Difference between revisions of "Team:TU Darmstadt/Education"

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                 Primarily, our goal was to reach the audience that would profit most from the information provided by the podcast. During our research, we stumbled upon a study that shows exactly which group is most relevant to us: Namely the German population as a whole. <br>
 
                 Primarily, our goal was to reach the audience that would profit most from the information provided by the podcast. During our research, we stumbled upon a study that shows exactly which group is most relevant to us: Namely the German population as a whole. <br>
 
                 The <b>Nature Consciousness Study</b> appears every two years and presents <b>public opinion of the German population towards nature and genetic engineering</b> as well (especially in the segment agriculture). In the field of genetic engineering, a clear majority of those surveyed in 2019, namely 95 percent, believe that possible effects on nature should be investigated and 81 percent are in favor of a ban on genetically modified organisms in agriculture.
 
                 The <b>Nature Consciousness Study</b> appears every two years and presents <b>public opinion of the German population towards nature and genetic engineering</b> as well (especially in the segment agriculture). In the field of genetic engineering, a clear majority of those surveyed in 2019, namely 95 percent, believe that possible effects on nature should be investigated and 81 percent are in favor of a ban on genetically modified organisms in agriculture.
                 63 percent are concerned that the consequences of new genetic engineering processes cannot be predicted. It is said that this the percentages and thus the mindset have been about the same since the surveys began. (Quelle 1, s.u.) <br>
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                 63 percent are concerned that the consequences of new genetic engineering processes cannot be predicted. It is said that this the percentages and thus the mindset have been about the same since the surveys began.<sup id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> <br>
 
                 It was especially important for us to <b>reach the German population</b> with our podcast, as they obviously have some concerns about genetic engineering in general. This is also the reason why the podcast is only available in German. Although some German listeners would have probably listened to an English podcast and the episodes could have additionally been heard by people speaking other languages, we wanted to make it as accessible as possible for Germans specifically to get to the mentioned information. <br>
 
                 It was especially important for us to <b>reach the German population</b> with our podcast, as they obviously have some concerns about genetic engineering in general. This is also the reason why the podcast is only available in German. Although some German listeners would have probably listened to an English podcast and the episodes could have additionally been heard by people speaking other languages, we wanted to make it as accessible as possible for Germans specifically to get to the mentioned information. <br>
 
                 We also decided to use <b>Spotify</b> as a platform for our podcast. As an addendum to the website of our university, all episodes are available on Spotify. Besides the opportunity to reach more people with this platform, Spotify enables us to get some data about the amount and type of our listeners.  <br>
 
                 We also decided to use <b>Spotify</b> as a platform for our podcast. As an addendum to the website of our university, all episodes are available on Spotify. Besides the opportunity to reach more people with this platform, Spotify enables us to get some data about the amount and type of our listeners.  <br>
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                         with
 
                         with
 
                         genetically modified organisms (GMOs) </b> by providing the necessary "blueprints" needed to produce the
 
                         genetically modified organisms (GMOs) </b> by providing the necessary "blueprints" needed to produce the
                     substance<sup id="cite_ref-1"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup>. <br>
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                     substance<sup id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup>. <br>
  
