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From 2010.igem.org

Workshop on Synthic Biology

To give the general public a glimmer of our iGEM experience, we developed a workshop where they can feel like a real scientist and go into battle with oil pollution at sea by making their own BioBrick. Our self developed workshop was succesfully used at the [http://www.wtacademie.nl/ Science Day for Teachers] and at the [http://www.delft.nl/content.jsp?objectid=51425 Science Day for Kids]. The goal was to inspire and fascinate teachers. People already interested in science were challenged to see even more the opportunities that science and technology can offer.

Watch the workshop

The Workshop in a nutshell

Part 1 Education

In the first part, the participants really feel like a scientist. They are offered the opportunity to join our team and built their own BioBrick for oil degradation. But before we let them tinker with DNA parts, we give a short introduction into the building blocks of life. Then they have to roll up their sleeves!

Participants are provided with a Parts Registry and a modular of parts in the form of cards. In this way, they were challenged to think about how the various parts have to be combined.

Did you do a good job? Congratulations! That deserves a certificate!

Part 2 Perception

How promising is Synthetic Biology? The second part of the workshop is all about discussion. It is the opinion of the audience that counts! The following statements are put forward:

With which statement do you agree?

Pick your statement
	Synthetic biology is too beautiful to ignore
	Self regulation by synthetic biologists is enough
	Don't let only commercial interests, but also the society, decide about the application of synthetic biology
	Who tries to take billions years of evolution of life into their own hands is acting like God
	By engineering new life forms we exceed a moral boundary
	A living machine that makes something useful and which is also able to replicate! Beautiful!
	The technique goes beyond our understanding
pollcode.com free polls

Different opinions lead to interesting discussions

A firm discussion on the regulation of synthetic biology was born. According to most, the application of this science should not only be in the hands of commerce. On the other hand, it was suggested that is not a good idea to only let the society decide on its fate. Fear of the unknown is a major challenge for many people. By being afraid of what may or may not happen, people could reject scientific advances.