Education

We held a workshop in Hokkaido University Festival, as iGEM HokkaidoU team, following last year. In this event, we tried to explain these things

• "What is DNA?" and "DNA is actually familiar to us."
• “What is iGEM?” and “What is our activity?”

To achieve our goal, we conducted an experiment: “Detection of DNA extraction from banana” and poster sessions: “What is DNA?” , ”What is synthetic biology? ” and “What is iGEM?”

In the experiment, participants used only daily materials to get more familiar with DNA.

How to Exmeriment

1. Crush one third of banana with spoon; to break its cell wall
2. Mix well 10% saltine water 30 mL and detergent 2.5 mL; Saltine water makes nucleic acid and salt. Detergent breaks cell membrane.
3. Pour 1 and 2 into a beaker through coffee filter and filtrate them.
4. After 5minutes or so, pour 100% ethanol 40 mL into the beaker slowly.
5. Then you’ll see some white lump, that’s exactly DNA!!

This experiment is so easy that people of all ages, from children to the elderly, are able to enjoy it and feel DNA is familiar with them.

Poster Session

In poster session, we made a presentation about four contents; about DNA, gene recombination, iGEM and our project of last year.

We drew posters with pictures and illustrations to let people understand easily and had some conversation with them to know how they understand our explanation. We had a good chance to communicate with people having various background or generation and to practice presentation.

Survey

Questionnaires

We took questionnaires from participants of our workshop, 133 people. Here we show them.

And we asked them to quantify their impression about gene recombination from 0 (bad) to 10 (good), attached with the reasons. Before and after the experiment, their answer changed.

Participant 1

Age: 40's Sex: F

Before; 5: Because gene recombination seems to be unnatural

After; 8: Because to add the good condition is good I feel it's good thing

Participant 2

Age: 20's Sex: F

Before; 8: Because it is necessary

After; 8: Because it is necessary and has many possibilities

Participant 3

Age: 40's Sex: F

Before; 1: Because natural corns or soy beans seem better than gene recommbinated corns or soy beans

After; 7: If it is used for medicine and limited in supportive usage, I can accept it

Participant 4

Age: teenager Sex: M

Before; 8: Because there are so many benefits to use gene recombination

After; 8: Because I have known about it before this event, the impression is not so changed

Participant 5

Age: 20's Sex: M

Before; 8: Because gene recombination is necessary under this circumstance

After; 5: As I usually feel about it

Participant 6

Age: teenager Sex: F

Before; 5: Because it might be true that gene recombination makes sence in developping technology but I'm afraid that genetically modified foods harm our health

After; 5: Same as previous comment

Participant 7

Age: 20's Sex: F

Before; 3: Because there are noisome impressions about gene recombination because usually food labeling says "We don't use any GM foods"

After; 5: Because I heard that it is useful in our lives for example making medicine by E. coli

Participant 8

Age: teenager Sex: M

Before; 5: Because I learned about geneticall-modified rice I wanted to give good score but I also heard about a bad news about genetically-modified sheep so I gave you average score

After; 6: Because sometimes it is necessary for research the impression became a little better

Comments

At last, we show you the comments from the participants.

• My children(3 and 6 years old) joined. They couldn't understand what DNA is but through the experiment by using banana, a kind of things familiar with our life, they could watch something which was unseeable and it was interesting for them. Thank you
• You should be sensitive that explanation should fit for participants level. In the first place, there are not so many people who know about "DNA"
• Do your best in iGEM competition!
• It was interesting because I could watch DNA with my eyes
• It was interesting and I could know about DNA a little
• The picture of DNA etc you draw were helpful for my understanding
• I felt it good that I could experiment by using things familiar with our life
• The experiment was so interesting. Thank you
• I was surprised at watching DNA easily. It was interesting
• It was interesting. The explanation helped me
• The explanation was so clear
• I was taught by your clear explanation. Thank you
• I asked you about DNA sequence but the answer was so clear. Thank you
• Because in experiment I use things familiar with our life, it was so plain. The method of experiment was amasingly easy and the experiment was interesting
• By careful lecture, I could know about DNA detailedly. Thank you
• It was interesting and good study for me
• It was good study for me because I knew what's DNA. I want to observe it next time
• I was surprised that we can extract DNA by using groceries. I wanted to know why it is easy to extract banana's DNA
• I could know about DNA by looking at it by my eyes. It was so interesting!
• The event was good experience for me because I have heard only the name of DNA but I knew about nothing at all
• The explanation about DNA was a little difficalt for under high school students but it was interesting
• The experiment was clear because it use banana as a thing familiar with our daily life
• It was unexpected and impressed that Mr.Akiyama did their best
• It was interesting. Gene recombination has bad impression not for technology itself but for the usages for food