Team:UT-Dallas/HP

The Problem

Part of the reason why we are able to communicate and collaborate so freely with other iGEM teams and research groups all around the world is because science, as the pursuit of truth, is a universal language. The World Jamboree epitomizes this idea: no matter what part of the globe we call home, we all speak the language of synthetic biology.

If science is the ‘universal language,’ why don’t we see its effects applied more equitably? Why do some groups have greater access to the new technologies created in labs? So many iGEM projects have the goal of helping those who need it the most—victims of poverty, natural disasters, or those who suffer simply from a lack of infrastructure. What are some of the major hurdles we face in bringing our innovations to those whom they were created to help? What can we, as scientists, do to solve this problem? Where do we start?

To answer these questions, our team decided to collect as many outside perspectives as we could. We spoke with professors of sociology, science education, political science, and bioengineering; with one of the educators who inspired us to go into science; physicians; but most importantly, we spoke to students—ranging from graduate students to kindergarteners. In these many conversations, we came to realize that the answer came down to science literacy and education. Here we present the results of our findings, and the contributions we were able to make to a broader set of solutions.

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