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<h1>Awareness</h1>
 
<h1>Awareness</h1>
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<h2>Introduction</h2>
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<p>In our opinion it is very important that synthetic biology gets attention in the public. People should talk about synthetic biology and learn how useful it can be. To reach as many people as possible and explain them the benefits of synthetic biology we published an article about our education project in a regional newspaper. This article is not only about the human practices education project, but also about what synthetic biology is and how it can be used to help people. We hope to decrease prejudices people might have against synthetic biology, and to enhance acceptance. A second article was published in the <a href="https://www.vseth.ethz.ch/polykum">ETH-student magazine</a>, which reaches thousands of students of various disciplines. That way we hope to show them what iGEM is about and to motivate them for a possible future participation.</p>
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<h2>Summary</h2>
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<p>To get the publics attention we did the following:
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<ul>
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<li>We <b>published an article</b> about our human practices school project in the <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:ETH_Zurich/Practices/Awareness#_Newspaper_Articles_">newspaper</a>. This article also explains what synthetic biology is and why it can be so useful.</li>
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<li>Together with the team of <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:EPF_Lausanne">EPF Lausanne</a> wie did a <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:ETH_Zurich/Practices/Awareness#Engaging_the_public_with_EPFL">survey</a> in the streets of basel and <b>asked people to tell us their opinion</b> about synthetic biology.</li>
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<li>We published an <a href="">article (link)</a> in the ETH student magazine <a href="https://www.vseth.ethz.ch/polykum">polykum</a> which <b>reaches a lot of students of various disciplines</b>.</li>
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</ul>
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</p>
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<h2 id="surveyEPFL">Engaging the public with EPFL</h2>
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<P>Together with the team of <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:EPF_Lausanne">EPF Lausanne</a> wie conducted a <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:ETH_Zurich/Practices/Awareness#Engaging_the_public_with_EPFL">survey</a> in the streets of Basel and asked people to tell us their opinion about synthetic biology. In the slideshow below you find some impressions of the survey.</p>
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<ul class="pgwSlideshow">
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AvxI7viBz_jvX7MfTTPCCOy-VZYuMpv5-uTppGJwuesE.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/7/7a/ETH_EPFL_AvxI7viBz_jvX7MfTTPCCOy-VZYuMpv5-uTppGJwuesE.jpg/90px-ETH_EPFL_AvxI7viBz_jvX7MfTTPCCOy-VZYuMpv5-uTppGJwuesE.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/7/7a/ETH_EPFL_AvxI7viBz_jvX7MfTTPCCOy-VZYuMpv5-uTppGJwuesE.jpg/450px-ETH_EPFL_AvxI7viBz_jvX7MfTTPCCOy-VZYuMpv5-uTppGJwuesE.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AnN3qdhHYCYaEOllDd8zPPUbXvw42IVrqux7aTZDReNf.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/6a/ETH_EPFL_AnN3qdhHYCYaEOllDd8zPPUbXvw42IVrqux7aTZDReNf.jpg/120px-ETH_EPFL_AnN3qdhHYCYaEOllDd8zPPUbXvw42IVrqux7aTZDReNf.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/6a/ETH_EPFL_AnN3qdhHYCYaEOllDd8zPPUbXvw42IVrqux7aTZDReNf.jpg/800px-ETH_EPFL_AnN3qdhHYCYaEOllDd8zPPUbXvw42IVrqux7aTZDReNf.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AtlWyH7ZG6-4wy8clDV9SN7IuaAngyYKznCI-fAiAN8z.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/61/ETH_EPFL_AtlWyH7ZG6-4wy8clDV9SN7IuaAngyYKznCI-fAiAN8z.jpg/120px-ETH_EPFL_AtlWyH7ZG6-4wy8clDV9SN7IuaAngyYKznCI-fAiAN8z.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/61/ETH_EPFL_AtlWyH7ZG6-4wy8clDV9SN7IuaAngyYKznCI-fAiAN8z.jpg/800px-ETH_EPFL_AtlWyH7ZG6-4wy8clDV9SN7IuaAngyYKznCI-fAiAN8z.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_Ah5ra0G1nZAXEsni9-c0yd5dbxWWmIRK21j9DTZp2H0L.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/3b/ETH_EPFL_Ah5ra0G1nZAXEsni9-c0yd5dbxWWmIRK21j9DTZp2H0L.jpg/120px-ETH_EPFL_Ah5ra0G1nZAXEsni9-c0yd5dbxWWmIRK21j9DTZp2H0L.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/3/3b/ETH_EPFL_Ah5ra0G1nZAXEsni9-c0yd5dbxWWmIRK21j9DTZp2H0L.jpg/800px-ETH_EPFL_Ah5ra0G1nZAXEsni9-c0yd5dbxWWmIRK21j9DTZp2H0L.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AlOLfRkhrefU0QJc-ME0B3RClNBqU_NHHXjc9pvpdNcp.