Education

We held a workshop in Hokkaido University Festival. In this event, we conducted an educational workshops with some posters on the following topics.

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

As an educational program, we conducted an experiment for participants: “Detection of DNA extraction from banana” and poster sessions: “What is DNA?” , ”What is synthetic biology? ” and “What is iGEM?”

In the experiment, we used only daily materials because we wanted partipants to get more familiar to 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 the DNA!!

As this experiment was so easy, participants of all ages from children to the elderly enjoyed it and felt DNA was familiar to them.

Poster Session

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

We drew up posters with pictures and illustrations to let people understand easily.Also we had some conversation with them to know whether they could understand our explanation or not. We had a good opportunity to communicate with Hokkaidou citizen having various backgrounds and generations.

Survey

Questionnaires

We took questionnaires from participants of our workshop (133 people). The results are shown below.

We asked them to quantify their impression about gene recombination from 0 (bad) to 10 (good), attached with reasons. Before and after the experiment, their answers 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 a 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 has 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: 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 own 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 clear.
• I was taught by your clear explanation. Thank you.
• I asked you about DNA sequence, and the answer was very clear. Thank you.
• Because I used things familiar with our life in the experiment, 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 was a good study for me.
• It was good study for me because I could know what DNA is. 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 his best.
• It was interesting. Gene recombination has bad impression not for technology itself but for the usages for food.