One of our outreach for #CasTeaches targeted undergraduate students in NUS. Our team set up a booth during the NUS Science Students’ Fair held in August to share our iGEM project with peers. Even though the CRISPR-Cas system has gained much fame in recent years, RNA editing is still a rather new field. During the outreach, we were able to share with other undergraduates about synthetic biology, RNA editing and also iGEM. This drew interest from fellow students who were curious about RNA biology, genetic engineering and even bioethics. Specially-designed iGEM merchandise were also sold at the fair to further generate excitement and buzz.
Team:NUS Singapore-Sci/Cas Teaches
From our survey in #CasAsks: Survey, we gathered that public education and engagement is of utmost importance to bridge knowledge gaps, as such #CasTeaches and #CasTalks work hand-in-hand to fulfil that goal.
#CasTeaches is a more specialized branch of outreach, specifically directed at students ranging from age of 16 to 21. The rationale is that today’s cutting edge technology would be consumed by the younger generation, and thus it is more important to create awareness about current technological developments. This segment aims to educate students (through talks and discussions) about genetic engineering and stimulate their interest for synthetic biology through a series of small-group discussions. Also, we hope to instil a sense of civic-mindedness in students by discussing ethical concerns of these newly developed technologies.
#CasTeaches is a more specialized branch of outreach, specifically directed at students ranging from age of 16 to 21. The rationale is that today’s cutting edge technology would be consumed by the younger generation, and thus it is more important to create awareness about current technological developments. This segment aims to educate students (through talks and discussions) about genetic engineering and stimulate their interest for synthetic biology through a series of small-group discussions. Also, we hope to instil a sense of civic-mindedness in students by discussing ethical concerns of these newly developed technologies.
1) Outreach @ NUS Science Students’ Fair
2) Outreach @ NUS High School of Math and Science, Singapore
#CasTeaches went to NUS High School of Math & Science on the 5th of October 2018. They are a specialized high school that offers an accelerated education in their Math and Science curricula and 90% of its graduates pursue STEM courses in university. The purpose was to engage with members of the Biology Interest Group at NUS High through small group discussions to stimulate their interest in the field of synthetic biology and genetic engineering. As the students have a higher level of prior knowledge in genetics, we delved in-depth into the CRISPR-Cas system. Our team introduced to the students the background of CRISPR and its natural function in the bacterial immune response. Thereafter, we shared the technical aspects of gene editing and discussed current and future applications of CRISPR-Cas System. During the session, students were actively engaged and some showed particular interest in the diagnostic kit developed for the Zika virus. Eventually, we ended off with a discussion about ethical concerns on genetic engineering.
3) Outreach @ School of Science and Technology, Singapore
#CasTeaches visited the School of Science & Technology on 15th October 2018. They are a specialized secondary school that focuses on experiential and interdisciplinary learning. Our team held a sharing with students from the in-house biotechnology programme. We shared about the CRISPR-Cas system in a more intelligible way, with sufficient background information in molecular biology weaved in to ensure they could grasp the basis of our project. After a brief introduction to the timeline of discovery of CRISPR, we gave an animated walkthrough of how the gene editing process works. Furthermore, we looked at possible applications of the CRISPR-Cas system. Finally, the students enthusiastically participated in a game of Kahoot – where they were asked a series of true/false questions. As we progressed in the game, we debunked certain common misconceptions the students had on genome editing.
