reaction creates bubbles in the detergent and causes the foam to expand.

Oobleck:
Mix 2 cups starch with 1 cup water.
Give each kid a container.
When we press hard the starch comes together and traps the water inside, which makes it hard

Magic Pepper:
Start with bowl of water with pepper.
Tell kids to poke surface of water.
Then do same with soapy finger.

As previously emphasized, a major priority for our team is to inform the public about our project and how we plan on executing it. We figured that a fun and interactive way that we could get people interested in our project would be to create videos that summarize our work. Not only are these videos a way to show people how we conduct our experiments to reach our goals, but it gives the viewers a laboratory-like experience where they can really follow each crucial step in our experimental process. Our team has created a webseries that can be watched using the following link.

Our webseries videos cover everything ranging from our experimental protocols to our human practices activities. Many of the videos also include animations that illustrate the essential biochemical and technological processes involved in our project. These videos aim to make the more technical scientific aspects of our project easier to understand, even for audiences that may not have a scientific background As opposed to preparing a lengthy and wordy written description, people have the option of watching Episode 1 of our webseries to provide them with a general overview of our project in order to get an idea of our major objectives. With a simpler more visual option to explicate our project, we hope to reach more people and provide them with an entertaining way of exploring new science.

A major drive for creating an interactive webseries was to address current issues regarding nanoparticle safety. In addition to having designed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and a written essay about the effects of nanoparticles on the environment, we aimed to use the webseries as a way to describe safer lab practice when using nanoparticles. More precisely, we made a lab safety video stressing the importance and steps toward safe handling and disposal of nanoparticles. This lab safety video is Episode 3 of our webseries and includes information on use of proper lab equipment. It also serves to shed light on the potentially detrimental effects of nanoparticles on human health. The creation of this episode was one way in which we addressed the concerns about nanoparticle safety raised by several university students that we had interviewed beforehand. These student interviews were also made available for viewing in Episode 2 of our webseries. While these interviews led us to draw attention to lab safety concerns, they were also a great source of ideas for our project design. For instance, students interviewed made suggestions in terms of which kind of nanoparticle “weapon” they would want to see if they were designing cells for ‘battle’. Inasmuch, since our project aims to be a source of education but also entertainment for its audience - the public, we placed considerable effort into the integration of the community’s ideas in our project design.

As part of our Human Outreach, this year’s iGEM Concordia team aims to educate the public on nanoparticles, as well as inform them about our project and goals.

On June 13th, Concordia’s iGEM 2016 team members Farhat and Edgar were interviewed by CJLO radio’s Patricia Petit Liang. They talked about the iGEM competition including the requirements for winning and our reason for participating. At the time, the team hadn’t started much lab work yet so they mainly discussed dry lab work tasks such as contacting sponsors, reaching out to the public through social media, creating animations as part of a web-series, and writing a safety protocol for nanoparticle handling and disposal.

The main focus during the interview was the introduction of nanoparticles; what they are, where they come from, what they’re made of, and what shapes and sizes they are found in. To showcase the uniqueness of the project, both members explained how plants are used for nanoparticle synthesis as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical synthesis procedures, and that the resulting nanoparticles are found in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on the plant extract used.

Farhat and Edgar explained how the lab work is split into 3 phases: Synthesis of nanoparticles, Attachment of nanoparticles to cell membranes , and Microfluidics where two cells will be isolated and made to collide with each other to partake in the Battle. They also mentioned the various lab training sessions we had to take with EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) Concordia prior to starting lab work. In order to stress the importance of nanoparticle safety measures, our team representatives mentioned that nanoparticles themselves are more harmful than their macroscopic equivalents due to the fact that they can be easily inhaled during synthesis procedures. This lead to the discussion that nanoparticles must be synthesized in the biosafety cabinet and should either be stored there or in the fridge. Also, due to the lack of research on their long-term effects and the specific laws for disposal and handling of nanoparticles (despite some recommendations put forth by the government), they mentioned a safety protocol intended for members of this year’s team as well as potential future iGEM members following up on our project. (this SOP can be found here)

The interviewer asked about the observation of nanoparticles after the synthesis step, and they explained that this will be done under a transmission electron microscope. (TEM images here)

Farhat and Edgar said that they expect to gain valuable lab experience from this project during the following months, and took this opportunity to encourage undergraduate students to apply for next year’s iGEM Concordia team.

They concluded the interview by acknowledging the help we have gotten from our mentors; graduate students who guide us throughout our project, and by asking listeners to follow us on social media and stay updated!

As one of our team’s goals is to reach out to the public about science as well as to advertise our project, we came into contact with some of the web-owners of ‘FrogHeart.ca,’ a well-frequented science web blog which features commentary on topics such as nanotech and science policies. We were lucky enough to reach them in the early stages of our project, and received publicity during the preliminary stages of our experimental process. This truly provided us with the exposure we were looking for. On FrogHeart’s blog, viewers could access a general overview of our Combat Cells project idea as well as our future goals. Moreover, the blog post also discussed the iGEM Foundation and final competition as a whole.

We also provided a way in which the public could reach our team by leaving our email address at the end of the blog entry. The aim was to address any comments, questions or suggestions,as we were pleased to receive feedback from FrogHeart’s science enthusiasts.
To read the post, please follow this link.