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/6c/ETH_EPFL_AlOLfRkhrefU0QJc-ME0B3RClNBqU_NHHXjc9pvpdNcp.jpg/120px-ETH_EPFL_AlOLfRkhrefU0QJc-ME0B3RClNBqU_NHHXjc9pvpdNcp.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/6/6c/ETH_EPFL_AlOLfRkhrefU0QJc-ME0B3RClNBqU_NHHXjc9pvpdNcp.jpg/800px-ETH_EPFL_AlOLfRkhrefU0QJc-ME0B3RClNBqU_NHHXjc9pvpdNcp.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AlltH0oJEMlSKO1UMyvqa89TRiNOuecwhjc7VfUyOc8o.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/a/aa/ETH_EPFL_AlltH0oJEMlSKO1UMyvqa89TRiNOuecwhjc7VfUyOc8o.jpg/120px-ETH_EPFL_AlltH0oJEMlSKO1UMyvqa89TRiNOuecwhjc7VfUyOc8o.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/a/aa/ETH_EPFL_AlltH0oJEMlSKO1UMyvqa89TRiNOuecwhjc7VfUyOc8o.jpg/800px-ETH_EPFL_AlltH0oJEMlSKO1UMyvqa89TRiNOuecwhjc7VfUyOc8o.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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<li><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:ETH_EPFL_AnC9Acf0gF66EQut6QgDldTCW33USqQS6xPsQptzMRl7.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/c/cd/ETH_EPFL_AnC9Acf0gF66EQut6QgDldTCW33USqQS6xPsQptzMRl7.jpg/90px-ETH_EPFL_AnC9Acf0gF66EQut6QgDldTCW33USqQS6xPsQptzMRl7.jpg" data-large-src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/c/cd/ETH_EPFL_AnC9Acf0gF66EQut6QgDldTCW33USqQS6xPsQptzMRl7.jpg/450px-ETH_EPFL_AnC9Acf0gF66EQut6QgDldTCW33USqQS6xPsQptzMRl7.jpg" alt=""></a></li>
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</ul>
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<h2 id="Survey_Summary">Survey Summary</h2>
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<p> In collaboration with <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:EPF_Lausanne">EPF Lausanne</a> we interviewed a total of 70 persons in the two major Swiss cities Lausanne and Basel. The following questions were asked in order to estimate the public understanding and appreciation of Synthetic biology. Results are displayed as percentages. </p>
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/d/d5/Q1.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="1) Have you ever heard of the term 'Synthetic Biology'?">
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</a>
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/a/a0/Q2.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="2) According to the given definition and examples, what do you think is the public attitude towards this scientific discipline?">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/2/23/Q3new.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="3) Do you think there is sufficient interaction between Scientists and the general public in Switzerland?">
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/c/cf/Q4new.png/800px-Q4new.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="4) Does this interaction go both ways?">
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/1/13/Q5.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="5) Who has the ethical responsibility with respect to scientific experiments?">
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/thumb/1/12/Q6combined.png/800px-Q6combined.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="6) As an application of synthetic biology, would you support...">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/4/4b/Q7.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="7) Of which type are your preoccupations with respect to our project and its applications?">
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<li>
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/d/db/Q8.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="8) What is worse: A false medical positive (erroneously diagnosing cancer in a healthy individual) or a false medical negative (failing to detect cancer in a diseased individual upon testing)?">
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<a href="#">
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/1/18/Q9.png" width="500px" data-large-src=""
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alt="9) What is your general opinion on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?">
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<h2> Newspaper Articles </h2>
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<h2 id="Newspaper_Article">Newspaper Article </h2>
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<p><a href="#" onclick="toggle();return false;">Click here</a> to toggle between German and English. I'll fix the text box positioning later...</p>
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<p>Below you find an article about our <a href="https://2015.igem.org/Team:ETH_Zurich/Practices/Education">human practices school project</a> that was published in a regional newspaper. The article is not only about our school project, but also about what synthetic biology in general is.</p>
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<p><a href="#" onclick="toggle();return false;">Click here</a> to toggle between German and English.</p>
 
