Team:SCUT-China/Policy&Practices/Public Outreach

Exhibition
We hold a one-month long display about employing synthetic biology to combat antimicrobial resistance and some other applications of synthetic biology as medicine and energy, such as MDC,which is cooperated with the Guangdong Science Center, the largest science center around the Asia, and helped with SCAU (you can have a look at their wiki). We have prepared for the exhibition for half a year and tried to connect with many companies or schools like SCAU. Finally, our exhibition opened to the public at 1st Oct. 2014. At the first day, we can feel the enthusiasm obviously.

The volunteers selected from our freshmen of our school tried their best to explain the knowledge of the synthetic biology and let them know about the antimicrobial resistance better. All the volunteers were trained strictly by us with our whole heart devoted. Meanwhile, the freshmen who did this work also learned a lot about the synthetic biology and iGEM.

Our exhibition is divided into five parts:

1.exhibition board

The main part is the 10 exhibition boards filled with concepts of synthetic biology and antimicrobial resistance which were made by us with many days forgetting sleep and diet. As this picture shows, our team member was trying his best to explain the safety of synthetic biology. These boards contain the introduction, safety and application in antimicrobial resistance. During these days, many people came to look at these boards and learned a lot.

2.microscope area

The second part is the exhibition of some microbes which can arouse many diseases using the microscopes brought from our laboratory. The public were very interested in them and learned about the bacteria which can arouse the antimicrobial resistance. For example, we displayed some common antimicrobials, like Vancomycin resistant S.aureus (VRSA).

3.photo model

Our cooperator, SCAU, designed and made some models of cute characteristics which present different fields where synthetic biology can be used, which were prepared for people to take pictures. They attracted many children here to get some knowledge.

4.brochures

In the meantime, we made 2,000 brochures about Employing Synthetic Biology, To Combat Antimicrobial Resistance to showcase how synthetic biology influence and make our life better in its safety way. During the exhibition, the audiences were so enthusiastic that we were frequently asked about synthetic biology and our project.

5.signature wall

In addition, we made a "signature wall" to let the public express their supporting for the application of synthetic biology in our daily life. We are surprised that audiences have already signed the whole wall after the first day of the exhibition.

Conclusion

For the first a-week holiday, we totally receive approximately 20,000 people from different places at different ages. According to the number of people (the number in weekday is about 10,000 per day, and in weekends is about 20,000 per day), We predict there can be approximately 400,000 people who can learn something from our exhibition more or less. It is the efforts we pay that gave us a great return, and we are also grateful for the SCAU team helping us design photo models and do video propagandizing. In a conclusion, we can say that we make a great success on outreaching synthetic biology by combined our project.