Education Component

In an effort to improve the public perception towards synthetic biology and to spread knowledge about it, the Zamorano Latinoamerica iGEM team created the education section of the project. The education section consist in a series of activities, some already performed and some due in a short and long term, that aim to teach people in the surrounding environment and neighbor countries about synthetic biology. The elements of the educational component are detailed below.

Biotechnology and introduction to synthetic biology work module

The “learning by doing” system has characterized Zamorano University in its 71 years of existence. It states that people learn better about something, if they do it themselves; hence the name. During their first three years of studies, students rotate between work modules, covering the whole value chain of the food and agriculture industry. During its fourth and last year of studies, students conduct a “Specialized Learning by Doing”. It provides students with the opportunity to organize and perform training courses and field activities for the younger year students, transmitting the knowledge acquired during their four years of study at the university. the unique philosophy of Zamorano provides the students with a learning process full of abilities and skills based on scientific, theoretical and practical knowledge; students are motivated to integrate what they have learned to solve professional modern real life problems in different kind of environments.

The work modules of the “learning by doing” system in Zamorano have been in a continuous improvement process during the seven decades of the institution’s existence. Nowadays Zamorano University has 13 businesses, possessing the equipment and adequate facilities for students to put in practice the knowledge achieved in the classroom. There are wide spaces for primary production, Agroindustrial processing plants, commercialization center and the support of modern analytic labs, research and new product development. Each one of it has an adequate guiding and supervising of qualified professors and instructors with experience on the specific topics. The learning by doing also helps the students to improve its performance for the time when they conduct their internship program in prestigious universities and companies.

The Zamorano Latinoamerica iGEM team, proposed the creation of a learning by doing work module for third year students. This work module will bring students the opportunity to develop projects that may address this century´s challenges, using biologic technology based solutions. Using interactive conferences, lab practices and homework assignments, the students will learn the techniques and strategies and vocabulary of: bioremediation, biological systems engineering, genetic engineering, bioparts standardization and biological machinery.

This module will be two weeks long, and there will be a time of 3 months between the two weeks. The first week will be instructed introduction lectures, and then students will be assigned takes that students may comply in a three months period. After the three months the student will return to the module to perform laboratory practices.

Module’s description

• It is an advanced biotechnology module with emphasis on environmental science. It also includes applications to agriculture and agribusiness. It also integrates Synthetic Biology.
• The module emphasizes the study of the challenges that the planet faces for a sustainable development with economic, social and environmental dimensions, and creates opportunities for research and discussion of relevant issues to classical biotechnology and synthetic biology topics.
• The module seeks to respond to the demands of the competitive global society and the competitive workplace. It has been designed considering the latest technological developments in biosciences and related sciences.

Objectives:

• To promote among students the assertive communication, critical thinking and teamwork.
• To teach the students about the basic principles of biological sensors.
• To promote in the students aseptic technique skills.
• To teach the students about the basic principles of synthetic biology.

Teaching strategies to be used:

The learning by doing emphasizes a teaching and learning process in which students are the main responsible of its own formation. To achieve it, they will be assigned with a series of problems which will have to be resolved during the module. The self-administration of knowledge is an essential condition to keep updated during the professional life (Solzbacher, 2006). Referring to the importance of the learning by doing of Jean Piget, Von Glasersfeld affirms the following: “The learning by doing aims for students to develop skills and abilities that may allow them to keep learning during their lives.”

Learning based on problems: it is a method of teaching based on the principle that problems are a starting point in the acquisition and integration of new knowledge. The students will perform individual and team activities in which they will need to analyze and resolve highly difficult situations. The students will count with the guide and support of the module instructors, which will also be in charge of the class lectures.

Laboratory practices: The student will make didactive practices in the laboratory for a week. The purpose of the practices is for the student to obtain the experience and the knowledge; performing the assigned activities all by himself; learning by doing. Son practices include:

• Chromosomal DNA Isolation
• DNA Extraction from Bacteria
• Molecular Sequence Analysis
• Polynucleotide probe design
• Transgénesis
• ELISA
• Characterization and Transcription Analysis
• Genotyping