                 Furthermore, we present the <b> safety levels for biolaboratories </b> in detail and we also chat about our <b> own experiences. </b> The levels range from S1 to S4 and depend on the risk to humans and the environment posed by the organisms being worked with in the respective laboratory. <b> Yoghurt bacteria are an example of level S1, Ebola viruses are found in S4 laboratories</b><sup id="cite_ref-2"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup>.
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                 Furthermore, we present the <b> safety levels for biolaboratories </b> in detail and we also chat about our <b> own experiences. </b> The levels range from S1 to S4 and depend on the risk to humans and the environment posed by the organisms being worked with in the respective laboratory. <b> Yoghurt bacteria are an example of level S1, Ebola viruses are found in S4 laboratories</b><sup id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup>.
                 Next, we address the <b> German Genetic Engineering Act and the legal framework conditions, </b> e.g. for the release of genetically modified organisms, which in most cases are plants. In principle, only <b> one GMO plant is approved in the EU, </b> namely MON810 corn, and only a few countries actually cultivate it. In Germany, there have been <b> no more releases since 2012 and cultivation is generally prohibited today. </b> Interestingly enough, 50 plants are approved for import into Germany<sup id="cite_ref-3"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup>.
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                 Next, we address the <b> German Genetic Engineering Act and the legal framework conditions, </b> e.g. for the release of genetically modified organisms, which in most cases are plants. In principle, only <b> one GMO plant is approved in the EU, </b> namely MON810 corn, and only a few countries actually cultivate it. In Germany, there have been <b> no more releases since 2012 and cultivation is generally prohibited today. </b> Interestingly enough, 50 plants are approved for import into Germany<sup id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup>.
 
                 Finally, we talk about <b> food labelling, </b> what the <b> "without genetic engineering" seal </b>actually means and why <b> "with genetic engineering" stickers are not common </b> in German or other supermarkets around the world. </div>
 
                 Finally, we talk about <b> food labelling, </b> what the <b> "without genetic engineering" seal </b>actually means and why <b> "with genetic engineering" stickers are not common </b> in German or other supermarkets around the world. </div>
 
             </div>
 
             </div>
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                     <br> This field deals
 
                     <br> This field deals
 
                         with the <b>industrial production</b> of chemicals and components with optimized enzymes, cells
 
                         with the <b>industrial production</b> of chemicals and components with optimized enzymes, cells
                         and microorganisms<sup id="cite_ref-4"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup>. The aim of white biotechnology is to generate <b>new and sustainable
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                         and microorganisms<sup id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup>. The aim of white biotechnology is to generate <b>new and sustainable
                             production processes</b><sup id="cite_ref-5"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup>. As an example, we explain how <b>enzymes for washing agents</b> are being
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                             production processes</b><sup id="cite_ref-6"><a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup>. As an example, we explain how <b>enzymes for washing agents</b> are being
                         produced using microorganisms by  supplying them with genetic information via plasmid transfer<sup id="cite_ref-6"><a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup>.
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                         produced using microorganisms by  supplying them with genetic information via plasmid transfer<sup id="cite_ref-7"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup>.
 
                         Afterwards, we move on to <b>green biotechnology</b> which is roughly about <b>plants</b> and how to
 
                         Afterwards, we move on to <b>green biotechnology</b> which is roughly about <b>plants</b> and how to
                         optimize them<sup id="cite_ref-7"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup>. Already in the 20th century people started to breed plants with the favored
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                         optimize them<sup id="cite_ref-8"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup>. Already in the 20th century people started to breed plants with the favored
 
                         characteristics, like big size or sweet fruits. Nowadays there are way more possibilities
 
                         characteristics, like big size or sweet fruits. Nowadays there are way more possibilities
                         to optimize plants and modify their genomes<sup id="cite_ref-8"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup>.  As an example, we introduce the <b><i>amflora</i>
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                         to optimize plants and modify their genomes<sup id="cite_ref-9"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup>.  As an example, we introduce the <b><i>amflora</i>
 
                             potato</b> in which the production of amylose is genetically knocked out and only amylopectin
 
                             potato</b> in which the production of amylose is genetically knocked out and only amylopectin
                         starch is produced<sup id="cite_ref-9"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup>. This engineered potato species was developed by BASF and grown in
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                         starch is produced<sup id="cite_ref-10"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup>. This engineered potato species was developed by BASF and grown in
                         Germany between 2010 and 2012<sup id="cite_ref-9"><a href="#cite_note-9">[9]</a></sup>. Furthermore, we are talking about the <b>MON810-corn</b>
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                         Germany between 2010 and 2012<sup id="cite_ref-10"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup>. Furthermore, we are talking about the <b>MON810-corn</b>
                         produced by Monsanto 1998<sup id="cite_ref-10"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup>. The genome of this corn is modified so that the plant is
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                         produced by Monsanto 1998<sup id="cite_ref-11"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup>. The genome of this corn is modified so that the plant is
                         producing a Bt-toxin which is toxic to certain insects<sup id="cite_ref-10"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup>.
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                         producing a Bt-toxin which is toxic to certain insects<sup id="cite_ref-11"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup>.
 
