<p> The main aim of our effort in human practices is to reduce the stigma around mental health problems by pointing out the fact that some of these, like depression or anxiety are actual diseases with physical causes and not a sign of weakness. Our lab work focuses on the connection between the gut microbiota and the brain to tackle mental diseases. Thus, we are directly tackling this misconception.</p>
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<h5>Integrated Human Practices</h5>
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<h4> What is our plan? </h4>
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<p> The policy and practices component in <strong>Mind the Gut</strong> aims to reduce the <strong>stigma</strong> around mental health problems by creating awareness about the physiological causes of disorders such as depression and anxiety. We aim to directly tackle this misconception through the science of our lab work: the connection between the gut microbiota and the brain to treat mental disorders. </p>
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<h2 style="margin-top:1%"> How?</h2>
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<p>We are talking with people who work in mental health charities, people suffering from depression, practitioners and scientists to find out more about the problems of people suffering from depression. We also want to use the opportunity to create awareness of the mind-gut connection which is quite a young field of research. This helps us to make our project relevant for actual patients.</p>
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<p>We've been involved in discussions with patients, practitioners,scientists and volunteers in charities to inquire about mental health issues. We also plan to use this as an opportunity to create awareness for the gut-brain axis which is quite a nascent field of research. This helps us ensure the relevance of our project to patients.</p>
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<p> We've organized events in collaboration with artists, museums and mental health organisations in order to start discussions with the general public and incorporate their ideas into our project. As of now there are two aspects that are needed to be considered:
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<li>Firstly, a large part of scientific research is not accessible to the general public due to technical language and jargon. This barrier needs to be overcome in order to inform the public about the physiology of mental health and to help the patients understand their condition.</li><!--We are creating software that can find technical terms in publications and highlights them for authors, such as scientists or future iGEM teams, to rephrase when addressing non-science audiences.-->
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<li>Secondly, patients taking medication (e.g. for depression) must increase their dose in controlled, regular intervals. This is an issue we will consider when building the genetic circuit for our biobricks.</li></ul></p><div>
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<h2 style="margin-top:1%"> Who?</h2>
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<p> We organize events in collaboration with artists, museums and mental health organisations in order to start a dialogue with people outside of the lab and incorporate their ideas into our project. So far, we have noticed two aspects that we need to consider in our project. One is that a lot of the research effort is not accessible to people due to technical language. This barrier needs to be overcome to tackle prejudices and to help patients understand their condition. <!--We are creating software that can find technical terms in publications and highlights them for authors, such as scientists or future iGEM teams, to rephrase when addressing non-science audiences.-->
Secondly, we realized that patients taking medication ,e.g. for depression, have to increase their dose in regular intervals. This is an issue we need to consider when building a genetic circuit that responds to triggers of mental illness in the gut.</p>
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<p>We are currently organising an event with the Mental Fight Club in Southwark, London. <strong>The Dragon Café</strong> is a weekly event in the Crypt of St George the Martyr Church. It is open to all, but is especially catered towards those struggling with mental health issues or patients from St. Thomas Hospital. Our one-off event will consist of a presentation and a Q&A about our project.<!--This might be in collaboration with an artist that focuses on the stigma and the way to overcome it with science.--></p></li>
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<li><p><b>YoungMinds UK</b></p>
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<p>We have contacted the mental health charity, <strong>YoungMinds UK</strong>, to widen our perception about mental health issues. This charity is catered towards students and young people with mental health issues. We are currently planning an interactive event to engage directly with these people and present our project.</p></li>
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<h2 style="margin-top:1%"> Art and design</h2>
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<h4> Who we are working with </h4>
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<li><p style="margin-top:1%"><b>Bioart</b></p>
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<p>Through our art and design we aimed to analyse and explore the future implications of delivering genetically modified bacteria to possibly enhance our bodies and minds. Furthermore, we wanted to bring our project to the general public, by creating a collection of pictures with potential products that could be manufactured to delivered our genetically enhanced bacteria.</p>
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<li>We collaborated with bioartists Anna Dumitriu and Heather Mac to produce a range of new products for the Hypersymbiont Enhancement Salon. </li>
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<li>In order to do so Anna used our engineered E.coli overexpressing serotonin to develop a fun and creative collection of everyday products containing the psychobiotic that makes people ‘happier’.The GM E.coli was freeze dried in order to sparkle this ‘shiny dust’ on the toothpaste and lipstick, while live bacteria was used for the tabs and jellies.</li>
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Dragon - Cafe, Mental Fight Club,
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We are organising an event together with the mental fight club in Borough, London. We are going to give a presentation and talk with people in this weekly cafe in south London which is open to all people, especially for those struggling with problems such as depression or patients from ST. Thomas Hospital.