Team:Warwick/Human/Changes

h1>Project Specific Changes

As part of the project we looked to spread synthetic biology throughout the community. We approached this feat through several different avenues.

Our project came into fruition after extensive debate and discussion, the idea of introducing a mechanism by which RNA can be propagated is both conceptually and theoretically appealing. Using our replicon system to target production of a siRNA directed against a target (DPP-IV) shows just one of many applications that our system holds. Initially, it was not so straight forward when considering additional elements that we might require – for safety of the system was not on our minds. However, after due deliberation we decided to embark and ask questions and most importantly, seek answers. We started small and simple, with the obvious question on how people perceive our system? We decided to conduct a Q + A session, in which academics, students and the wider public were in attendance.

What have you done to ensure your therapy is practical and safe? This specific question made us reconsider the design of our system; essentially we were initially going to create a replicon system that had no control on itself. We scratched our heads and came up with various different ways in which we could control our system, but at the same



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 about what she did in lab]

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]

Raising awareness amongst students
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. 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.).

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.