                     <br> In the end, we are answering
 
                     <br> In the end, we are answering
 
                         some more <b>questions about green biotechnology</b>, for example, if genetically modified plants
 
                         some more <b>questions about green biotechnology</b>, for example, if genetically modified plants
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                       Artificial hearts and less animal experiments - what does red biotechnology mean for
 
                       Artificial hearts and less animal experiments - what does red biotechnology mean for
 
                         the future? This is the title of the fourth episode of our podcast “Genomenal”. This episode
 
                         the future? This is the title of the fourth episode of our podcast “Genomenal”. This episode
                         is a continuation of the third episode, which was about green and white biotechnology<sup id="cite_ref-11"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup>.
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                         is a continuation of the third episode, which was about green and white biotechnology<sup id="cite_ref-12"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup>.
 
                     <br><b>Red biotechnology</b> deals with <b>medical issues</b> and specifically focusses on the detection
 
                     <br><b>Red biotechnology</b> deals with <b>medical issues</b> and specifically focusses on the detection
                         and treatment of abounding diseases<sup id="cite_ref-12"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup>. We aimed to give the audience a better understanding of
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                         and treatment of abounding diseases<sup id="cite_ref-13"><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup>. We aimed to give the audience a better understanding of
 
                         this topic by mentioning <b>diabetes as an exemplary disease</b>. To demonstrate the benefits of red
 
                         this topic by mentioning <b>diabetes as an exemplary disease</b>. To demonstrate the benefits of red
 
                         biotechnology, we talk about how <b>insulin</b> can be <b>produced by microorganisms</b> rather than using
 
                         biotechnology, we talk about how <b>insulin</b> can be <b>produced by microorganisms</b> rather than using
                         a porcine or bovine pancreas<sup id="cite_ref-13"><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup>. This way, we want to convey the perks biotechnology brings not o
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                         a porcine or bovine pancreas<sup id="cite_ref-14"><a href="#cite_note-14">[14]</a></sup>. This way, we want to convey the perks biotechnology brings not o
 
                         nly to humans but also to animals. Following this topic, we talk about how it has already
 
                         nly to humans but also to animals. Following this topic, we talk about how it has already
                         been achieved to <b>engineer a beating rat heart</b><sup id="cite_ref-14"><a href="#cite_note-14">[14]</a></sup> and that this field is called <b>tissue engineering</b>.
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                         been achieved to <b>engineer a beating rat heart</b><sup id="cite_ref-15"><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a></sup> and that this field is called <b>tissue engineering</b>.
 
                         Thereby, we can show how much potential lies in this area and that it would eventually spare
 
                         Thereby, we can show how much potential lies in this area and that it would eventually spare
 
                         the need of organ transplants.
 
                         the need of organ transplants.
                     <br>We also talk about <b>Dolly</b><sup id="cite_ref-15"><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a></sup>, the first successfully <b>cloned animal</b>, to mention that progress has
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                     <br>We also talk about <b>Dolly</b><sup id="cite_ref-16"><a href="#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup>, the first successfully <b>cloned animal</b>, to mention that progress has
 
                         already been made in this field. In this regard, we also try to acknowledge the <b>ethical
 
                         already been made in this field. In this regard, we also try to acknowledge the <b>ethical
 
                             dilemma</b> that inevitably accompanies this topic – using it to promote our upcoming episode
 
