Team:Macquarie Australia/Outreach/Powerhouse

Powerhouse Communication

Macquarie University iGEM team 2014 is currently in negotiation with Sydney’s largest and most famous science and technology museum – Powerhouse Museum to devote a section of their rotating collection to iGEM and related materials. The Museum management firmly believes that once materials have been sourced they would make a valuable addition to the Museum’s already vast collection. Additionally, given the huge numbers of people who visit the Museum annually, it is likely to create awareness of Synthetic Biology and the contribution iGEM has made to the field. Similarly, this collection will also enhance public awareness of Australian participation in iGEM competition over the years, and hopefully facilitate greater Australian participation both in iGEM and the field of Synthetic Biology in general.

What is the PowerHouse Museum?

The PowerHouse Museum is the biggest branch of the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney, Australia. Whilst primarily described as a science museum, the museum collection boasts of a variety of technology ranging from Space Technology to Steam Engines. The Museum is housed within a converted electric tram power station in Sydney’s Inner West. The iconic museum houses more than 400, 00 artifacts, and on average welcomes more than 640,000 visitors annually.

Why should iGEM materials be showcased in a museum?

Museums, science museums in particular, fulfill an extensive social task. They enhance public perception of science and foster interest in an environment that promotes self-inquiry. Given that the field of Synthetic Biology is relatively new, the non-experts within the population are unlikely to know anything about Synthetic Biology at all. Such lack of awareness and positive evaluation about Synthetic Biology leaves ample space for media fear-mongering, and misconceptions about the nature of Synthetic biology are likely to develop into a public fear of such novel research.

iGEM has a rich tradition of fostering safe and ethical research in the field of Synthetic Biology, and highlighting such rich tradition is very likely to skew public perception in favor of Synthetic Biology. Therefore, we believe that showcasing iGEM materials at the hugely popular Powerhouse museum will have the following benefits:

• Will improve public perception of Synthetic Biology and contribute towards a positive evaluation of the field.
• Will stimulate public education regarding characteristic techniques and abilities of Synthetic Biology.
• Will encourage inquiry into how Synthetic Biology is relevant to the problems of the present day and how the discipline is actively contributing towards meaningful solutions to everyday problems.
• Will represent an important ethic of open sourcing in science.

How is this approach relevant to our team and future iGEM teams?

Our team believes that popularity of Synthetic Biology is key to ensuring sustainability of iGEM participation and enabling greater private and public funding for future iGEM teams. Showcasing iGEM materials in such a high visibility, high profile environment will undoubtedly foster the popularity of iGEM and Synthetic Biology in general, and open doors for future Australian iGEM teams. As for the Macquarie iGEM team, our project focuses on finding a solution to a global problem – energy crisis. We expect that our story being told at such a large platform will garner a lot of attention and thus facilitate quicker industry implementation. Furthermore, the public praise and recognition that comes with having our institution and project showcased at such a prestigious institution will certainly inspire future teams from Macquarie and elsewhere in Australia.