Why did the NRP iGEM team hold science workshops at the Hewett School?

We think bacteria have been given a bad name; some can cause nasty diseases in animals and plants, but most are harmless and can even help us in many ways. With bacteria helping us to complete the majority of work in our project, we felt that it would only be fair to help bacteria repair their tarnished image. To do this, we organized a series of workshops at The Hewett School, a local school not far from the University of East Anglia campus, which would teach students about the variety and roles of bacteria present around us, how advertising has given these bacteria bad press, and how we can use these bacteria in science to help us. We also took this opportunity to present our project to the students and ask for their opinions on it, and finally to talk to students about the benefits of higher education.

How did the sessions engage the students in learning about microbes?

The workshops took place in two parts; in the first session, students were introduced to the variety of good, bad, and neutral microbial life and were then set the task of investigating the bacteria on and around them and the effect cleaning products have on bacteria. On an agar plate, the students placed a thumb print from their unwashed hands, they then washed their hands with one of a variety of popular cleaning products (including antibacterial hand wash, a regular bar of soap, washing up liquid, alcohol-based hand sanitiser, and water as a control) and placed another thumb print of the agar. The students were then provided with a sterile swab which they could use to take a sample of bacteria from around the room to streak on another agar plate.

What did the sessions teach the students about science?

In the second session, the students analysed their results from the first session, identifying the bacteria they had found and assessed the effectiveness of the cleaning products. All groups found that, whilst the antibacterial hand wash and alcohol-based sanitiser were the most effective at removing bacteria from their hands, each cleaning product did not work as well as thought. This was discussed to be a result of a combination of either lackluster hand washing technique, misunderstanding of what the products do, and the rapid skin repopulation of bacteria from the surfaces around us. Further demonstrations using UV light and ‘glitter bug’ reflective lotion showed how ineffective hand washing can be.

What were the conclusions of the Hewett School science workshops?

The students were then introduced to how bacteria can be used for human benefits, such as in the production of human insulin. We then presented our project to the students and facilitated discussions and debates around the subjects of genetic manipulation of organisms and food security which our project encompasses, with the students offering some unique insight into the potential merits and flaws in our project, and alternative ways to solve issues surrounding food security.