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Team:Warwick/PartsTest
From 2014.igem.org
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Outreach<br /> | Outreach<br /> | ||
As part of the project we looked to spread synthetic biology throughout the community. We <br /> | As part of the project we looked to spread synthetic biology throughout the community. We <br /> | ||
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to gain and perhaps from an iGEM perspective even collaboration because we began talks with <br /> | to gain and perhaps from an iGEM perspective even collaboration because we began talks with <br /> | ||
M.I.T. regarding delivery mechanisms for their project as a result of our survey. [insert some sort of <br /> | M.I.T. regarding delivery mechanisms for their project as a result of our survey. [insert some sort of <br /> | ||
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Revision as of 13:32, 16 October 2014
5' Promoter
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IRES
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MS2 Box
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Neomycin Resistance
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Aptazyme
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siRNA
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MS2 Coat Protein
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P2A
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RdRp
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3' Promoter
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As part of the project we looked to spread synthetic biology throughout the community. We
approached this feat through several different avenues.
One such way was our invitation to invite an A-Level student, Lucie, to explore the world of synthetic
biology by granting her an in depth view of our project. Lucie spent two weeks with us over the
summer exploring several advanced techniques within the field. She gained experience in DNA
coding through use of several programmes (including Geneious and ApE) and spent time working
with the team to remove a restriction site from a coding region from one of our gene blocks. [Insert
pic here]
In addition, she gained insight into how A-Level mathematics can be used to help set up equations
that can govern the use of a biological system. She worked alongside the modellers of the team in
order to see how they came up with the equation, and they also introduced her to the software that
they were using to analyse the equations.
Lucie also spent some time in the lab, observing what lab work at undergraduate level looks like and
the differences it bears to school. [Insert pic, find out more about what she did in lab/what to claim
We felt that this was a very beneficial way of approaching the issue of synthetic biology as there is
currently talk about introducing topics within the GCSE and A-Level syllabi. We felt that by providing
hands on experience we have given Lucie a “boost” in this respect, but also allowed her to open her
options to perhaps continuing study within the field at university. By providing pathways such as
this, it also allows the student to gain valuable experience to help with university applications within
scientific fields and it was regretful that we could not have offered this opportunity to more
students. [insert something Lucie said about how awesome we are and analyse in context]
We also looked to create awareness amongst our peers. Although university students, we felt that
most were not in fact alert to this new and emerging field of synthetic biology, and upon speaking
with students through lecture shout-outs and social media [get lecture shout out pic] we discovered
this was indeed true. As a result, we will be establishing a brand new society at the university,
SynBioWarwick.
The aim of our society would be to promote synthetic biology amongst students but also across the
local community by holding several types of events. These would range from obtaining guest
speakers to speak on the subject to current PhD students giving talks on the subject of their
dissertations. We would also look to increase knowledge about iGEM. We would very much like to
share the experience with others, and as we were the first Warwick team, we would like to provide
advice to the subsequent teams who will follow. To this end, we aim to hold talks about our project,
to gauge interest, but also hold seminars and workshop classes to teach students the relevant skills
prior to actually beginning their project in the summer. These would include classes on: practical lab
work skills (such as: mini-prepping, loading gel, etc.) to modelling (such as: constructing systems of
equations, looking through literature to find suitable parameters, etc.). [insert generic pic here to
break up text]
We felt that by taking a two-pronged approach to this by first doing our “market research”, and then
deciding to set up a society was a much better line to take. It allowed us to make an informed
decision about whether it would be worth setting up a society, and also if we decided we would (as
we did) it gives us support in our application by seeing so many people interested within the field.
This also will line us up to help the wider local community because it is common for guest speaker
talks to be aimed at the general public as well as at students. By doing this and establishing links, we
will be able to hold said events with regularity, and thereby be able to increase public knowledge
within a field little is currently known about.
Our survey allowed us to explore questions pertaining to our project as well as to synthetic biology
as a whole. Due to use of an online third party survey constructor, we were able to send the survey
far and wide. We spread the survey through social media, through email amongst the university, to
other iGEM teams and also across the world through strategically placed contacts the team had.
We will not talk much about the survey here as there is a whole section dedicated to the results
obtained from it, however it was a very worthwhile exercise and I would encourage all iGEM teams
to undertake a survey as part of their Policy & Practices, as it allows for the understanding and
observation of responses from a wide collective. Moreover, with strategic questioning, there is a lot
to gain and perhaps from an iGEM perspective even collaboration because we began talks with
M.I.T. regarding delivery mechanisms for their project as a result of our survey. [insert some sort of
pic here]
