Team:WPI-Worcester/Outreach

From 2014.igem.org

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<h4>Women in Science Day Camp</h4><p><h9>Contaminated Water</h9></p>
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<h4>Women in Science Day Camp</h4><h9>Survey of Farmers</h9>
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<p>To teach the girls from the Women in Science Day Camp about bacteria that can be engineered to perform certain functions, we designed an activity which uses bacteria to detect pollution in water. When a plasmid containing the arsenic dependent promoter (part BBa_J33201) and the ribosome binding site, ATF1 gene, and double terminator construct (part BBa_J45199) in introduced into <i>E. coli</i>, isoamyl alcohol will be converted into isoamyl acetate when arsenic, or any other heavy metal, is present. Thus, water contaminated with heavy metals will smell like bananas. When a plasmid containing the tetR promoter, ribosome binding site, BSMT1 gene, and the double terminator (part BBa_J45120), salicylic acid will be converted to methyl salicylate in the presence of the antibiotic tetracycline. Thus, water contaminated with antibiotics will smell like wintergreen. Because the cloning of the banana arsenic construct was not complete by the time the campers arrived, the pollution detecting <i>E. coli</i> could not be used. Instead, cultures of non-transformed <i>E. coli</i> were prepared. Methyl salicylate was added to samples that were supposed to represent water contaminated with antibiotics and isoamyl acetate was added to samples representing water contaminated with heavy metals. This set up allowed the campers to perform a safe sniff test without any actual contaminants.</p>
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<p>To determine whether or not our diagnostic tool for Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus would be used in the farming community, a survey was distributed to farmers throughout New England. For more information, please visit our Survey page. </p>
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link to Survey
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<h9>Women in Science Day Camp</h9>
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<p>In July, we hosted 30 girls from the Women in Science Day Camp for an afternoon. This camp is designed to teach girls between the ages of 10 and 12 about science and engineering. To teach the girls about synthetic biology, we prepared 3 activities: a rainbow gel, a pollution sniff test, and a DNA paper puzzle. These activities are outlined in a curriculum so they can be used and adapted by others who are interested in giving a hands on lesson on synthetic biology. </p>
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Link to curriculum
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<h9>Wachusett Regional High School Presentations</h9>
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<p>In August, we visited rising sophomores at the Science Project and Equipment Camp (SPeC) at Wachusett Regional High School. We spoke to them about synthetic biology and our iGEM project. In December, we will return to Wachusett to give our Jamboree talk to students in the Wachusett Science Seminar. </p>
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<h9>Intro to Biotechnology Lecture</h9>
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<p>In October, we prepared a lecture for students taking Intro to Biotechnology. We taught them about synthetic biology, introduced them to iGEM, and practiced our Jamboree talk. We hope that it sparked interest in the iGEM program for next year.</p>
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<h9>Biotech Club Lecture</h9>
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<p>We also practiced our Jamboree talk at a meeting for WPI’s Biotech Club in October. Afterward, we asked members of the club questions about our presentation and asked them to give us feedback.</p>  
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<p><h9>Build-a-DNA</h9></p>
 
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<p>We thought it was unlikely that 5-7th graders would have a firm understanding of how DNA works based on what they’ve most likely learned in school so far. In order to help them grasp the concept in a hands-on way that’s fun and easy, we had them build their own codon out of colorful paper pieces representing deoxyribose, phosphate groups, and nucleotides. All of the pieces were cut out ahead of time to save time and make the project more enjoyable for the girls, and a sample was built for them to use as a guide and to help us explain the different parts of DNA more visually as they constructed their own. While they were putting their codons together, we explained how DNA works as a code ‘read’ by bacteria to make proteins and what the different combinations of nucleotides might mean. To make things simpler, we used ‘instructions’ as a metaphor: you can’t build a bike that works if you don’t know how to put the pieces together. The girls got to take their codons home as a reminder of everything they learned.</p>
 
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Revision as of 15:15, 17 October 2014

Team:WPI-Worcester - 2014.igem.org

 

Team:WPI-Worcester

From 2014.igem.org


Women in Science Day Camp

Survey of Farmers

To determine whether or not our diagnostic tool for Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis Virus would be used in the farming community, a survey was distributed to farmers throughout New England. For more information, please visit our Survey page.

link to Survey Women in Science Day Camp

In July, we hosted 30 girls from the Women in Science Day Camp for an afternoon. This camp is designed to teach girls between the ages of 10 and 12 about science and engineering. To teach the girls about synthetic biology, we prepared 3 activities: a rainbow gel, a pollution sniff test, and a DNA paper puzzle. These activities are outlined in a curriculum so they can be used and adapted by others who are interested in giving a hands on lesson on synthetic biology.

Link to curriculum Wachusett Regional High School Presentations

In August, we visited rising sophomores at the Science Project and Equipment Camp (SPeC) at Wachusett Regional High School. We spoke to them about synthetic biology and our iGEM project. In December, we will return to Wachusett to give our Jamboree talk to students in the Wachusett Science Seminar.

Intro to Biotechnology Lecture

In October, we prepared a lecture for students taking Intro to Biotechnology. We taught them about synthetic biology, introduced them to iGEM, and practiced our Jamboree talk. We hope that it sparked interest in the iGEM program for next year.

Biotech Club Lecture

We also practiced our Jamboree talk at a meeting for WPI’s Biotech Club in October. Afterward, we asked members of the club questions about our presentation and asked them to give us feedback.




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