Diversity and Inclusion

We are a group of passionate students who want to use synthetic biology to solve pressing societal issues. Our team consists of students from seven different academic fields, ranging from philosophy to nanoscience, and with six different nationalities. The team is internally divided in different subgroups that specialize in different aspects of the project, such as dry and wet lab, human practices, funding and entrepreneurship, and outreach. This allows us to go further on each topic, as it allows each team member to devote most of their time to a specific team, while at the same time managing to participate in other subgroups. This allows in-depth work on a multitude of areas, while simultaneously keeping everyone in the loop. Furthermore, we are all part of the lab team. We find such an approach to be necessary in order to avoid that just a few members hold all the expertise of the project backbone.

The most important aspect of our team navigation is our flat hierarchical structure. We all have an equal vote, and all our decisions have been made collectively throughout our project. Our group is particularly focused on teamwork. We believe that a really functional and efficient team has to work like an organism, where different organs/groups are independent but at the same time connected, prepared to give up energy upon other organs/groups, in order to keep the organism/project alive. For making this possible, there must be a close relation between all the members, and should be reached within a really short time frame to be efficiently implemented from the start.

We have been working on team building from the beginning of the competition, thanks to one of our supervisors (Nanna Heinz), which has worked hard to build an environment of trust and connection within the team. We made part of our daily routine a collective check in and check out, where we share our feelings and expectations; we made different workshops to learn about the possible dysfunctions of a team and how to solve them; we spend some days trying to find our motivations and goals within, but also outside of iGEM and how to stay true with them.

Action Points:

1. • In light of the movement against racism, we are trying to design our patch such that it is suitable for all skin colour and types.
2. • The recent mobilization for equal rights and anti-racism has forced all of us to un-learn years of subconscious perception of what “skin colour” looks like since our primary school days. The CIDosis team, while designing the colour of the patch, added this question in the survey we sent out to patient groups. We asked them what colour they would like the patch to be. Since it has to be worn for 6 hours at a stretch, people might prefer a patch that camouflages with their skin or an entirely funky patch with a design on it. The survey result showed that majority of the people…………. Depending on the survey results, we will see how people respond to the patch colour and design. If they prefer a patch that merges with their skin and is not distinctly visible, we can have a skin colour palette for CIDosis.
3. • Since the patch might change colour to shades of red or green, our patch is not colour-blind friendly. We can either decide which colour is more friendly for all people or depend on the app to capture the right colour and monitor. One of the reflections from the Danish Teams Meet-Up was the need to have a colour change that is colour blind-friendly. Using colours such as red or green might be confusing or misleading for this group, and therefore, would make the patch redundant.
4. • That brings us to the application of the app in third world countries. They do not have access to a phone, let alone the internet. So, we need to brainstorm for an alternative (like a solution that stores the patch and keeps the colour intact long enough for the patient to go and see their doctor??)
5. • We have sent the survey out to people from different countries, so the target groups are not limited by borders.
6. • Our patch is for people of all genders just like inflammation occurs in the same manner in people of all genders (must clarify with a doctor anyway). Research on a doctor’s attitude towards male and female patients (female ones not taken seriously sometimes: who said this?). Need to find hardcore statistics on this since it is a huge claim to make.
7. • Diversity in our own team as well.
The CIDosis team consists of members from different nationalities – Denmark, Norway, Spain, Czech and India. The entire team celebrates diversity through dinners. Our conversations often revolve around our culture, practices and commonalities (maybe have a collage of the flags with this point? Or a group photo, whichever is more relevant)
8. • Including children and youth in our target groups (juvenile RA) (not sure, super minor point and mostly irrelevant to the essence of inclusivity).
9. • Marching for the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement – Aje