Ⅰ. What We‘ve Achieved

ü We helped new iGEMers.

Figure 1 Team Numbers in iGEM from 2013 to 2015

From the figure we can find that each year many new teams participate in iGEM. This year, 111 new teams took part in the competition for the first time. Thus, it is necessary to give some advice to new iGEMers and we managed to invite both old and new teams to share their experience about team establishment. We believe that there is some important reference to iGEMers.

ü We connected software teams to wet teams.

We published the sixth issue-a special issue about software, trying to make software teams and wet teams work together. The open-ended questionnaire about software drew great attention from wet teams and we hope some vision will somehow guide the future software teams.

ü We tried to give feedback to judges.

To make the competition better, we add the part called “About Competition System”. It was clear that Latin America faces important issues to do research.
Last year, Team UFMG_Brazil (2014) made a survey in Latin America and we’ ve found that in addition to infra-structure, funding was indicated as the main difficulty to do Science. Yet the feedback can hardly reach the judges.
One of our friends Zamorano who cannot come to the Giant Jamboree wrote that:
In a sense, the competition might be too strict, stopping some people from being able to compete. The amount of money necessary to compete might be limiting to some teams.
We publish these words, appealing to help those friends.
Also, it is the first time that high school teams come to the Jamboree. Yet they argue that they should be judged differently.

ü We managed to attract experts.

Figure 2 Human Practices Types Classification from 2008 to 2014

We summarized human practices types from 2008 to 2014. Our statistics somehow matches the result of 2014-Team HKUST.
Interview part occupies only over 5 percent.
So we add the interview part to invite experts. Thanks to our partners, Paris_Bettencourt and Parsteur_Paris, the interview part covers both researchers and Bio-tech Companies.

ü We provided further discussion in synthetic biology in general.

Figure 3 Human Practices-Discussion Types Classification from 2008 to 2014

We also classified the discussion part of Human Practices. Though teams are fond of talking about ethics, they focus more on theories instead of cases.
There was a controversial research in April and we was wondering if we may express our opinions based on ethics. The researchers, headed by gene-function researcher Huang Junjiu at Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen University, modified in human embryos a gene responsible for beta thalassaemia, a blood disorder that can be fatal[1].
So we added ethical discussion in the second issue coming in May. Not only do we hope to combine ethics to cases, but also we want to make iGEMers keep an eye on Scientific Research Progress all the time.
At the same time, we find that not many teams concentrate on the development of synthetic biology. This special issue is about the present situation of synthetic biology in different countries and regions. We hope we can treat SynBio future direction with more open eyes.

ü More teams join us.

Below is the circumstances of participation in Newsletter.
Again, thanks to the teams that pay close attention to this platform.

Figure 4 Team Percentage in Newsletter from 2014 to 2015

Ⅱ. What We Are Looking Forward to

ü More teams to participate in.

The number of cooperators increased from 29 to 52.
Wish more teams join us!

Figure 5 World Map of Newsletter Cooperators in 2014

Figure 6 World Map of Newsletter Cooperators in 2015

ü More parts will be added.

Unlike last year, Newsletter consisted Team Introduction and Project Update.
This year, we add several parts such as Interview, Ethical Discussion, Questionnaire, Collaboration, About Competition System, Human Practices and so on.
We plan to add new session like Policy, Bio Bricks or something special.

ü More topics to discuss.

We will find more cases for iGEMers and people who concern about synthetic biology to discuss.

ü Draw attention from relevant figures.

We wish relevant figures such as researchers, stakeholders, workers, bosses and even the government care about synthetic biology.

ü Translate into different languages.

To achieve our final goal-make it available to the public, we think it necessary to translate Newsletter into different languages like Chinese, French, Spanish and German.

ü Make it available to the public.

Next year, we hope that more students, whether iGEMers or not, can read our Newsletter. People who are concerned about synthetic biology can know our Newsletter and send feedbacks to us to make it better.

Team:Amoy/Newsletter/Discussion

Newsletter