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<h3>Fighting cancer with strawberries</h3>
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<h2 id="Polykum_Article"> Polykum Article </h2>
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<h4><b>Wil, CH</b> Biology student Anja Michael is working in synthetic biology and is introducing the field to elementary school students.</h4>
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<p> To reach students from various fiels and to possibly motivate them for a future iGEM participation, we published an article in the student magazine <a href="https://www.vseth.ethz.ch/polykum">'Polykum'</a>, where we explained our project and gave an interview about spending a summer in the lab. To download a PDF of the original german version or a translated english version click on the respective pictures below.</p>
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<p><b>Anja Michael is a 23 year old student from Rossr&uuml;ti studying biology at ETH Zurich. She is trying to spread her love of science to elementary school children.</b></p>
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<a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/1/1c/PolykumEnglish.pdf">
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<h4>English Version</h4>
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<p><b><i>Anja Michel shows Grade 3 students from Kirchplatz how to extract strawberry DNA.</i></b></p>
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<a href="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/1/17/PolykumDeutsch.pdf">
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<h4>German Version</h4>
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<p><b><i>Extracted strawberry DNA</i></b></p>
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<p>The "international Genetically engineered machine" (iGEM) competition is a competition for students in the field of synthetic biology. With the support of PhD students and professors, the team from ETH Zurich consisting of six students is participating this year. For their project, they aim to genetically manipulate <i>E. coli</i> bacteria to produce green fluorescence when in contact with cancer cells. Using this, it would be possible to test for cancer in blood samples from patients in about five hours. It is already possible to detect cancer cells in human blood, but current methods are very expensive. With their project, the biology students want to develop a less expensive alternative.</p>
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<p>Inspired by her "super biology teacher", Anja Michel started to like science at the "Kantonsschule" in Wil. After completing her matura in 2009, she started studying music in Basel, then did an internship at the cantonal hospital in Winterthur. In 2011, she returned to biology and started to study at ETH Zurich. After completing her Bachelor degree, she went to Brazil for another internship. She is now back in Switzerland working on a Master's degree. Last Thursday, she visited the "Kirchplatz" school in Wil.</p>
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<p><b>Microbiology and Immunology</b><br>
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"Biology is so interesting because it explains all life," says Anja Michel. Biology is a very broad subject whose various subfields all appeal to her. "It turns out that the more you learn about a topic, the less you feel like you know about it. For every door you close, ten more open." She had to pick only one topic for her Master's studies, so she chose to specialize in Microbiology and Immunology: "the smaller, the better." Microbiology is the study of organisms that cannot be seen with</p>
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the naked eye, such as viruses and bacteria. Immunology, on the other hand, is the study of the immune system: the body's own defences against pathogens. Her studies drew Anja Michel to the iGEM project (see box).</p>
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<p><b>DNA is everywhere</b><br>
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Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a biomolecule present in every living organism. It is the carrier of genes, known colloquially as hereditary predispositions. Thus, DNA is a part of humans, animals and plants. We carry DNA, we are permanently surrounded by it and we even eat it. DNA can be engineered as well, leading to modifications in molecules, cells, or organisms to generate new biological properties. This field of</p>
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<p> biology is called "synthetic biology". Anja Michel wishes that the public knew more about and was more accepting of the field. She explains: "even though you are changing some parts of the DNA, it still is DNA." She and the rest of iGEM her team are trying to pass this on to primary school children. On Thursday, July 2 she and two teammates visited the Grade 3 class at the Kirchplatzschulhaus in the old town of Wil. "Children should be more open to the subject since they have not become prejudiced against it yet," states Anja Michel. This is why researchers actively try to seek access to the public to teach science through children via classroom visits and other activities.</p>
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<p><b>Experiments on strawberries</b><br>
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The 23-year-olds started by explaining the composition of a cell and the function of DNA to the class. On a blackboard, they helped the children label the parts of a cell and explain their function. After an introductory lesson on the theory of DNA and a demonstration of a simple experimental protocol, the children performed an experiment themselves (pictured above). A strawberry was mixed with water, salt and soap and put into a plastic bag and crushed. The resulting red liquid was poured through a sieve into a plastic beaker. After addition of alcohol, DNA separated from the rest of the liquid and could be taken out of the beaker with a toothpick</p></div></div>
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<p> (pictured on the left). Obviously, the children enjoyed the experiment and they all completed it successfully. Maybe visits like this can lay the foundation to inspire these students to pursue science in the future. <br>
 
