An Interest in SynBio - The Perspective of a Canadian High School Student
Ammielle Wambo Becker - April 22, 2021
Despair and anxiety are not uncommon feelings among young people these days. As high school students, we deal with many sources of stress, from parental pressure and high expectations to mounting workloads. It's not easy to juggle all this, not to mention the growing concerns about the future, whether it's because of the climate crisis or the coronavirus. But I am optimistic about one thing: synthetic biology.
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I learned about synthetic biology in September 2020. Over the summer, I first learned to code in Python, then in JavaScript, and now in Java. I enjoy the creativity of debugging code and solving problems and the collaboration of participating in hackathons and competing as a team. When I first heard about the development and application of computer science techniques to biology, I was hooked. The exciting idea of programming a cell with the code of life, DNA, as I would with any other programming language, led me to biological computing.
Biological computing is concerned with the creation of biocomputers, i.e. biomolecules capable of performing calculations. I dove into DNA digital data storage and synthetic biological circuits as a way of demonstrating the computer-like properties of biological systems. Although I didn't know it at the time, I was just covering a small area of the field of synthetic biology.
I don't really know what about synbio is special to me. Maybe the field is just so emerging and I feel I can make a real impact. Maybe it's such a multidisciplinary and broad field that I don't have to choose a specialty yet. Maybe it's really a matter of optimism: synthetic biology shows great promise. Or it is a blend of all these reasons and more. I can see myself tinkering and engineering with biological elements for a long time.
I think the COVID-19 lockdowns have been both a blessing and a curse for my learning journey. On the one hand, more synthetic biology webinars and conferences are being held virtually than ever before, and thus I don't have to worry about cost or travel distance. I can gain invaluable insights and meet other people through Zoom! On the other hand, although I would love to gain the technical experience of working in a wet lab, I have never set foot in one. I’ve learned everything I know from articles, papers, and videos, as well as from insightful conversations with researchers and professionals.
It is often discouraging that so many opportunities and courses are reserved for post-secondary students, but I understand why. Because we lack the experience and knowledge to participate in technical courses and challenging events, high school students are rarely the target audience. Yet I always wonder why there are hardly any opportunities for us to get involved in biotechnology, to gain this necessary experience and knowledge. Few people around me (and even fewer people my age) have ever heard of CRISPR or synthetic biology. Despite the online learning content for beginners, entering this space can still seem intimidating and daunting to many. And even after taking the huge first step of outreach and awareness, I think that presenting enrichment materials and opportunities for a strong and diverse future biotech workforce is often missing. Even if young people know what synthetic biology is, how can they foster their interests? How can they pursue these fields beyond the classroom?
A good start would be to provide young people with mentorship and advice from researchers. I also think that research projects and placements play a key role in exposing students to potential career paths and supporting their interests. And why not launch courses with live lessons and virtual communities for young biotech enthusiasts across Canada to connect with others and share interesting articles and papers? Why not hold biotech challenges, case studies, or sprint-like events for students of all levels? While I cannot speak to the logistical or financial requirements of providing such opportunities, they could only empower young people to engage responsibly with synbio, to express diverse perspectives, to take an interdisciplinary approach, and to pursue careers in the Canadian bioeconomy.