Waterloo iGEM SHAD Valley Synthetic Biology Workshop

As an emerging field, synthetic biology is not always well-understood by today’s high school student. We believe that as the future of synthetic biology continues to grow brighter, it is important to introduce students, especially those reaching the postsecondary level, to this field and its potential. To address this, we partnered with SHAD Waterloo (a summer program that gives exceptional high school students chance to experience 4 weeks at several Canadian Universities) to host a three-day workshop to educate students about the foundations of synthetic biology, lab techniques/protocols, and the social and ethical aspects of science in the modern day. Specifically, our goals in hosting the SHAD workshop were three-fold: (1) to teach eager secondary school students about the field of synthetic biology and how it may be used in the world of today; (2) laboratory techniques that are used by the Waterloo iGEM team to manipulate the genomes of bacteria to exhibit particular properties; and (3) ethics surrounding synthetic biology, its impact on society, possible benefits, and possible misuses of the technology. Overall, the SHAD workshop organized by Waterloo iGEM was directed towards an interactive and interdisciplinary approach to synthetic biology education.

Day 1: Introduction to Synthetic Biology and the Fundamentals of Genetics

To begin, students received introductory surveys to describe their previous experience with different laboratory techniques and their current thoughts on synthetic biology. Following this, the students were given an introduction on what synthetic biology is and how it is perceived differently by scientists, engineers, and the public. We also explained some molecular biology techniques that are important to synthetic biology. These techniques include the importance of the aseptic technique in the laboratory, plating cells onto an agar plate, and preparing and running an agarose gel for gel electrophoresis. The SHADs then joined in a discussion about potential applications of synthetic biology and how these applications could be achieved through molecular biology techniques and principles. After the introductory discussion and a safety briefing, students performed basic tasks and aseptic techniques. They SHAD students learned how to properly operate a micropipette and how to streak an agar plate using E.coli with reporter proteins, all while maintaining an uncontaminated workspace using aseptic technique. They each created a design and the next day (after overnight incubation) the SHADs got to see their ideas come to life. Following the interactive laboratory section, students were guided through one of the labs of our iGEM team to observe different workspaces and tools that they might be able to use one day, should they continue to pursue the path of a synthetic biologist.

Day 2: Miniprep and GMOs

The students began with a quick discussion on mobile genetic elements as an introduction to the day’s experiment. Working with members of Waterloo iGEM, the students were guided through the steps of mini-prepping E.coli :pelleting of cells from a culture, lysing the cells to make the DNA accessible, then isolating the DNA from other cellular debris. For our experimental protocols see our [Experiments Page] (https://2017.igem.org/Team:Waterloo/Experiments). After the miniprep, we proceeded with a discussion on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). We began with watching a video by “Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TmcXYp8xu4) to give a brief background on GMOs and as a talking point for discussion. Students then provide their own thoughts and asked questions about the uses GMOs in general and shared their personal choices as consumers with regards to GMOs.

Day 3: Gel Electrophoresis, Ethics, and Science Communication

We began the final day of our workshop by going over the process of gel electrophoresis and the significance of the results. Students then practiced loading the samples into the gel before fully running the gels; they were imaged and showed to the students. The workshop then shifted the focus from the lab to exploring what makes good science, the impact of good communication in science, and the ethics regarding synthetic biology. It was emphasized that good science extends beyond producing results in the lab – it stems from thorough analyses of the feasibility, ethics, and impact on society on both small and large scales. When it comes to opening up the new science to the world, students were made aware of how something with many benefits like GMOs could still be receiving such controversial responses. We then explained one way to minimize these negative results is through good communication. In our final discussion, we invited students to share what they believe contributes to ethical scientific practices. Key topics brought up by students included: safety, responsibility, and the overall benefit to the world.

Conclusion

Overall, we believe that the workshop was very successful for both the students and the iGEM members who were working with them. Students showed continuous enthusiasm in learning about synthetic biology, and had a very positive experience overall. We were able to achieve all of our goals, and received positive feedback from the students.