                             dilemma</b> that inevitably accompanies this topic – using it to promote our upcoming episode
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                 part is to get in touch with all different stakeholders and groups that could be affected by a project. This includes talking to people and
 
                 part is to get in touch with all different stakeholders and groups that could be affected by a project. This includes talking to people and
 
                 facing possible questions. A newer term for this process is <b>“Responsible Research and Innovation”</b> or short RRI. In the following we
 
                 facing possible questions. A newer term for this process is <b>“Responsible Research and Innovation”</b> or short RRI. In the following we
                 talked about how we have implemented RRI in our project by going through different aspects, mention some of the <a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:TU_Darmstadt/Integrated_Human-Practices>experts">BIGGES QUESTIONMARK @Rosi</a>
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                 talked about how we have implemented RRI in our project by going through different aspects, mention some of the <a href="https://2020.igem.org/Team:TU_Darmstadt/Integrated_Human-Practices>experts">experts</a>
 
                 we interviewed and explain how we tried to improve our project as much as possible. We played another clip, this time
 
                 we interviewed and explain how we tried to improve our project as much as possible. We played another clip, this time
 
                 from <b>Professor Andreas Jürgens</b> of the Department of Biology, also from our university. He gave us some input about risk
 
                 from <b>Professor Andreas Jürgens</b> of the Department of Biology, also from our university. He gave us some input about risk
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                             <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-1"></a>
 
                             <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-1"></a>
                             <a class="referencestd" href="https://analytik.news/presse/2005/375.html" target="_blank">1. Quelle 1 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
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                             <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.bmu.de/en/publication/621/"_blank">1. Naturbewusstsein 2019, Bevölkerungsumfrage zu Natur und biologischer Vielfalt, Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit, 1. Auflage, August 2020</a>
                        </div>
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                        <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-2"></a>
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                        <a class="referencestd" href="https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Rote_Biotechnologie" target="_blank">2. Quelle 2 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
+
  
 +
                            <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-2"></a>
 +
                            <a class="referencestd" href="https://analytik.news/presse/2005/375.html" target="_blank">2. Quelle 1 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
 +
                        </div>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-3"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-3"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href=" https://gensuisse.ch/sites/default/files/text_3_gentechnische_herstellung_von_insulin.pdf" target="_blank">3. Quelle 3 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
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                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Rote_Biotechnologie" target="_blank">3. Quelle 2 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-4"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-4"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.ime.fraunhofer.de/de/Forschungsbereiche/MB/industrielle_biotechnologie.html" target="_blank">4. https://www.ime.fraunhofer.de/de/Forschungsbereiche/MB/industrielle_biotechnologie.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href=" https://gensuisse.ch/sites/default/files/text_3_gentechnische_herstellung_von_insulin.pdf" target="_blank">4. Quelle 3 Philuhl (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-5"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-5"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://biotechnologie.de/knowledge_base_articles/1-was-ist-biotechnologie" target="_blank">5. https://biotechnologie.de/knowledge_base_articles/1-was-ist-biotechnologie (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.ime.fraunhofer.de/de/Forschungsbereiche/MB/industrielle_biotechnologie.html" target="_blank">5. https://www.ime.fraunhofer.de/de/Forschungsbereiche/MB/industrielle_biotechnologie.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-6"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-6"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://extremophile.oncampus.de/loop/Wie_produzieren_wir_Enzyme_f%C3%BCr_industrielle_Anwendungen%3F" target="_blank">6. https://extremophile.oncampus.de/loop/Wie_produzieren_wir_Enzyme_f%C3%BCr_industrielle_Anwendungen%3F (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://biotechnologie.de/knowledge_base_articles/1-was-ist-biotechnologie" target="_blank">6. https://biotechnologie.de/knowledge_base_articles/1-was-ist-biotechnologie (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-7"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-7"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.bmel.de/DE/themen/landwirtschaft/gruene-gentechnik/gruene-gentechnik_node.html" target="_blank">7. https://www.bmel.de/DE/themen/landwirtschaft/gruene-gentechnik/gruene-gentechnik_node.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://extremophile.oncampus.de/loop/Wie_produzieren_wir_Enzyme_f%C3%BCr_industrielle_Anwendungen%3F" target="_blank">7. https://extremophile.oncampus.de/loop/Wie_produzieren_wir_Enzyme_f%C3%BCr_industrielle_Anwendungen%3F (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-8"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-8"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/pdf/downloads/igbce_gruenebiotechnologie.pdf" target="_blank">8. Grüne Biotechnologie, Chancen für Menschen und Umwelt, IG BCE, Hannover, September 2005 (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.bmel.de/DE/themen/landwirtschaft/gruene-gentechnik/gruene-gentechnik_node.html" target="_blank">8. https://www.bmel.de/DE/themen/landwirtschaft/gruene-gentechnik/gruene-gentechnik_node.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-9"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-9"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/forschung/724.industriestaerke-kartoffel-amflora.html" target="_blank">9. https://www.transgen.de/forschung/724.industriestaerke-kartoffel-amflora.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/pdf/downloads/igbce_gruenebiotechnologie.pdf" target="_blank">9. Grüne Biotechnologie, Chancen für Menschen und Umwelt, IG BCE, Hannover, September 2005 (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-10"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-10"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/anbau/483.mon810-mais-zulassung-eu.html" target="_blank">10. https://www.transgen.de/anbau/483.mon810-mais-zulassung-eu.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/forschung/724.industriestaerke-kartoffel-amflora.html" target="_blank">10. https://www.transgen.de/forschung/724.industriestaerke-kartoffel-amflora.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-11"></a>
 
