![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/b/ba/T--GreatBay_SCIE--Description_Header.png)
Questionnaire
After our interests of breast cancer was intrigued, we started different types of investigation. First, we had obtained online data regarding the general influence and severity of the disease. Realizing that this disease is on the top of the list among all illnesses exposed to women occupying 24.2% of incidence, we were worried about the possible lack of awareness to prevent and to deal with cancer in an appropriate way, especially when it comes to breast cancer. Then, we designed a survey and distributed it to 607 people. In fact, we have expected similar result that tends to reflect the lack of knowledge about breast cancer; however, the extent shocked us. Over half of the people being investigated acknowledged that they haven’t learned anything in breast cancer yet, and a lot of them are unfamiliar with commonsense such as what might lead to the danger of breast cancer, how is breast cancer developed, will it be spread infectiously among individuals. Apart from that, the cancer treatment is also the area of unknown for a lot of survey fillers. Based on the results, we decided to plan a series of activities to learn more details about breast cancer ourselves and then transfer the knowledge to others.
Synthetic Biology Card Game
To promote breast cancer, our team designed our own card game. Each card has different information ranging from the causes of breast cancer to obstacles patients might encounter along with the treatment processes. At first, we played this card game with students in the IGEM club. Some students thought this card game was a good way for people to learn more about breast cancer. For instance, initially many students were not aware that endocrine dyscrasia and persistent emotional fluctuations are associated with high risks of breast cancer,but after this card game, they gained a new understanding of potential factors contributing to breast cancers. The card game also introduced students to possible preventions of breast cancers like regular self-checking and early treatments. After this card game, our team also reinforced the importance of self-checking and regular checking in preventing breasts cancers. This card game received positive feedback from students and raised people's awareness about breast cancer intriguingly. Hoping to engage more people, our team decided to refine the card games and give more people chances to get involved in breast cancer.
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/4/41/T--GreatBay_SCIE--CardGame.jpg)
Fig.1: From design to product
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/a/a6/T--GreatBay_SCIE--CardGame2.jpg)
Fig.2: Playing the card game during the lab tour
Synthetic biology education in SCIE
After the beginning of the school, we restarted the IGEM club that opened last year in SCIE so as to circulate the knowledge of Synthetic Biology with our peers. Therefore, we conducted a series of lectures about Synthetic Biology, Bio-engineering, and scientific research skills to teach our younger peers in SCIE.
Our members has prepared a lot for these lectures. We have covered many things, including basic knowledge of DNA structure and central dogma of DNA replication, transcription and translation. We also introduced them about practical part of synthetic biology by playing the video which manipulates the real PCR and Agarose Gel Electropherosis experiment. What’s more, the synthetic biology lab belonging to SCIE was still constructing. We promised our members that after the completion of the construction, we would show them around the lab and teach them how to do those experiments in the real life under the supervision of school tutor if we got the chance.
Beside the knowledge, we also provided full-scaled information about IGEM and shared our precious experiences as well as heartfelt feeling of participating IGEM. We hoped that the spark of love for synthetic biology and the spirit of curiosity and exploration could be inherited by juniors.
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/6/61/T--GreatBay_SCIE--education.jpg)
Lecture within iGEM Club
To further raise people’s awareness about breast cancer, we held lectures at our school. Our lectures introduced students to potential causes of breast cancer and preventions. In the hope of engaging more students, we tailored our lectures to what they are interested in such as different treatments for breast cancers. We also shared real stories about breast cancer patients with students to reinforce the importance of paying attention to breast health from a young age.
Lab tour
We would like to offer an opportunity for our IGEM club members to visit to the laboratory in the real life. However, the construction of our own school lab was predicted to be completed in the next year. Thus, we prepared a lab tour for our IGEM club members to visit to the Bluepha lab, which was also the place we do experiments of our IGEM project. We hoped this special lab tour experience could help our members gain a deeper insights in the actual synthetic biology experiement. What's more, being familiar with experimental operations is a very basic point for learning synthetic biology and participating in igem competitions. If they want to participate in the IGEM next year, this experience will help them build a strong fundation.
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2021/8/8f/T--GreatBay_SCIE--labtour.jpg)
Project introduction via Wechat Official Account
给Alice写
Presentation in Bluepha lab summer camp
Jerry and Albert