Team:NCKU Tainan/Collaborations
Overview
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Despite the pandemic, there's nothing that can stop iGEM teams worldwide from working together. Instead, it pushes the limit of what collaboration can be in an iGEM competition. We collaborated with as many teams as we can so that we were able to create and achieve numerous meaningful results.
Friends around the world!
Africa
East Asia
South Asia
iGEM NYMU-Taipei
This year, iGEM NYMU Taipei is developing contact lenses to prevent COVID 19 infection. As both our teams are creating projects based on contact lenses, we decided to collaborate with them. We discovered that disposing of contact lenses wrongly will harm marine life. In fact, a university survey in the US showed that 15-20% of contact lens users would directly throw the contact lens into the sink or flush it into the toilet[1]. These contact lenses will then enter the wastewater treatment plant and be degraded into microplastics along with the waste water. The treated water containing microplastics will then flow into the seas and oceans, eventually harming marine life.
Therefore, we collaborated with iGEM NYMU Taipei to solve this critical problem. We aimed to inform the public of the correct disposal method of contact lenses to protect our mother Earth and how failing to do so could lead to damaging effects. Through this event, we also targeted the fourteenth SDG, Live Below Water.
Our teams designed a poster about recycling contact lenses and shared them on our respective social media accounts. More than that, we displayed the poster in our school dormitories to help raise awareness to contact lenses recycling. We approached students and asked if they wear contact lenses. If their answer is positive, we then invited them to join our contact lenses recycling movement. We gave them eppendorfs filled with contact solutions for them to dispose of their contact lenses and asked them to return it to us. Together with iGEM NYMU Taipei, we managed to collect over 600 pairs of contact lenses. Members of iGEM NYMU Taipei visited us and together with other NCKU students, we created artwork using recycled contact lenses. Both our teams also shared about our projects to the participating NCKU students. In doing so, we hope we managed to engage with the public and raise awareness of contact lenses recycling.
iGEM Uppsala
iGEM Uppsala invited us to participate in their event called COPI (Corona Outreach Program Instagram-initiative). This event's purposes are to show that iGEM is a strong community and even during these tough times, iGEMers are still connected through the spirit of synthetic biology. And we are proud to be one of the participants. In this event, they asked some questions regarding COVID-19, such as how is the situation in Taiwan due to corona and how were we affected by it. We sent them our answers and team photo, and iGEM Uppsala then posted them on their Instagram account. Through this event, we were able to know about other countries' situation during this special time. It also showed that everyone in the world, including iGEMers, is willing to fight for the future, despite the coronavirus.
iGEM TU Delft
With an aim to educate people about synthetic biology, iGEM TU Delft invited iGEM teams all around the world to record a short video about their project to show what are the amazing things that synthetic biology can achieve. We didn't want to miss this opportunity and thus sent them a short video on our project. Then, iGEM TU Delft combined all the short videos they collected from other iGEM teams into one video and posted them on YouTube. We were fascinated by the projects that other iGEM teams did. Through this video, the public can know how synthetic biology can help the world and the infinite possibilities that synthetic biology can achieve.
iGEM TJU China
As iGEM TJU China had limited access when it comes to generating surveys for the global audience to fill, they contacted us for help. We organized their questions and turned them into a survey, and we also filled in their survey. We were happy to help them.
iGEM AUC Egypt
We were thrilled when iGEM AUC-EGYPT invited us to join them for a collaboration in "Thank You Mentor" and "iGEMxSDGs." For "Thank You Mentor", we send them our team photo with the PIs. We introduced our PIs and shared advice given by one of our PIs, Dr. I-Son Ng. Through this event, we were able to have a chance to express our gratitude to the PIs for their encouragement and endless support. Then, for iGEMxSDGs collaboration, we sent a photo of us sharing the contact lens event with iGEM NYMU Taipei, which targeted the fourteenth SDGs, Life Below Water. Through this collaboration, we were able to spread this event globally and invited people worldwide to help contribute to SDGs 14 by simply throwing their contacts properly.