                         <a  class="anchor" id="cite_note-11"></a>
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://analytik.news/presse/2005/375.html" target="_blank">11. https://analytik.news/presse/2005/375.html (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
+
                         <a class="referencestd" href="https://www.transgen.de/anbau/483.mon810-mais-zulassung-eu.html" target="_blank">11. https://www.transgen.de/anbau/483.mon810-mais-zulassung-eu.html (Retrieved October 4, 2020)</a>
  
 
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                         <a class="referencestd" href=" https://gensuisse.ch/sites/default/files/text_3_gentechnische_herstellung_von_insulin.pdf" target="_blank">13. https://gensuisse.ch/sites/default/files/text_3_gentechnische_herstellung_von_insulin.pdf (Retrieved September 20, 2020)</a>
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Revision as of 11:08, 19 October 2020

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Biotechnology - What is it and what does it mean?

These questions are probably asked by many, especially younger people. But even older age groups might find themselves in unprecedented circumstances when they are presented with terms such as enzyme, gene or plasmid. Keeping this in mind, we have made it our task to evoke some long overdue change in this respect. For this, we developed several projects that all contribute to a better understanding of synthetic biology (SynBio). Admittedly, science communication is not only a topic in SynBio, but of all other sciences as well, but we decided to lay our focus on what we know best.

We tried to reach the widest possible audience with our projects. In order to achieve this, first of all we had to gain an overview of the already existing knowledge in the minds of the broad masses which we managed to accomplish by an online survey with 292 participants. We have also taken up this issue in a livestream on social media which we carried out together with the iGEM Team Kaiserslautern, in order to publicly provide further information about topics of synthetic biology for those interested.

We also created a podcast called "Genomenal" which is aimed at people of all ages who would like to learn more about biotechnology and iGEM. “Genomenal” can be found on Spotify, our university website and on our wiki. We have also thought of something for the younger part of society. Together with Aleksa Zecevic (click here), we have developed a mini-game called “The Genomenal Adventures of Dr. W”, which introduces biological practices in a playful and amusing way.

Last but not least, we also wanted to explicitly address students in the upper grades who might be thinking about a future career pathway in biology. For this, we have worked together with the Kurt-Schumacher-Schule in Karben. For this school, we hosted a zoom call in which we introduced the topic of iGEM to an advanced course for biology. We reported about our experiences and gave tips regarding our studies of biology and chemistry with the hope to enthuse them for scientifical studies. (click here)

Our Survey – the basis for our Science Communication

We wanted to find out the reasons for concerns regarding synthetic biology and GMOs, because we think that many of these are based on lacking knowledge. Therefore, we created a survey and reached almost 300 people. What does the public know about synthetic biology? Do they have a clue what is behind this term? What advantages and, more importantly, what risks do they think of when they hear this term?
Besides that, we were curious how the public estimates the problem of micropollutants in our waters and what they think of our solution. By doing this survey we also tried to reach awareness for these topics into people’s daily lives.

