Team:UCopenhagen/HP/Media
As mentioned previously, our goal was to actively engage the scientific community and the general public to assure that our project is safe, responsible and good for the world. This was among other things made possible through various mass media tools such as social media platforms, the press and a podcast to engage with the audience and receive feedback. This page will therefore serve as a detailed overview of the work effectuated in the different communicative areas:
Social Media
Our communicative approach on social media was to engage as many as possible - both individuals from the scientific community and individuals from the general public that are curious about science. The tone on all our social media platforms was down-to-earth and casual. Due to the genre and format of social media nowadays, the communication of our scientific project was also kept very fundamental in order to keep the users interested.
Facebook
A large amount of the general public uses Facebook. Therefore, the focus on this social media platform was to diversify our target group as much as possible, so that we could get individuals from different background to show interest in our project. Therefore, this platform was utilised in collaboration with the events to target individuals that could be potentially interested in our project.
Instagram
A large amount of the younger generation uses Instagram as their primary social media platforms. The focus on this social media platform was primarily to provide a more visually pleasing insight to our project and team to this target group and thereby get them interested in iGEM and synthetic biology in general. Also, it was a great way to keep up with the other iGEM teams around the world. Instagram allowed us an insight into what the younger generation mainly reacted and interacted with, and what got them interested.
Twitter
A large part of the scientific community uses Twitter. Therefore, this social media platform was used as a mean of communicating with the scientific community around the world by sharing our critical reflections, personal team pictures and live event-updates.
See our latest social media posts here:
Press
In continuation with our social media activities, we contacted the press to communicate our project to a wider range of the general public and the scientific community.
From crucial funding to an inspiring article. A late Wednesday in September. a few hours before our meeting we were contacted by a journalist whose interest our funding application had spiked. She approached us with a proposal and a question. If we partook in an interview she would write an article about our story and put us on the front page of the next issue of the Pharma Danmark member magazine.
A long fun and coffee fueled interview and a photo session filled with laughter and there we were on the front page on a Danish magazine.
Podcast
As a means to engage the general public in a more broad and accessible manner, we at a team Incell decided to create a podcast, inviting expert into interviews about synthetic biology and the different relevant aspects surrounding it. In this way we got the opportunity to not only interview experts, but share their insights with the rest of the world.
Through this podcast we managed to spread the word about synthetic biology and what researchers see as the future possibilities and limitations. We learned the importance of biocontainment and general biosafety in regards to genetically modified organism and how these concerns differ between Europe and the United States of America. Also, we got inspired to take entrepreneurship to future road after iGEM and received a knowledge about how to go from idea to company - to encourage tomorrow´s Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of biotech.
All of this new knowledge we have shared on all our media platform, hoping to engage the public and possibly create some interesting reflective discussions.
Episodes:
- Bioentrepreneurship w. Andreas Laustsen Many of the aspects in iGEM resembles an entrepreneurship; you have to brainstorm an idea, engage the general public, brand your project in order to receive funds and learn basic project management skill. Therefore a natural directions for many iGEM alumni is to pursue life as entrepreneur. This episode is highlighting the process of getting an idea, and executing it into a successful business. Interviewing entrepreneur of multiple companies Andreas Laustsen, who have had a great success with - among others - the companies Biosynthia and VenomAb IVS.
- Biosafety w. Birger Lindberg Møller and Cathrine Rhodes An important topic within Synthetic biology is Genetically modified organism (GMO), what it is and which safety issues we need to take into considerations. This episode is split into two parts, where the first part is an Interview with Birger Lindberg Møller who is head of Center for synthetic biology at university of Copenhagen, explaining what GMO is, what we can use it for, and also an insight to his work at center for Synthetic Biology and how they take biocontainment into consideration. The second part is with Academic Project Manager at Centre for existential risk Catherine Rhodes, explaining the legal aspects relating GMO particularly within Europe.
- Synthetic Biology w. Jo Sadler, Sebastian & REC-CHENNAI (India) Individuals with different academic background were interviewed on their thoughts about synthetic biology - Msc. student Sebastian, Postdoctoral researcher Jo Sadler along with REC Chennai interviewees ranging from postgraduate students to professors. This episode portrays the diverse scientific, non-scientific, cultural and environmental perspectives on syntethic biology from around the world.
