iGEM for Donors

Early in March, our team had the opportunity to present our past and continuing work as the primary presenters at a gala style event for local leaders and donors to our college with over 75 individuals, including area policymakers and officials, in attendance. As a part of understanding genetic engineering, and the work the WLC-iGEM team does, attendees were invited to participate in short 30 minute lab activities that combined our past work with coral disease and propagation and our current work in water quality management.

Over 50 individuals chose to participate in these hands on lab activities where they were able to assist in coral pest and disease treatment, coral propagation, and water testing demonstrations on our coral propagation systems.

Over 50 individuals chose to participate in these hands on lab activities where they were able to assist in coral pest and disease treatment, coral propagation, and water testing demonstrations on our coral propagation systems.

Biotech Information Night

Biotech Info night was an event hosted by the team on our college campus to reach out to other students in STEM and non-STEM fields.

We presented some of the most common applications of Genetic Engineering that we benefit from on a daily basis, along with the basic methodology of genetically modifying an organism, before talking about our current project.

This event culminated in an open discussion among attendees and the team on their concerns with, and the ethical implications of genetic engineering. This open conversation has greatly aided the team in understanding the concerns of our immediate college community!

Organization Outreach Day

In August, the WLC-iGEM team participated in our college’s organization outreach day, welcoming incoming freshmen and engaging with other student groups on campus for this afternoon long event. At our booth, we were able to talk to incoming students about iGEM, genetic engineering, and bacteriophages as over 150 students mingled and interacted at this incredibly fun event!

GMO's at the Library

As part of our team’s work to engage the local community, we held an event titled “GMO’s: Let’s Talk about that” at the Wauwatosa Public Library.

This evening allowed us to discuss what we do as a research team and converse with concerned community members in an environment where they were comfortable speaking freely and asking difficult, pressing questions like; “How much influence do big agricultural companies have on scientific research?”, “What kind of regulations on GMO’s are there to protect consumers?” and “Do you believe it is ethical to genetically modify higher level organisms?”.

As a team, this was a great experience answering questions we don’t generally encounter and establishing meaningful connections with members of the public.

iGEM for High Schoolers

In October, our team was able to work with Shoreland Lutheran High school and Dr. Rob Balza of the WLC Biology Department to introduce nearly 60 high school students to iGEM, our project, and some of the different areas and tools used within the study of Biotechnology. Over the course of an hour, we were able to dive into different careers opportunities and areas of research such as biosynthesis, bioremediation, and medical research for individuals interested in genetic engineering or biotech. Students asked excellent questions about ethics, and what considerations must be taken into account when genetically engineering an organism, with one student asking several questions about the practicality and issues with genetically modifying humans!

After our hour of presenting and Q&A with the students, they were given a tour of lab spaces at our college along with lab demonstrations in various fields ranging from human anatomy and microbiology to marine biology, by college faculty members and iGEM team advisors.

We greatly enjoyed engaging with this group of students, and we’re working to bring lab activities to their classrooms for a more hands-on approach to genetic engineering!

Community Survey and Education

In order to better evaluate the needs of various communities, we sent out a survey on water quality and testing via our team Facebook page. By surveying the public we hoped to gain valuable information on the current knowledge base on water safety and water testing in the community, to better understand whether there was a need for our project in the real world.

We received 47 responses to the majority of our questionnaire, with some questions only receiving 46 responses. While this sample size is too small to make any statistically validated claims, the responses did help us see a need and address it in our community. Overall, our sample consisted of individuals ranging from under 20 years of age, up to between 60 and 69 years of age with most individuals falling between 20 -29 years of age. Individuals sampled indicated varying degrees of education ranging from below, or currently enrolled in High school level education, up to post graduate level education, with the majority of respondents having some college level education.[Insert Education Survey question img here]

The questions that were perhaps of greatest interest to us were questions 1, 2, 3 and 7. [insert Survey question 7 here]

Questions 7 give us initial confidence that members of the public are open to the idea of (and willing to use) a simple at home water test kit for detecting bacteria in their water supply. Although exact marketing strategies and implementation may vary, this provided the inertia to proceed with our work knowing there is a need and desire for our product in the community.

Questions 1, 2, and 3 when viewed together, imply that while people generally have a positive view of the quality of their water supply, they are unsure as to whether their water is regularly tested in any way.

This gave us reason to think; how can we help educate the public on water testing in their communities, so they can have a well-founded confidence in their municipal water source? Our solution: an informational pamphlet that provides ways individuals can find data on water testing and quality standards in their area!

Social Media

As part of our team’s work to engage the local community, we held an event titled “GMO’s: Let’s Talk about that” at the Wauwatosa Public Library.

This evening allowed us to discuss what we do as a research team and converse with concerned community members in an environment where they were comfortable speaking freely and asking difficult, pressing questions like; “How much influence do big agricultural companies have on scientific research?”, “What kind of regulations on GMO’s are there to protect consumers?” and “Do you believe it is ethical to genetically modify higher level organisms?”.

As a team, this was a great experience answering questions we don’t generally encounter and establishing meaningful connections with members of the public.