Results:

While about 80 percent can imagine what a genetically modified organism is, only 53 percent have an idea what synthetic biology could be. When asked if they have ever been in contact with a GMO before, almost one quarter answered that they don’t know. We specified the question by asking if they had ever consumed something that was produced by using GMOs. The number of participants who were not sure about that was not much lower. As these numbers are quite high and regarding that the 292 people we reached are no perfectly representative sample, there is a task we can get from our survey. One part of our project involved doing science communication. We aimed to reach more people not related to our university or scientific work. Since the COVID-19 pandemic made it really difficult to address people on the street, for example, we decided to focus on other projects like our podcast "Genomenal" and a minigame.
At least 90 percent of all participants told us that they definitely see a threat in the wastewater pollution by pharmaceutical residues. By asking if they think it’s alright to bring a GMO into a wastewater treatment plant, we found that about 70 percent have concerns regarding this idea or at least would not agree completely. Following this question, we asked these participants the same question but under the condition that our GMO will leave the waste water treatment plant under no circumstances. By this addition we were able to lower the disagreement. Only 45 percent of the interviewees still had concerns.
In the end of our survey we asked them about advantages they see in synthetic biology. About 80 percent of the participants told us that they see future applications especially in environmental protection and medicine. Since there was also the option ‘in none of these areas’ this result leaves us in a positive mood!

Our Podcast Genomenal

Creating a Podcast

Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we were limited in our ability to conduct science communication by directly talking to people. In the last couple of years, podcasts have become more popular and are above all a medium to reach a wide range of audiences. Consequently, we decided to create a podcast early on in our project.
Furthermore, we chose the podcast as a way to familiarize people with the topics of genetic engineering and biotechnology, especially those who are not yet familiar with them or have many unanswered questions and/or concerns.
Primarily, our goal was to reach the audience that would profit most from the information provided by the podcast. During our research, we stumbled upon a study that shows exactly which group is most relevant to us: Namely the German population as a whole.
The Nature Consciousness Study appears every two years and presents public opinion of the German population towards nature and genetic engineering as well (especially in the segment agriculture). In the field of genetic engineering, a clear majority of those surveyed in 2019, namely 95 percent, believe that possible effects on nature should be investigated and 81 percent are in favor of a ban on genetically modified organisms in agriculture. 63 percent are concerned that the consequences of new genetic engineering processes cannot be predicted. It is said that this the percentages and thus the mindset have been about the same since the surveys began.[1]
It was especially important for us to reach the German population with our podcast, as they obviously have some concerns about genetic engineering in general. This is also the reason why the podcast is only available in German. Although some German listeners would have probably listened to an English podcast and the episodes could have additionally been heard by people speaking other languages, we wanted to make it as accessible as possible for Germans specifically to get to the mentioned information.
We also decided to use Spotify as a platform for our podcast. As an addendum to the website of our university, all episodes are available on Spotify. Besides the opportunity to reach more people with this platform, Spotify enables us to get some data about the amount and type of our listeners.
Each of our podcast episodes consists of a conversation between two members of our or other iGEM teams and the constellation changes with each episode. In this way, you not only experience different types of discussion, but at the same time also get to know some members of our team.
We apologize in advance for all those who still would have liked to listen to our podcast. We have summarized the content of each episode in English, so that you can have a look at the topics that are discussed and what the key aspects of each episode are.