1. Based on surveys results, all students felt that they had a significantly better understanding of synthetic biology related terminology and a better grasps its current and potential uses. Following the discussion on GMOs, it was found that more students felt comfortable using GMOs and products made with GM technology since the workshop began.
2. We received very positive feedback on the lab portion of the workshop. Students enjoyed getting to use new lab equipment, and the opportunity to conduct molecular biology experiments. One particular piece of feedback that was received from the students is that having microscopes available in the lab for attendees to view their microbes would be really fun and educational.
3. Students actively engaged in the conversation and demonstrated the ability to think critically about the underlying issues that face the uses of synthetic biology. There was also a focus on the importance of the practice of unbiased and well-communicated science, that is, being transparent and truthful in one’s work while avoiding any personal bias. This workshop was a great experience for the members of iGEM, and we hope to continue to work with SHAD Valley in future years to educate future university students about the field of synthetic biology. It is also an effective way to inspire prospective students to get involved with iGEM in their future years. In the spirit of iGEM and making science accessible to all, our team has made all our presentations and protocols free-to-use for educational and non-commercial purposes. Our team would be happy to answer any questions that you may have with regards to this documentation. We hope it serves you well!

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� Waterloo iGEM SHAD Valley Synthetic Biology Workshop

As a relatively new and emerging field, synthetic biology is a term not commonly well-understood by modern day high school students. We believe that as the future of synthetic biology continues to grow brighter, it is becoming more important to introduce students, especially those reaching the postsecondary level, to this field and educate them about its potential. To address this, we partnered with SHAD Waterloo (a summer program that hosts exceptional high school students around Canada) to host a three-day workshop to educate students about the foundations of synthetic biology, lab techniques/protocols, and the social and ethical aspects of science in the modern day.

Day 1: Introduction to Synthetic Biology and the Fundamentals of Genetics On the first day of the workshop, students were given an introduction on what synthetic biology is and how it can be perceived differently by scientists, engineers, and the public. Following that discussion, we explained some genetic concepts that are important to synthetic biology. We concluded this section with an open brainstorming of how gene manipulation relates to synthetic biology, getting students to think about potential applications of synthetic biology and applying concepts that were discussed just before. After the introductory discussion, students had the opportunity to practice performing basic tasks and aseptic techniques. They learned how to use a micropipette while maintaining an uncontaminated workspace. Once comfortable, the students learned how to streak plate using E. Coli with reporter proteins. They each created a design, and got to bring their ideas to life.

Day 2: Miniprep and GMO’s The students began with a quick discussion on mobile genetic elements as an introduction to the miniprep. Working with members of Waterloo iGEM, the students were guided through the pelleting of cells from a culture, lysing the cells to make the DNA accessible, then isolating the DNA from other components. After the miniprep was complete, we proceeded with a discussion on a highly debated topic – genetically modified organisms(GMO). With all of the controversy in the world about the uses of GMO, it was important to identify the views of people on either side of the matter. Students then had the opportunity to provide their own thoughts and opinions on whether the world should continue to use GMO to address their needs or if it should be avoided altogether.

Day 3: Gel Electrophoresis, Ethics, and Science Communication We began the final day of our workshop by going over the process of gel electrophoresis and the significance of the results. Students then practiced loading they samples into the gel before fully running the gels, and they were imaged and showed to the students. The workshop then shifted the focus from the lab to exploring what makes good science, the impact of good communication in science, and the ethical regarding synthetic biology. It was emphasized that good science extends beyond producing results in the lab – it is stems from thorough analyses of the feasibility, ethics, and impact on society on both small and large scales. When it comes to opening up the new science to the world, students were made aware of how something with as many benefits as GMO’s could still be receiving such controversial responses and methods to avoid such results through good communication. In our final discussion, we invited students to share what they believe made science ethical. Key topics brought up by students included: safety, responsibility, and the overall benefit to the world.

Conclusion Overall, we believe that the workshop was very successful for both the students and the iGEM members who were working with them. Students showed continuous enthusiasm in learning about synthetic biology, and had a very positive experience overall. We were able to achieve all of our goals, and received positive feedback from the students.

1. Based on surveys students filled out at the very beginning and at the end, all students felt that they had a significantly better understanding of terms such as synthetic biology, aseptic techniques, DNA, proteins, chromosomes, bacteria, plasmid, miniprep, and gel electrophoresis. They were able to enhance their knowledge on these terms, or got a head-start on concepts they likely will learn in the future.
2. We received very positive feedback on the lab portion of the workshop. Students enjoyed getting to use lab equipment not normally available at their own schools, and had the opportunity to conduct experiments from beginning to end. Many of the attendees felt that learning about aseptic techniques helped improve their overall lab skills as they became more aware of the importance of preventing contamination. We hope that students continue to practice aseptic lab techniques and apply what they learned in future experiments.
3. The third and final goal that we achieved was to inform students about the ethical and social concerns on the use and applications of synthetic biology. Students actively engaged in the conversation and demonstrated the ability to think critically about the underlying issues that face the uses of synthetic biology. This workshop was a great experience for the members of iGEM, and we hope to continue to work SHAD Valley in future years to educate future university students about the field of synthetic biology. It is also an effective way to inspire prospective students to get involved with iGEM in their future years.

Science Open House

Waterloo iGEM had the privilege to be involved in the University of Waterloo’s Annual Science Open House. Children and their families had the chance to get involved in all sorts of hands-on science activities exploring many areas of science.

Waterloo iGEM hoped to accomplish a few things by participating in this year’s open house:

1. Foster kids’ interest in science.
2. Introduce children and families to the idea of synthetic biology.
3. Inform attendees about our project using our Snake35 game.

We hoped to accomplish this through our activities centers. Using arts and crafts material, children got to design their own microorganism. They were introduced to the concept of using synthetic biology to modify existing microbes to perform awesome tasks. Each child created their own unique microbe with a cool new function it was able to accomplish through synthetic biology. We think one of the strengths of this activity was its accessibility for the wide age range of kids that attended the open house. Some of the ideas sounded like incredible future iGEM projects such as “curing the common cold”, “microbes that grow to a larger size”, “microbes with extra appendages to grab food”, “microbes that clean wounds” and our favourite “microbes that can do absolutely everything”.

While each child designed their microbes, our iGEM team members were also answering any questions that kids or their parents and guardians asked about iGEM, synthetic biology, and our project. This included answering questions about applications of our project, safety and ethics, the growth of field of synthetic biology, and where our work will continue the future.

We also ran a pipetting activity we called ‘Liquid Rainbows’. Our team explained how scientists (including synthetic biologists) use special lab equipment to measure liquid when performing experiments, just like using measuring spoons and cups for cooking. Using coloured water we helped each child mix different colours of water into microfuge tubes to form different colours. These kids appeared to get the hang of it quite quickly and really enjoyed using real equipment just like scientists!

Finally, we let participants take a crack at our Snake35 game (for more info see our Snake35 page). Our iGEM team members explained how we have been studying how proteins interact or stick to each other, and although we cannot see the protein with our eyes we can tell if they have stuck together using light. This was a really valuable experience for us because we were able to take feedback from this event and improve the final version of our game.

Social Media: A crucial initiative to drive public recognition for synthetic biology

Background

During the course of summer, the Waterloo iGEM 2017 was represented by Melissa Prickaerts at the Biotech Bootcamp. One key takeaway from the Biotech Bootcamp highlighted social media as an important factor in sparking interest and curiosity for synthetic biology. In 2017, Pew Research Center in Washington D.C. reported that 67% of adults in America uses social media as their main source of news. While the advent of fake news controversies raised skepticism regarding the credibility of social media, this platform is undeniably influential over public’s perception. If used responsibly, social media can be an important tool to move public recognition in synthetic biology forward.

Action

Throughout the course of this season, the Waterloo iGEM 2017 team has actively involve social media in its activities for policy and practice. The main actions taken were:

• Update posts on our Twitter account and Instagram account to increase the number of followers
• Present the concept of social media’s role in synthetic biology for SHAD Valley
• Distribute our IAT survey through social media to see how people react to synthetic biology online.

Result

This section will only discuss the results obtained from our operation of our social media account, as the outcomes of SHAD Valley and IAT is performed separately. Through Twitter, we were able to generate thousands of impressions and gained 77 new followers from June 2017 to October 2017. One noticeable trend was that content originally created by us such as photos and videos tend to gain more engagement more than retweets.

As a result, we brought our attention to our instagram page and achieved phenomenal results. Instagram is the ideal social media website for sharing authentic content, as it does not promote reposting content like Twitter does. Therefore, we use Instagram to share photos of our activities throughout this season. This help us to connect with the community by sharing day-to-day moments we experienced from being in the lab and going outside to interview professors. Over the course of the few months, we achieved over 200 followers, which showed that social media provide a great platform to connect with people.