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<h1 style="color:#000000; background-color:#7ecefd;; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; padding:15px; text-align: center; font-family: Trebuchet MS"> Building with Biology </h1> | <h1 style="color:#000000; background-color:#7ecefd;; -moz-border-radius: 15px; -webkit-border-radius: 15px; padding:15px; text-align: center; font-family: Trebuchet MS"> Building with Biology </h1> | ||
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+ | <img src = "https://2016.igem.org/File:T--MIT--Building_With_Biology.jpg" style = 'padding: 2px 4px 2x 4px; width: 250px; height = 250px; float: left; border:1px;'> | ||
In June, the 2016 MIT iGEM volunteered at the Building with Biology event at the Museum of Science in Boston. A project held at over 200 sites across the country, Building with Biology uses “public engagement with science (PES) activities to extend STEM learning” (http://www.buildingwithbiology.org). The overarching goal is to facilitate conversation between scientists and the public about the emerging field of synthetic biology and its societal implications. | In June, the 2016 MIT iGEM volunteered at the Building with Biology event at the Museum of Science in Boston. A project held at over 200 sites across the country, Building with Biology uses “public engagement with science (PES) activities to extend STEM learning” (http://www.buildingwithbiology.org). The overarching goal is to facilitate conversation between scientists and the public about the emerging field of synthetic biology and its societal implications. | ||
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Revision as of 14:46, 10 October 2016
Despite the prevalence of endometriosis—1 in 10 women have the disease—it is a still widely unknown and misunderstood. We presented our work to a variety of audiences different to teach them about both endometriosis and general synthetic biology.
Building with Biology
In June, the 2016 MIT iGEM volunteered at the Building with Biology event at the Museum of Science in Boston. A project held at over 200 sites across the country, Building with Biology uses “public engagement with science (PES) activities to extend STEM learning” (http://www.buildingwithbiology.org). The overarching goal is to facilitate conversation between scientists and the public about the emerging field of synthetic biology and its societal implications.
The event began out on the museum floor where we helped children and their families participate in hands-on activities. “Bio Bistro,” for example, was an activity in which visitors were presented with food products made possible through synthetic biology. They were asked to sort the items into foods they would, would not, or might eat. Each visitor shared the reasoning behind their choices, and we were able to have a conversation about what motivated researchers to make these products and what the visitors did or didn’t like about the end result. The main purpose of the hands-on activities such as “Bio Bistro” was to increase public awareness about synthetic biology, namely the opportunities it offers and how we all have a role in determining how new technology is developed and used. We very much enjoyed having opportunity to inform kids about the exciting things coming from synthetic biology and hear their opinions about science.
While the mornings’ activities were geared towards a younger audience, the Building with Biology event closed with a forum aimed towards adults. Here we participated alongside members of the public, helping facilitate a discussion about the merits and drawbacks of genetically engineering the mosquito. With the recent news surrounding the Zika virus, the discussion was particularly relevant to ongoing conversations in both the scientific community and the public sphere. The nature of the forum was to promote a dialogue about synthetic biology and the inherent risks, opportunities, and benefits of new technologies. This forum gave us the chance to hear members of the public voice their concerns about, as well as their interest in, synthetic biology. The differing perspectives in the room contributed to an enlightening discussion not only about genetically engineering the mosquito, but about the social and ethical questions raised when deciding to implement any new technology.
The Building with Biology event gave us the opportunity to share our knowledge of synthetic biology with the public, and, more importantly, gain an awareness of societal values and priorities and how this might shape the field of synthetic biology in the years to come.
Online Articles about Synthetic Biology and Endometriosis
One of our team members writes for the online publication, The Odyssey. Over the summer, she published three articles related to our iGEM project: an overview about iGEM and endometriosis, a summary of the New England iGEM Meetup (NEGEM), and a history of endometriosis. ** Can we link the articles here?