Episodes Themes and why we chose them

The series of episodes that make up our podcast covers a wide range of themes in biotechnology and genetic engineering. The idea is to provide an overview of the various fields of biotechnology and in this way, to introduce the listener to the most important topics briefly and concisely. After an introduction episode we started with the legal framework of genetic engineering, followed by episodes about the different colors of biotechnology. The iGEM competition itself as well as our project are presented in further episodes. Furthermore, we talked about ethics and responsible research and even produced one episode about the CRISPR technology.
We have chosen these topics because they give a good overview of biotechnology, genetic engineering and all the areas related to these themes. Concerns that are often expressed by study participants and interviewees find a place in the podcast episodes, where they are addressed, discussed and in most cases clarified. This way, a person who starts the series of episodes with little to no previous knowledge of the topics can then explain and understand these subjects to a greater extent afterwards.

Look forward to more exciting episodes in the future! According to the current status, we would like to continue the podcast and highlight and discuss further topics of biotechnology and, of course, present them in an understandable way for the audience.

Minigame

Everyone loves video games. This also applies to us, so we were pretty excited when we found someone who could program us a little game. Our goal was to explain and illustrate methods used in a biology laboratory within this minigame, so everyone can learn something new, while playing our game.
Due to the limited time and capacity of our team we had to keep the game simple. We decided on doing a side-scroller known from games like “Super Mario”. Our main character should of course be a motivated biotechnologist, who needs to complete several tasks in different levels. After many hours of designing levels and pictograms "The Genomenal Adventures of Dr. W” was born.

Story of the minigame

„The Genomal Adventures of Dr. W” tells the tale of the scientist Dr. W. He walks through various levels trying to solve a mission. Each level represents a biological lab procedure, such as gel electrophoresis, Gibson Assembly and – last but not least – one level representing our project idea.
The game starts with a basic level in which the player needs to collect his equipment, pipettes and tubes, among a few other things. The more levels you play through, the more things you have to gather and the more dangers you encounter. Danger itself is presented in many ways - as fire, a pit in the ground, a poisonous cloud or a puddle which the player needs to overcome. This way, we convey all the difficulties one might face in the lab. Your work does not always pan out as planned. One does not always know which path to choose and this is what this game stands for. Not only does it represent the steps our iGEM team has taken whilst the development of our project idea but should also enthuse others for the field of science in a fun and amusing way.
If you are interested in giving it a try, click here to download the game.

BIOspektrum magazine article

An important aspect of our work in the field of Human Practices is to bring our project to the attention of as many people as possible. Therefore, we used the opportunity offered by the magazine BIOspektrum to publish an article about our work. BIOspektrum is a scientific journal for molecular life sciences and reaches 13,000 people interested in the latest developments in molecular biology and biotechnology every month. The publication of an article about our project enabled us to reach a greater audience. This was evident when Ralf Möller from the Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (German Aerospace Center) contacted us, as he became aware of our project through BIOspektrum. Our article was published in the 5th issue of 2020 which was released in September.

Livestream with Kaiserslautern

When we found out that the Kaiserslautern iGEM team also tries to filter pollutants from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) by using laccases, we saw a direct opportunity for cooperation.
Kaiserslautern found a perfect way to present our projects in times of the COVID-19 pandemic: If we can't present them on site, then we'll just do it online! At this point, the iGEM Team Kaiserslautern had already made several live streams on the video streaming platform Twitch and invited us to do a joined stream. On the 31th of July we went live on Twitch with Kaiserslautern and drew some attention to the promising world of synthetic biology.
We presented our project ideas and explained our different approaches, as well as our motivation. In the video which you can find below this text, we educated about general safety concepts and introduced our kill switch. These concepts are crucial to make sure our genetically modified organism (GMO) will not leave the WWTP. We did also talk about our survey (-->Link) and interacted with the viewers. Most of them were generally interested in synthetic biology, but did not have deeper knowledge.
In conclusion, the livestream was a lot of fun and raised awareness for the field of synthetic biology as well as the various safety concepts in this field. In addition, it was a good opportunity to share our project idea with interested people from various backgrounds and raised awareness on the dangers of micropollutants in the wastewater.
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