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Team:UCSF/ALHS Project
From 2013.igem.org
Teaching Synthetic Biology to High School Students: As a peer education project, the entire advanced level Biotechnology class at Lincoln High school decided to educate their fellow environmentally aware Green Academy students about GMO foods. Our goal was to provide further insight into Synthetic Biology and GMOs to the Green Academy students. We accomplished this by speaking to the Green Academy about genetically modified organisms/food and conducting a lab experiment that showed how Biotechnology can be used to detect GMOs.
The Exploratorium (www.exploratorium.edu) is a museum dedicated to various science-related exhibits aimed to teach science and its practical applications and inspire learning by self-discovery to its guests. The night event is an 18-and-older event that approximately 4-5 thousand people attend the first Thursday of each month. Each event revolves around a unique theme, and we presented our work on synthetic biology in the theme of Transformations. The transformations exhibited ranged from origami folding to metamorphosis to ice cutting, and our focus was on micro-transformations in cells. In accordance with the theme, our team presented information involving genetic transformation in order to show the benefits of synthetic biology and the many applications it can have in the future.
Micro-Transformations, Macro Changes: The goal of our exhibit was to provide relatable information about the general techniques scientists use every day in the laboratory. We presented brief “elevator talks,” broken down into two topics to more clearly present the information for the public. The first talk explained the Central Dogma of Biology, where DNA is transcribed into mRNA, and mRNA translated into protein. The second elevator talk was about the execution of transformation in molecular biology and the basic experimental concepts, while also giving real life examples of how it is used as an application. In addition to our presentations, we gave away synthetic biology informational bookmarks and scientific temporary tattoos, and brought culture plates with E. coli transformed with GFP and RFP for visual demonstration of transformations in cells.
