cGEM Part II: The Workshops

Fatima Sheikh - January 26, 2021

While the cGEM 2020 conference provided a platform for Canadian iGEM teams to showcase their work, this event also fostered conversations on many aspects of synthetic biology with students, industry leaders, and academic professionals. The conference was kicked-off by Dr. Bettina Hamelin from Ontario Genomics discussing the biological innovations that are being pushed forward as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. This inspiring keynote set the tone for what was 2 days filled with many different talks and important discussions on the vast applications of synthetic biology in Canada. 

On day one there were a series of interactive workshops  that allowed students to explore different avenues/aspects/components, important in the field of synthetic biology. The After iGEM team, directly from iGEM HQ, held an important workshop on scientific communication! To put it simply, research does not matter without effective communication. Scientific communication is required at every level of research whether it be in the beginning when acquiring funding, throughout while recording results, and especially at the end when relaying this information to stakeholders and the public. A strong emphasis in this workshop was put on knowing your audience. Is this information being presented to other professionals in the field, or is it being relayed to the public? Breaking down the language used is critical to ensure understanding of the material and knowing your audience can ensure that there are no misunderstandings. As members of the growing synthetic biology community, part of our responsibility is to ensure proper engagement of the public and this was highlighted by the After iGEM team and discussed throughout the remainder of the conference.

On day 2 we began with a series of fireside chats, one which included Dr. Benjamin Scott (SynBio Canada) along with Avalyne Diotte and Pierre Oliver (Policy Horizons) discussing what they’ve learned from the ongoing biodigital convergence webinar series. Together, they answered a number of questions and ultimately highlighted the potential of synthetic biology techniques and approaches that can be used to build on existing knowledge and infrastructure within Canada. But, how do we make this transition to the use of synthetic biology and its different applications in a way that engages all the important stakeholders? They suggested that part of it will come down to good science communication and with the recent pandemic, health and innovation are at the forefront of public discussion, providing scientists of all disciplines an important learning opportunity.

Later on during the day, a series of panels were held, one of which covered the topic of synthetic biology education. This conversation was moderated by Bi-ru Amy Yeung (cGEM co-director and co-founder), and included expert voices from Patrick Diep (CSBERG co-director and founder), Dr. Vincent Martin (Concordia), Magda Pop (MindFuel), and Orly Weinberg (Concordia). They highlighted the synbio education landscape in different regions of Canada and the progress that has been made over the past few years both at the high school and the post-secondary level. Moving forward, they encouraged the integration of project-based learning and re-framing human practices, referring to the social and ethical impacts of research, to improve integration with other domains of synthetic biology research. With students being an important part of the synthetic biology community future, a strong emphasis on educational programs that highlights both the technical skills along with other important aspects, such as science communication, will equip synthetic biologists with the tools to contribute to the bioeconomy.

This recap of the cGEM conference wouldn’t be complete without a discussion on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Synthetic Biology panel. It featured Dr. Trevor Charles (Waterloo), Kelcie Miller-Anderson (MycoRemedy), Dr. Nika Shakiba (UBC), and Peivand Sadat Mousavi (University of Toronto)  and was moderated by Dr. Rebecca Shapiro (Guelph). Together, they fostered a discussion on roadblocks experienced by minorities and how each of them overcame their own obstacles. These individuals are inspirational, to say the least, with their stories providing proof that  anything is possible with a strong support system. Suggested advice to young students and prospective synthetic biologists included making connections early and finding supportive mentors. Mentors can provide insights into how to elevate your career but are also important for navigating potential barriers. While there are strong efforts toward making the field of synthetic biology more diverse and inclusive, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done and will require each of us to do our part in creating a more equitable and diverse community. 

This conference was wrapped up with a keynote by Dr. Ryan Pillipe from Genome Canada, where he shared insights into how students can  contribute to the Canadian bioeconomy, followed by reflections from Amy Yeung (UofT), Jehoshua Sharma (Guelph), and Luana Langolis (Western) on the conference and future of synthetic biology. We think it’s safe to say this year's conference was a success, and while we only highlighted a few sessions from the conference, every session had fostered important discussions between students, researchers and industry professionals. As we continue to grow this community and leverage synthetic biology to improve society, effective knowledge translation and engagement of the public as well as active efforts to create a more equitable and diverse community, are going to be important drivers of this growth.

Thank you to everyone who attended this conference, if you missed any of the amazing sessions you can find the recordings on the cGEM Youtube Channel. Be sure to keep an eye out for next years events and initiatives by following @cGEM_2020

List of cGEM 2020 Workshops

• Pitch Fundamentals by Forest City SynBio

• Scientific Communication by After iGEM

• Scientific communication is extremely important with 6 main keys

  • Stakeholders: people depending on the research

  • Scientific method: this includes disseminating results

  • Public perception 

  • Funding

  • Communication skills

  • Sustainability 

• Lean Business Model Canvas by Danielle Rose from SynBio Canada

• Translational Synbio by Synlogic

• Inscripta Keynote by Chad Whitman

• Biodesigning our Future by Ginkgo Bioworks

• Digital Bioconvergence by Synbio Canada and Policy Horizons

• Community Science by Open Science Network

• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in SynBio Panel

• Environmental Sustainability in SynBio Panel

• Canadian Start-Ups in SynBio Panel

• Canadian Education in SynBio Panel

• Genome Canada Keynote by Ryan Philippe

• cGEM Keynote by Jehoshua Sharma, Amy Yeung, and Luana Langlois