Team:UANL Mty-Mexico/Synthetic Tunnel

Synthetic Biology Tunnel Back to top

The Synthetic Biology (SynBio) Tunnel is a project to massively inform the crowd. We gave people of all ages accurate information to understand what SynBio is and how it is carried out. In about 90 minutes and across ten interactive modules, we covered topics from basic molecular biology to applications of SynBio and iGEM. Our objective is to educate people in order to promote a founded, critic judgment. Voilà a glance at the tunnel modules:

1: DNA

Topics: -DNA as the information storage molecule in all living things. -Organization of DNA within cells. -Molecular structure of DNA -DNA structure model. Activity: Puzzle board game to learn how DNA is copied.

2: Genes

Topics: -Genes as functional units of DNA -Organization and parts of a genes -How do the genes work? -Central dogma of molecular biology.  Activity: Puzzle with multiple options to explain gene function through the central Dogma. -Use of common examples.

3: Proteins

Topics: -Proteins as carriers of most biological processes -Types of proteins -Examples of  common proteins -The genetic code  Activity: Build a protein from DNA code (translation), Protein models.

4: Genetic Engineering

Topics: -Recombinant DNA technology -Restriction enzymes, ligase and vectors -Examples.  Activity: Build a recombinant DNA molecule with colored cables  and transform a cell.

5: Synthetic Biology

Topics: -Universality, modularity and abstraction of bioparts -Synbio as the application of engineering concepts to biology -Advancements in DNA synthesis and sequencing technologies. Activity:  Construct a genetic circuit on a board and estimate time and costs to build it.

6: Biobricks

Topics: -BioBricks as standard DNA parts - Parts of a BioBrick - Types of BioBricks. -Biobrick assembly -The Registry of Standard Biological Parts Activity: Put compatible bricks together.

7: Biological machine

Topics: -Imagine the possibilities -Addressing high impact problems through biomachines. -Metabolic load -Advantages of biomachines over robots. Activity: "Labyrinth of metabolism" so that the visitor knows that "parts" must be manipulated to make a organism perform certain function.

8: Applications of SynBio

Topics: -Impact of SynBio in a wide variety of areas - Examples of issues solved through SynBio (How do these projects work?)  Activity: The visitor must correlate a specific genetic circuit to its application area.

9: iGEM

Topics: iGEM as the biggest synthetic biology competition, rules, motivation, scope. - iGEM UANL 2011 and 2012 -CIDEB-UANL 2012  Activity: -Explain our 2011 project -Exhibition of the light-machine used in our project -Explain CIDEB's 2012 project

10: Ethics and Biosafety

Topics: -Ethics definition -Human quality of life -Good and ugly -Impact awareness -Acceptance of SynBio -Potential problems -Precautions taken to prevent them -Biosafety levels Activity: Dress with biosafety equipment  (lab coat, glasses, gloves…) as fast as possible!

SynBio Tunnel Now! Back to top

Synthetic Biology Tunnel was our main Human Practices activity last year [Tunnel Activity 2012]. We got an audience of approximately 7, 000 people when we made our first edition of the Tunnel at our Biology School, our second at the Niños Héroes part of the National Week of Science and Technology of the Nuevo Leon's state and our third at the Montemorelos Autodromus, a city from our state. But for this year, we continued with this activity, reaching an audience of more than 1,000 people in two more editions: The CIDEB edition and the Special Cuatrociénegas Edition.

SynBio Tunnel at Cuatrocienegas Back to top

Following the success of synthetic biology Tunnel we received an invitation from the Government of the Cuatrociénegas Town which is one of 38 municipalities of the state of Coahuila, in northern of Mexico, where the tunnel was exposed in elementary schools, junior highs and high schools as well as teachers and researchers of that place.

Cuatrociénegas has an important ecological reserve, which is the home of several endemic organisms,it is considered a "time capsule" because it is one of the sites with the greatest variety of biological species on the planet and is a good model to study the primitive Earth since 200 million of years ago was part of the coast of Laurasia. Today, stromatolites can be found dating back approximately 3 500 millions of years. One of the famed endemic organisms is the Bacillus coahuilensis (endemic of Cuatro Cienegas), which has the ability to thrive in salty environments.

Dr. Valeria Souza, from the Institute of Ecology in the UNAM, with the support of businessman Carlos Slim and LALA dairy company, awarded scholarships to 60 students of the CBTA 22 ( Agricultural Technology High School Center) to perform visits on agricultural lands and in 2012 it opened the molecular biology and biotechnology laboratory, in which students can extract DNA from "the wells of their houses, cultivate and sequence it." [García, K., (2013)].

In order to promote the protection of biodiversity of the place and let to know some endemic organisms, the tunnel modules had different modifications focused on the field work of Cuatrociénegas.

These applications allowed us to raise awareness among people of the value of natural resources and sustainable use of them resulting in an interest in the various applications of synthetic biology applied in that community.

The little lakes of Cuatrociénegas are special to keep an analogous food chain from 550 million years ago, because their organisms are related with marine species that may be direct descendants of the ancient shallow seas in the area. In addition, these organisms are adapted to live in extreme conditions, such as almost total lack of phosphorus in the water and the high incidence of solar radiation. So the NASA considers Cuatrociénegas one of the few ecosystems model for understanding the evolution of the early Earth, and for design studies to find life on other planets, such as Mars.

The team had the opportunity to visit the blue lake and the different gypsum Duanas, which made the trip had a great experience, and helped us understand the natural treasures of the place.

Thanks to this trip the team joined and created bonds of fellowship. Making this a great opportunity to coexist outside and within the scholar stuff.

Impact Back to top

The synthetic biology tunnel was on exposition on the 6th, 7th and 8th of December with the participation of 15 volunteers who promoted synthetic biology to all elementary, middle, and high schools in the community.

Since the Protection Area of Flora and Fauna of Cuatrociénegas is one of the most important regions of North America in preservation of biodiversity, we exposed how to promote the preservation of these areas through additional information about this region which was included in the Tunnel. The experience of this trip made stronger the team bonds of fellowship. Being this a great opportunity to coexist outside and within academia.