iGEM RUM
Marine pollution has been a global problem throughout the years, affecting both marine life and humans. Not only does it cause multiple health problems for most organisms, but it also has a significant impact on the economic structure worldwide. From plastic pollution to ocean spill, marine pollution is a threat to all organisms. Nevertheless, who would have thought that a pair of small contact lenses also contribute to ocean pollution. Therefore, in collaboration with iGEM RUM's EnviroSpeaks, we wanted to expose this issue. EnviroSpeaks gathered iGEM teams around the world to share about the contaminants that cause these environmental challenges. We were honored to be one of the participants. To raise public awareness of contact lens recycling methods, we shared our contact lens recycling poster and provided the correct ways to recycle contact lenses - from the packaging to the contact lenses itself. With two teams having the same goals, we believe it will double the impact on society.
iGEM UUlm
iGEM UUlm created this superb collaboration called iGEM Explores. This collaboration is to share each iGEM team's project. The collaboration aims to connect with other teams, share scientifically interesting questions, and promote iGEM and other team's projects. We sent a simple video introducing our project, Eye kNOw which was posted on iGEM UUlm's social media accounts such as Instagram. By doing this, we are able to widen our platform and share about our project to more people, and, at the same time we learn about other iGEM team's wonderful projects.
iGEM Patras
Countless iGEM teams are participating this year, coming from diverse places around the world. However, with this diversity comes the problem of language barriers. We don't want the language barrier to hinder the public from understanding these fantastic synthetic biology projects. Hence, we were happy to be able to help iGEM Patras. We translated their project promotion video's subtitles into Traditional Chinese. As Chinese is one of the major languages used worldwide, we hope that with our help, they are able to reach more people around the world without worrying about language barriers.
iGEM KUAS
Last year, after the Giant Jamboree, iGEM NCKU Tainan collaborated with iGEM KUAS by filling out a survey designed to investigate the overall research environment of iGEM teams around the world. The survey was created and the results were incorporated in the research article published by STEPI. The responses will be of value in sparking interest in synthetic biology in South Korea.
Transcriptome (iGEM Chalmers Gothenburg and iGEM Unil)
Transcriptome is a blog co-created by iGEM Gothenburg and iGEM UNILausanne, where anybody is welcome to share about science. The purpose of this blog is to reach out to many people as possible despite the pandemic. In this blog we shared about Fourier Transform, which is used to measure science models. We hope anybody that is passionate about science can learn something new.
iGEM CCU and IISER Berhampur
As both teams are focusing on dengue fever, iGEM CCU Taiwan and iGEM IISER Berhampur surveyed the awareness of dengue fever in various places of the world, which we gladly participated in.
iGEM GW DC
The current pandemic has affected everyone greatly. But, it won't affect iGEMers enthusiasm and efforts to make our projects successful. We believe that all the iGEMers worldwide are united towards one goal, making this world a better and more habitable place. This year, to symbolize that, iGEM GW DC created this simple collaboration about making a collage of all iGEM teams' logos. Inviting all iGEM teams all around the world to send their logo, including our team! Through this collaboration, we can show that many iGEM teams from the prestigious school worldwide aim to help make a better world.
iGEM Thessaly
iGEM Thessaly created a collaboration questionnaire of their project about IBD or Inflammatory Bowel Disease. They want to create a numerical map of people all over the world that suffer from IBD. We filled in the questionnaire and provided the data of IBD patients in Tainan.
I've Gotta PhD
I've Gotta PhD is a social media page launched by iGEM NCKU Tainan in collaboration with CSMU Taiwan, where everyone can share about topics related to third and fourth SDGs, which are Good health and well-being and Quality education. With an aim to convey correct information for the public, this would have not been possible without the help of other teams, who helped provide infographics, posters and articles. Cheers to the amazing team that enlivened our I've Gotta PhD collaboration. We are absolutely astonished by their participation and enthusiasm! Here are the teams who joined I've Gotta PhD.
iGEM Rochester
According to a survey[2], among 42% of women from the respondents, didn't know that painful intercourse might be a symptom of endometriosis. And it was stated that there is a lack of knowledge and communication about endometriosis among women. Therefore, to raise endometriosis awareness, iGEM Rochester made numerous posters about endometriosis and shared them on our page. They shared about endometriosis, the statistics, signs and symptoms, risk, diagnosis, and endometriosis treatment. Not just that, they also had separate brochures for the adolescent, adult, and postmenopausal women. iGEM Rochester really provided such refined information.
