Bringing SynBio to the Classroom: BioBits™ Bright

Danielle Serra - February 27, 2020

During my K-12 education subjects such as mathematics, biology, and art were always taught separately, with little interaction between them. But in the real world, problems and projects are rarely so focused on a single discipline, which is why interdisciplinary teaching and problem solving serves as a unique and important opportunity for students well before they enter post-secondary school. Synthetic biology tools are well suited to interdisciplinary teaching in classrooms, as they intersect many areas of study such as life sciences, engineering, and design.

Figure 1: BioBits™ Bright is a synthetic biology learning kit that provides exposure to molecular biology and engineering techniques at a beginner level of understanding (Reprinted from [Science Advances] Stark et al 2018).

The creation of an educational biology kit, jointly worked on by University of Toronto synthetic biologist Dr. Keith Pardee, will enrich a student’s educational experience by exposing them to biological engineering techniques. BioBits™ Bright, is a just-add-water synthetic biology kit where cell-free reactions are used to express fluorescent compounds as visual stimulation. Classrooms are typically limited in the projects that can be performed such as due to biosafety regulations, cost, or availability of equipment. By addressing such limitations, students can further their engagement in biology by using this kit.

BioBits™ Bright

This educational kit offers a low-cost opportunity for schools to implement synthetic biology into their curriculum. Designed to be user-friendly for any untrained operator, BioBits™ Bright uses FD-CF (Freeze-dried, cell free) reactions which synthesize protein in vitro. FD-CF reactions work by introducing freeze-dried pellets that contain many of the biological components that exist in living cells such as RNA polymerase or translation initiation factors, without the need for actual living cells. FD-CF reactions are also stable and can be performed at room temperature without compromising the results of the experiment. A library of 6 main fluorescent protein variants as seen in Figure 1(A), were chosen as the main fluorescent colours for individual expression. Students are then able to visually link molecular concepts and ask deeper questions as to how they may occur.

Two modules were developed for use with the FD-CF reactions and the fluorescent variants as the core components for BioBits™ Bright.

Module I: Changing the level of fluorescence

This first module helps students to understand protein synthesis. As seen in Figure 1(B), various concentrations of DNA template are titrated to the FD-CF reactions. By allowing the students experiment with the different concentrations of DNA template, they should come to the conclusion that there is a link between the amount of DNA template and the level of florescence that is ultimately produced. This experiment allows students to better grasp the idea of the central dogma in molecular biology by conceptualizing the idea that DNA template may act to initiate protein synthesis. The levels of florescence as the outcome for Module I, qualitatively teaches students that DNA plays an important role in the ability to produce protein.

Module II: Designing, building, and testing

Using BioBitsTM Bright, the design, build, and test cycle is implemented to create unique designs using varying levels of fluorescence (Reprinted from [Science Advances] Stark et al 2018).

Module II next enables students to build upon their knowledge from Module I and create their own in vitro project. Introducing the design, build, and test (DBT) cycle, it will introduce students to synthetic biology and engineering concepts (Figure 1(C)). Students will be able to rehydrate the FD-CF reactions with any of the 6 main fluorescence variants and any desired amount of DNA template in order to produce the required fluorescence to build their project. During the first trails of Module II, participants were given the creative freedom to construct their own in vitro program. As seen in Figure 2, some participants created designs resembling things like the rainbow, the periodic table, or even Connect Four®!

Built for accessibility, BioBits™ Bright will help engage students in the classroom and introduce them to the field of synthetic biology. By allowing the student to produce a project of their interest, the end result will combine biology with art and creativity.

For more information about BioBits™ Bright, check out https://www.mybiobits.org

 References

Stark JC, Huang A, Nguyen PQ, et al. BioBits™ Bright: A fluorescent synthetic biology education kit. Science Advances. 2018; 4(8). https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/8/eaat5107