Team:XMU-China/p&p

From 2014.igem.org

Latest revision as of 13:45, 8 October 2014

Overview

This year marks the 10th anniversary of iGEM. The decade witnesses the progress and boom of iGEM—more teams sign up for the competition and more programs of high quality are produced. Meanwhile, it is a trend which the open-minded iGEMers of XMU comply with that the communication among teams from all around the world is more frequency. We were active in communication and collaborations with counterparts at home and abroad, as well as propaganda and popularization of synthetic biology and iGEM. A biweekly newsletter, which was cofounded by iGEMers of Paris Bettencourt University and us, XMU team, provided broader communication and colorful later issues and had attracted participators from 30 teams. Besides, we enjoyed net-video conference with domestic and overseas counterparts and study visits to other iGEM teams. Moreover, during the popularization in Xiamen Library, we managed an iconoclastic way that we started with a hot issue, GM food (genetically modified food), which is worldwide popular.

Newsletter

There is no doubt that iGEM needs a communication platform to share our idea, ask for and receive help. Though we have Meetup, iGEM CC, Facebook and Twitter, indeed, these platforms fail to became popular.

We are committed to build an open and easy-to-access platform, on which iGEMers can share their information and exchange resource conveniently within the shortest time.

Based on this suggestion, iGEMers of Paris Bettencourt University and we cofounded an information exchange platform named Newsletter on July 28. As a biweekly electronic journal, it is in PDF format and free for readers. Till now 40 teams from Asia and Europe have participated. In general this electronic newsletter includes two major parts: project update and the introduction of team members. We sincerely hope that through this platform, every team will have a better access to share information and progress, gain feedbacks and favors on their own projects from their peers and even get to know some young promising synthetic biologists. In addition, there are also going to be special issues publishing with interviews of iGEM alumni and advisors from part of college teams in competition.

On this platform, iGEM teams from all around the world introduce their programs, share details of experiments, ask for help, and reply to requirements from counterparts. In addition, special issue offers access to peripheral issue, such as interviews to teams and experts, case analysis, experience in team construction and popularization of synthetic biology. We excavate the quintessence of the past work as the shoulder standing on which the following teams could see further.

Communication with Counterparts

If Newsletter builds cooperation as the bridge to connect with other teams, our communications via net-video and face-to-face meeting establish a deep friendship with counterparts.

We initiated net-video meetings with the iGEM teams in Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Tientsin University (TJU) and National Chiao Tung University (NCTU). We were so excited to see their faces on the screen that some of us talk over one another. Jianxing Huang had to keep order from time to time. We delightedly shared our progress and experience, and introduced our ideas with each other. During the meetings, we learned a lot from our counterparts: SJTU put forward a design of a video in which the development of iGEM in China would be shown, and their imagination astonished us. The campus cultural festival of Tokyo Tech showed a creative Human Practice idea, and we found we two were quite different in selection methods of team members, the manner of working, and the way of thinking, from which we were illuminated a great deal. And it was the innovation of TJU’s idea that convinced us. It is particularly worth mentioning here that NCTU’s enthusiasm really inspired us a lot.

In addition, we were glad to call on iGEMers in other universities. On July 16th, Chen Jielin paid a visit to the iGEM team in Zhejiang University (ZJU) who generously provided some strains for us. And we were so happy to see 3 members from ZJU again during their reciprocal visit to us. Yang Liu visited TJU’s lab on July 28th, and she brought back their latest progress and experience. Fan Wu and Yue Jiang reported our idea in University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). We also have face-to-face meetings with Northeast Agricultural University (NEAU), South University of Science and Technology of China (SUSTC), South China Agricultural University (SCAU) and Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU).

What is more, we joined up with University of Gottingen from German and Paris Sacley from France to translate our wikis into each native language. Though English is the universal language, we believe native words could be more understandable for iGEMers.

Popularization of iGEM and Synthetic Biology

When we enjoy the knowledge and jubilant brought by iGEM, we’ve not forgotten to spread them to the public, and let more people, whether in the field or not, know about iGEM and synthetic biology.

On September 12nd to 14th, as a key team of XMU summer social practice, we held a science popularization in Xiamen Library, the city's main library. The activity was aimed at popularizing food safety, transgenosis technology, synthetic biology, and iGEM. Unlike in the past, we put the schematic and explicit posters up in the hall along with explanations, did some interesting experiments, made and played an instruction video.

To begin with, we informed the readers knowledge of food safety, which drew their attention. The topic was widely recognized, especially the GM food (genetically modified food) which spark a hot debate. Yongyuan Cui, a Chinese hoster and Zhouzi Fang, a Chinese scholar even had a heated argument in Weibo (Chinese Twitter). Regardless the comments on GM food, we objectively presented its theory and laboratory procedures. And there was a lot of misunderstanding we disabused. We believed that after acquirement of the details, the attitude of the public towards GM food could be more objective.

We played a video clipped by Wu Fan, Li Zhe and Liu Chang. The 20 minute video introduced transgenosis technology and synthetic biology. Compared with boring explanation, the intuitional way of popularization was obviously more attractive and effective. We were glad to see our audience absorbed in it.

The demonstrative experiments were about distinguishing disqualified and toxic food and chemical knowledge. And their characteristics of image, intuition and interest caught the eye of spectators of all ages. In the course of prize-winning quiz, they scrambled to answer questions.

Besides, we did a questionnaire which 140 citizens filled out about food safety. We concluded that 42% citizens made up their mind to safeguard their rights and interests when the safety of their food is threatened, even though nearly all of them were concerned about food safety, and that many people jumped to conclusion that GM food is harmful, without comprehension of the mechanism of transgenic <a>technology.</a><a id="_anchor_1" href="file:///G:/%E8%AE%BE%E8%AE%A1/wiki%E4%B8%8A%E4%BC%A0/p&p%20%E6%B4%8B%20%E7%AB%B9%20.docx#_msocom_1" language="JavaScript" name="_msoanchor_1">[刘洋1]</a> 

After the activity, we were happy to be interviewed by media: FJTV-4, Voice of the Strait and Xiamen Daily.

Acknowledgements

We’d like to express our sincere gratitude towards every person and institute that helped XMU-China2014 during this year.

Lab supports

We would like to thank Prof. Fang’s Lab, <a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a>Department of Biochemical Engineeringfor , Xiamen University providing our experimental space, equipment and supplies. And the SpectraMax+M5 microplate reader is kindly provided by Prof. Chen Xiaodong from Department of Chemical Engineering.

Suggestions

We appreciate Prof. Fang Boshan, Prof. Wu Yixun, Doctor Jiang Wei from Department of Biochemical Engineering, Prof. Yang Chaoyong from Department of Chemistry, and Prof. Han Jiahuai from School of Life Sciences for the pertinent suggestions about our project, and their guidance about lab skills.

Fund supports

Great thanks to Xiamen University Academic Administration for the fund supports.

Special thanks

We express our heartfelt appreciation to Prof. Sourjik of Universitaet Heidelberg for sending us <a name="OLE_LINK18"></a>E. coli strain MG1655, and Prof. Parkinson of Biology University of Utah for E. coli strains RP437 and RP1616. We also thank iGEMers in Zhejiang University for the E. coli strains and Tian Zhe from Harbin Institute of Technology for video dubbing. And we appreciate Xiamen Library for co-organization of our popularization activity.

Finally, again we’d like to express our deepest appreciation to all these kindly help, without any of which we couldn't manage to overcome difficulties and finish the whole project.