Team:CPU CHINA/MeddyRelightMyStar

It is our great pleasure to introduce you to one of our most special Human Practice projects this year, Meddy: Relight My Star, an exhibition in the form of public art showing how we use synthetic biology to solve the crsis of polyethylene plastic pollution. In this exhibition, everyone will play the role of an explorer, following in the footsteps of the protagonist, Meddy, to relight the star of synthetic biology.

Promotion video.

INTRODUCTION

Before the exploration begins, let's think about a question:

How does general public associate with synthetic biology?

A video you came across? Or a lecture you attended out of interest? Such forms of popular science tend to be a one-way export, and few people can really benefit from them. The significance of this exhibition lies in the fact that we utilize public art to expand different contacting ways: one is thinking induction, and the other is bidirectional interaction.

Fig. 1 MRMS offline exhibition.

We use interactive animation, 3D printing technology, waste, walls, floors, metal, lighting, and other public art media to trigger people's thinking about environmental crises, enabling them to experience the magic of using synthetic biology to solve real problems.
We don't want to show the value of art by concocting serious concepts, choosing difficult subjects, or turning public artworks into fragmented creative gimmicks. We hope that this exhibition can embed a complete logical and easy-to-understand story to suit people of all ages. These people, even if they don't necessarily have the knowledge, can naturally participate in the experience of using science to solve real-world problems. This experience is not only for offline attendees, but also for those who are unable to attend due to COVID-19 or other reasons. They can still scan the QR codes issued by us online and offline and use interactive technologies provided by the Internet platform to freely enjoy the exhibition.

According to statistics, up to now, more than 1000 people the exhibition has viewed both online and offline, and the interactive animation of synthetic biology has been viewed by 248 people. It is believed that more people will participate in the exhibition and experience the charm of synthetic biology in the future.

RECRUITMENT

When you open the distributed comic booklet on your hand, you actually initiate the exploration of M:RMS outside the exhibition hall.

Fig. 2 content collection, booklets with exhibiration locaion and website in the end, readable online.

Meddy in Wonderland is the guiding mini-comic of the exhibition, which tells the story of Meddy using synthetic biology to solve the polyethylene crisis. Booklets are one of the most common public propaganda media in our life. Here, they will become a unique fusion with juvenile comics. We distributed them or placed them in all corners of the city. When you read to the last page, you will find that this folding page is actually the online and offline invitation for this exhibition, which provides location and web address(QR code). Also, there are a lot of details about synthetic biology hidden in the comics that will help you understand and participate in the rest of the show.

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We believe that the wonderful pictures and interesting stories will attract the public, especially teenagers, and ignite their interest in synthetic biology from a new perspective . And we encourage them to attend the offline exhibition and further explore the mysteries of synthetic biology.

Meddy In Wonderland synthetic biology mini-comic.pdf ACCESS

EXPLORATION

It is located in the Moxiang Art Space, 2nd floor in the conference center of China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing. We opened the exhibition on the opening day of our campus.

Fig. 3 entrence of MRMS.

Welcome to M:RMS main exhibition area, adventure continues!

ZONE A

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ZONE B

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Prescription For The Earth Interactive Animation demostration video.

ZONE C

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Bacteria Factory Color Cards - Children's Art.pdf ACCESS
Polyethylene Prison Cue Card - Metal Art.pdf ACCESS
Prescription for the earth Synbio Interaction animation.MP4 ACCESS
Life Science Blueprint Coordinate Code - String art.pdf ACCESS
M:RMS Online Exhibition on Wechat.pdf ACCESS

DIFFUSION

In order to expand the reach of synthetic biology, a series of stickers and postcards will be given to every attendee at the end of the experience. In particular, the base paper and the back of the postcard will randomly print three different QR codes of the website of the online exhibition, the website of Synthetic Biology interactive video and the official website of iGEM.

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Attendees will be able to give these souvenirs to their family, friends, classmates and colleagues to share their experience in the exhibition, and when they scan the QR code on the back of the sticker, they will be able to learn more about synthetic biology and M:RMS at the same time, so that more and more people will come to the exhibition to experience. In this positive feedback loop, synthetic biology will be carried further by more people.

At the same time, we have decided to open the bilingual PDF version of the exhibition planning book for viewing and downloading.

Fig. 4 planning book cover.

We would like to share our creative ideas with everyone who sees this exhibition, especially those who are or will be in the field of iGEM Human Practices. We hope that our small step will give you more inspiration and hope that you will bring more humane vitality to Synthetic Biology.

Overall Planning Of M:RMS.pdf ACCESS

ACCESSIBILITY

Due to the impact of COVID-19, some people are unable to visit in person; In line with local epidemic prevention measures, we also had to control the density of people in small spaces. Therefore, in order to increase the accessibility of M:RMS in terms of spatial distance and target population, we provide the public with the way of online exhibition viewing. We release the online exhibition version through Wechat, the social platform with the most users in China. At present, the total page views has reached 956. According to the system research feedback, 76.3% of the public feedback has benefited greatly.

Fig. 5 MRMS Wechat online exhibition.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that in the selection of color, we keep the same style as wiki and presentation, and also consider different types of color blindness patients for our exhibition. When we simulated our applied colors in the visual impairment simulator, the results showed a significant distinction in chromatic abbrration between the three colors, which means that our content is accessibility-friendly to the majority of people with color blindness.

Fig. 6 COLORCARD.

SUBLIMATION

A stereotype often exists that academic competition always means the cession and sacrifice of artistic aesthetics. However, we don't think so. Although advanced scientific content requires certain seriousness and rigor in expression, excellent artistic visualization can add to the icing on the cake for the popularization of science. Fortunately, iGEM is a competition that encourages participants to focus on the humanities and be creative, so our team is always trying to find a balance between art and science.

By chance, an idea of a public art exhibition suddenly sprang up in our minds.

Fig. 7 Poster of MRMS.

In our opinion, the definition of Public Art is not limited to the publicity on media, but can also be extended to objects. In other words, Public Art can also be understood as art suitable for the general Public to understand, accept and participate in.

Fig. 8 PUBLICEnglish CARD.

At such a meeting point of science and art, orthodox biological art always seems to query the existence of time and the universe, or pursue the height of philosophy and history. He's really more like a wise, taciturn old man you can only look up to, and unlike "the purpose of science is to give you answers", his attitude always seems to be:

I'm not going to give you the answer, because I don't know what the answer is.

By contrast, public art, which focuses on the popularization of science, is more like a liberal young man. Although he has not measured the scale of life, nor has the ambition to rewrite the rule of world, he stands in front of you and tells you:

I know there is an answer, and I wish you to find it out by yourself.

We believe that this public art exhibition not only develops the new field of Human Practices in iGEM, but also initiates a popular science revolution on synthetic biology.

The star of synthetic biology seems to have been re-lit long ago. As a result, the exhibition will go on forever in its own form.

Fig. 9 Heart of Meddy.

Just like this shining blue star.