iGEM BNU China
iGEM BNU China shared about their project this year - lineage tracing. Their poster introduced the role and functions of lineage tracing and specifically explained how this so-called technique is important in cancer therapy. At the same time, they also briefly introduced their project. This allowed the public to understand the purpose of the research.
iGEM ZJU China
The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed our lives. iGEM ZJU China wanted to inform the public about the virus and understand COVID-19 from the root. In the poster they designed, they mentioned how the virus infects human cells and destroys our body and how the immune system in our body fights against the virus. They also shared the correct ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, reminding once again about the importance of social distancing and basic hygiene. Beside that, they also explained about the principle of synthetic biology to raise synthetic biology awareness.
iGEM Patras
Health has always been a priority throughout our lives, and thus, iGEM Patras made several posters and shared some simple actions to maintain our health. Such as, consume calcium daily by drinking milk or yogurt, applying sunscreen, and always taking care of minor wounds. Through these simple actions, it can help to maintain our mental health too.
iGEM UCPH
As their team is focusing on the chronic inflammatory diseases or CID, iGEM UCPH realized that CID might have the potential to affect mental health. Hence, they wrote an intriguing article about this issue, where they shared that individuals are just too focused on treating their own disease most of the time. This cause them to potentially neglect the issue that might raise regarding their illness as in mental illness. Moreover, we also realized that glaucoma may affect mental health too. We hope that the public will be more aware that besides taking care of the patients, it is necessary to pay attention to one's mental health either.
iGEM Montpellier
There are many types of discrimination, and it might happen anytime anywhere to anyone. One of the examples are the medical violences which happened in the medical field. But one of the most underestimated types of medical violences is obstetric violence, which happens to pregnant women that are going into labor. To raise the awareness of obstetric violence, iGEM Montpellier shared a poster about this issue. They shared about the aspects and the forms of obstetric violence. Moreover, they also mentioned what we can do to fight against it.
iGEM Thessaly
When feeling down, a simple comforting word is just enough to raise mental health awareness iGEM Thessaly made a self love reminder poster and an QR code brochure to access their blog.
iGEM CCU
Science communication is essential to control diseases, including COVID-19 or dengue fever. We often heard of dengue fever, but how well do we know it? As iGEM CCU is focusing on developing a new dengue virus detection kit, they made several posters about dengue fever to teach the public. They explained what is dengue fever and what causes it. They also shared other important information, such as statistics, types of dengue fever, and no effective treatment for dengue fever. This would allow the public to know more about dengue fever and prevent it.
iGEM UPCH Peru
iGEM UPCH Peru shared about two topics - basic health care and mental health. For basic health care, they shared about an endemic in Peru caused by a parasite called T. solium which leads to thousands of deaths per year due to the lack of education. Therefore, iGEM UPCH Peru made some posters regarding this endemic informing the public of its causes and how to prevent it. Meanwhile, for mental health, they made posters to highlight the importance of mental health, and how mental health is as important as physical health.
iGEM NYMU Taipei
Racial discrimination has been an unsolved global issue for ages, where individuals are discriminated against based on their skin color or race. During this pandemic of COVID 19, many racial discrimination cases against the Chinese, or yellow skin individuals, are seen worldwide. As this virus was first discovered in Wuhan, China, many people began to think that this pandemic was caused by the Chinese and thus began discriminating against Chinese people, verbally or physically. iGEM NYMU Taipei wrote an article about this issue, highlighting the public's statistics, cases, and actions. iGEM NYMU Taipei hopes to increase awareness regarding this issue and address it.
References
- BBC News. 2020. Plastic Pollution: 'Stop Flushing Contact Lenses Down The Loo'. [online] Available at:
- Margarida Azevedo, M., 2020. National Survey Shows Most U.S. Women Don’T Recognize Symptoms Of.... [online] Endometriosis News. Available at:
