Human Practice

Research on Synthetic Biology

As the influence of iGEM grows, the Synthetic Biology becomes more and more popular. We really wonder how people think about the subject cross in the field of synthetic biology, which is a pivotal trend in the field of the synthetic biology.

To search for the role that the subject cross plays in synthetic biology, we did a survey in which we attained 71 valid questionnaires and the informants came from 6 universities. With close analysis, we found some interesting results, which may shed light on a possible direction for the development of synthetic biology.

Result

The informants are composed of 1 teacher and 70 students, most of whom major in biology or similar subjects, notwithstanding the involvement of a few students majoring in chemistry, computer science and some other subjects (Fig. 1). What’s more, the informants, mostly beginning to know synthetic biology at the very time of preparing for iGEM, are all the participants of iGEM, who have a relatively comprehensive understanding of synthetic biology. Therefore, our survey is representative and technical.

In this survey, we asked which of the subjects have the closest combination with the synthetic biology now (Fig. 2). By analyzing the top three subjects, we find that medical science, chemistry and computer science constitute the subjects having the closest combination with synthetic biology. In contrast to the paucity of the informants majoring in computer science, the great attention cast on computer science is really interesting. On the other hand, the subjects which considered not to be so close to synthetic biology should also gain attention. For instance, the social science was rarely emphasized by informants. However, if we want a widely-spread understanding of synthetic biology, the help of social science is necessary. In a word, those subjects ignored by informants, in the aspect of the combination with synthetic biology, may also exert an influential effect on the development of synthetic biology.

Based on the above question, another issue on the fields that people majoring in synthetic biology should strengthen the combination with in the shortest time was put forward (Fig. 3). We can find that albeit the importance of computer science has been emphasized in the above question, it was chose by quite a lot people for a second time. Besides, right fitting our previous analysis, the result says that there are 15% of informants agreeing that social science should not be ignored. Interestingly, it just reflects the importance of Human Practice in iGEM competition. The other subjects are all supported by a few people, and the number of supporters is comparable to each other, which suggest that synthetic biology is really a field acquiring subject cross.

Knowing that the subject cross is important in synthetic biology through the above questions, we are curious about how synthetic biology attains the chance to thrive from subject cross. Therefore, we designed another question about the most important embodiment today as for the view of subject cross in synthetic biology (Fig. 4). It’s amazing that three choices, learning from the mode of thinking in other fields, making good use of the technics in other subjects, solving the problems in other subjects through the method in the field of synthetic biology, gained roughly the same vote. Considering the fact that every informant was required to choose only one answer, we inferred that all of the three aspects were considered to be pivotal by informants, which also reflected that the embodiment of subject cross is variable in the field of synthetic biology

Having learned a lot of the role of subject cross, we want to know if there is something else beyond subject cross. Hence we asked another question about the direction which is most in need of developing in synthetic biology (Fig. 5). It came out that nearly half of the informants believed that promoting the integration of biobricks should be the fundamental direction. Actually, our team is just working forward in this direction. We made great effort in the integration between CRISPRi system and several light sensors, both of which are powerful biobricks constructed or modified by our team, to realize the regulation in the level of genome. No one can say it’s just an ordinary integration.

To sum up, the questionnaire basically made us know something about: (1) the presence and future of subject cross in the field of synthetic biology, for example people thought that computer science was important both in the presence and future. (2) the role which subject cross plays in synthetic biology, including learning from the mode of thinking in other field, making good use of the technics in other subjects, solving the problems in other subjects through the method in the field of synthetic. (3) something beyond subject cross, such as promoting the integration of biobricks, which is actually also relative to the project of our team. We talentedly integrate the CRISPRi system with several light sensors.

Discussion

In addition to the questions about subject cross and related issues, we also search for other aspects about synthetic biology. (Data not show)

Based on our research, one can easily achieve the conclusion that subject cross is really a complex issue in the field of synthetic biology. Notwithstanding the other factors which can also influence the development of synthetic biology, we should pay attention to subject cross to enhance the development of synthetic biology.

Ultimately, our research successfully answered our questions about subject cross in synthetic biology and gave us so much information about synthetic biology.

our questionnaire

The Research on Subject Cross In Synthetic Biology

Ladies and gentlemen:

Hello! We are the SJTU-BioX-Shanghai team, which will take part in 2013 iGEM. As the influence of iGEM grows, the Synthetic Biology becomes more and more popular. We really wonder how do you think about the subject cross in the field of synthetic biology. Could you please take a little time to finish the questionnaire? Thanks for your help!

Status(Instructor or student members)__________ School_____________ Major__________ Grade____________

1.When did you begin to know the synthetic biology?

A Junior high school

B Senior high school

C Freshman or sophomore

D Junior or senior in university

E Graduate

F After finding a job G when beginning to prepare for iGEM

2. Which of the following subjects do you think combines with synthetic biology most tightly now? Please give the order from the most tightly to the least.

A electronic

B mechanics

C medical science

D physics

E computer science

F chemistry

G mathematics

H social science (e.g. economics, sociology)

3. What aspect do you think is the most important embodiment today as for the view of subject cross in synthetic biology?

A Learn from the mode of thinking in other field

B Use other subjects’ theory

C Make good use of the technics in other subjects

D Solve the problems in other subjects through the method in the field of synthetic biology

E Other __________

4. Which field do you think people majoring in synthetic biology should strengthen the combination with in the shortest time?

A electronic

B mechanics

C medical science

D physics

E computer science

F chemistry

G mathematics

H social science (e.g. economics, sociology)

I other______

5. Do you think “light” is important in synthetic biology?

A very important

B important

C not important

D I haven’t heard of the use of light

E light is redundant in synthetic biology.

6. If light is used in synthetic biology, what’s its biggest advantage?

A easy to operate

B intensity is uniform

C quantitative analysis

D other____

7. Which is the most in need of development direction in synthetic biology?

A construct more biobricks

B make use of more techniques in other subjects

C promote the integration of biobricks

D make more complex synthetic system

E other_______

8. Do you think the project you are doing is beneficial for the improvement of human life or the promotion of human civilization?

A our project can change the world!

B the project can be used in the daily life or industrial production in a few years

C I’m not sure

D It might be applied in the distant future

9. Do you want to engage in the research or occupation about synthetic biology?

A Yes! It’s the thing that I want to do most

B I may do something about synthetic biology in the future, but I’m not sure

C I haven’t think about this thing seriously

D No way, I have other things to do

10. In some aspect, the synthetic biology today may not achieve your expectation. What is it?

A The research on gene function still have a long way to go.

B The thought of engineering applied to synthetic biology still has distance with the real engineering

C More Biobricks should be constructed, and should be shared more widely

D The combination between modeling and biology is not so strong.

E Talented people working on synthetic biology and money used in synthetic biology is still enough, when compared with other fields in biology

F Other____________________________________

Thank you for your support on our research!