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<div style="float:right"><i>Pascal Scheiwiler</i></div>
 
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Latest revision as of 18:33, 18 September 2015

"What I cannot create I do not understand."
- Richard Feynmann

Awareness

In our opinion it is very important that synthetic biology gets attention in the public. People should talk about synthetic biology and learn how useful it can be. To reach as many people as possible and explain them the benefits of synthetic biology we published an article about our education project in a regional newspaper. This article is not only about the human practices education project, but also about what synthetic biology is and how it can be used to help people. We hope to decrease prejudices people might have against synthetic biology, and to enhance acceptance. A second article was published in the ETH-student magazine, which reaches thousands of students of various disciplines. That way we hope to show them what iGEM is about and to motivate them for a possible future participation.

Summary

To get the publics attention we did the following:

  • We published an article about our human practices school project in the newspaper. This article also explains what synthetic biology is and why it can be so useful.
  • Together with the team of EPF Lausanne wie did a survey in the streets of basel and asked people to tell us their opinion about synthetic biology.
  • We published an article (link) in the ETH student magazine polykum which reaches a lot of students of various disciplines.

Engaging the public with EPFL

Together with the team of EPF Lausanne wie conducted a survey in the streets of Basel and asked people to tell us their opinion about synthetic biology. In the slideshow below you find some impressions of the survey.

Survey Summary

In collaboration with EPF Lausanne we interviewed a total of 70 persons in the two major Swiss cities Lausanne and Basel. The following questions were asked in order to estimate the public understanding and appreciation of Synthetic biology. Results are displayed as percentages.

Newspaper Article

Below you find an article about our human practices school project that was published in a regional newspaper. The article is not only about our school project, but also about what synthetic biology in general is.

Click here to toggle between German and English.

Polykum Article

To reach students from various fiels and to possibly motivate them for a future iGEM participation, we published an article in the student magazine 'Polykum', where we explained our project and gave an interview about spending a summer in the lab. To download a PDF of the original german version or a translated english version click on the respective pictures below.

English Version

German Version

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