Synthetic Biology Workshop, Davidson, July 2010
Contents
Synthetic Biology Meeting Report Draft
Here are the assignments for sections of the meeting report:
-Intro/Background: Vidya
-What happened at the meeting--themes: Chris
-What happened at the meeting-- activities: Eric
-Resources provided (Intellectual and physical): Andrea/Anil
-Assessment: Mike/Consuelo
-Future plans/applications of the meeting for participants and non-participants--research: Joyce/Talitha
-Future plans/applications of the meeting for participants and non-participants--coursework: Robert
-figures/graphics: Theresa G.
Please insert your assigned section of the draft under the appropriate subheading. If you have citations in your section, please add them to the Works Cited subheading. After July 16, the agreed-upon deadline for draft submission, please read all paper sections and make your suggestions BENEATH the existing text (10 people making direct changes would get out of control) and put your name next to your suggestions. Mike will consolidate the sections/add transitions/etc and post the complete draft for general editing after the weekend of July 17.
Remember that we are under a fairly stringent 2 journal page limit......be thorough, but be CONCISE!
INTRO/BACKGROUND
MEETING THEMES
MEETING ACTIVITIES
Please see [1] [This grainy figure is 400kb and the actual one is 23Mb. I did not want to put the image in Wikimedia commons so I put it on my little website. Suggestions for brightness/contrast?] Figure 1. GCAT Synthetic Biology Workshop participants, organizers, and HHMI representatives. Top row (left to right): Laurie Heyer, Jeff Poet, Jeff Matocha, Nathan Reyna (back), Malcolm Campbell, Qiang Shi, Kathy Ogata; second row: Nighat P Kokan, Robert M. Jonas, Santiago Toledo, Vidya Chandrasekaran, Valerie Burke, Eric Yang, Andrea Holgado, Anil L. Pereira; third row: Todd Eckdahl, Susmita Acharya, Consuelo Alvarez, Paul F. Hemler, Michael J. Wolyniak, Libby Shoop, Paul Overvoorde, Nathan Reyna, Matthew Tuthill, Carl Salter, Christopher Jones, Robert Morris, Tom Twardowski, Joyce Stamm, Talitha Washington; Last Row: all participants, Theresa Grana, Leo Lee, Jodi Schwarz, Teresa A. Garrett.
RESOURCES PROVIDED
ASSESSMENT
To gauge the effectiveness of the workshop in providing the resources and creative sparks necessary for developing synthetic biology projects in the classrooms and laboratories of its participants, thorough pre- and post-assessment surveys were conducted. The pre-assessment was administered online approximately one month before the gathering of participants at Davidson and the post-assessment was administered with pen and paper on the final day of the meeting. The questions on the two surveys compared the participants’ pre- and post- workshop perceptions of synthetic biology as a distinct field, as an area for multi-disciplinary collaboration, and as a viable option for their classroom and research programs. The results of the survey comparison revealed a general feeling of excitement and improved understanding about synthetic biology, with the vast majority agreeing with the comment from one participant who stated that “I now feel confident that I understand the basic ins and outs of synthetic biology—what it is and isn’t—as well as how I can implement projects in this area with my students.” Interestingly, although 75% of workshop attendees had basic previous experience in molecular biology laboratory work, data analysis, and experimental design, only 25% had ever engaged in a previous multidisciplinary collaboration. This trend was reflected in the post-assessment of the meeting as well, as many felt that the forging of collaborative projects that satisfy the intellectual curiosities of faculty from disparate disciplines stood as the most significant challenge towards the successful implementation of synthetic biology projects. Several participants noted that the meeting was, in the words of one attendee, “important to meet and establish a network of colleagues”, and it was evident to meeting participants that the establishment of collaborations between different disciplines and between different institutions of all sizes will contribute greatly towards the successful implementation of synthetic biology projects that expose students to the collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of modern scientific research. Indeed, the establishment of multidisciplinary collaborations engendered by this workshop is reflective of the need for academics of different disciplines to join forces to share ideas and resources in their educational endeavors as obstacles including scarcity of individual college resources and increased competition for research funding threatens to curtail the development of scientific educational opportunities for students (Dodson et al., 2010).
FUTURE PLANS:RESEARCH
FUTURE PLANS:COURSEWORK
WORKS CITED
Dodson MV, Guan LL, Fernyhough ME, Mir PS, Bucci L, McFarland DC, Novakofski J, Reecy JM, Ajuwon KM, Thompson DP, Hausman GJ, Benson M, Bergen WG, Jiang Z. (2010). Perspectives on the formation of an interdisciplinary research team. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 391(2): 1155-7.
Brainstorming for meeting assessment questions and topics for article report
Please place your brainstorming ideas here for both assessment questions(remember that assessment is essential to the final report) and the general goals that should be covered in the report itself.
[Grana 6/4 I like Morris' comment. In addition, what makes me anxious about trying synthetic biology is the time commitment. Teaching undergraduates molecular techniques takes a lot of time. This past year, with my 4-4 teaching load I had difficulty finding even an hour when both my student (who also has labs to attend & happened to own a restaurant) and I were free. Meeting with my other student to teach her the techniques was a bit easier. I'm sure the workshop will address the tools/strategies to make our lives easier..., but perhaps the survey could also address the time commitment reservations someone new to the field may have.]
[Jones 5/19 -- Are the Perceptions of Synthetic Biology/Personal Goals questions below intended for before or after the workshop? I think after would prove more useful, as my answers right now would be a lot of "I don't know (yet)"s, but Qs 13 and 14 are clearly intended to be pre-workshop.....]
Wolyniak 5/25--The questions were drafted to be asked both pre and post meeting. It is anticipated that many if not most of us will have little to say to some of the questions pre-workshop, but that will underly the point that the workshop itself was able to educate us on the nature of synthetic biology since the same questions will be seen a second time.
(Morris, 5/17/10) It seems to me that part of the report needs to convey enthusiasm for this new chunk of biology. Not only do we want people to read and enjoy the article, but we want them to call or email us to ask, "How can I play too?"
Also, the competency list might include working with bacteria as a skill.
PROPOSED ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
(added by Wolyniak/Alvarez 5/14/10)
Participant’s name:___________________________________
Email:____________________________ Phone:__________________
Thank you for volunteering this information for the meeting report being conducted by the participants of the First Faculty Training in Synthetic Biology supported by GCAT.
Institution Background Information
Institution Name: ____________________
Which of the following best describes your institution (circle one): R1, Liberal Arts, Masters, Other__________________
Approximate number of students across the whole institution:_____________________ Approximate % of undergraduate science/mathematics majors:____________________ Approximately what % of your students are undergraduates?:______________________
To what degree do you feel that your institution actively supports its undergraduates undertaking and completing independent research projects?
1 2 3 4 5 no support------------------------------------------------outstanding support
Briefly explain the support your institution provides for these efforts. Include both financial and academic support options:
Personal Background Information
General Area of Expertise (please circle all that apply):
Biology Chemistry Computer Science Physics Engineering Biochemistry Mathematics/Statistics
Specific Area of Expertise:________________________________________________
How many classes do you teach per semester, including lab sections? ______________
What classes do you currently teach?
For each of the following, please give the number of years of experience performing the indicated task and rate your perceived competency level for each:
1 – None, 2 – Beginner, 3 – Intermediate/Average, 4 – Advanced, 5 – Expert.
THIS WILL BE IN 3-COLUMN TABLE FORMAT (didn't translate well to the Wiki):
Task-------------------Number of Years Experience----------------Perceived Competency Level (please circle one)
Working (i.e. as a technician) in a laboratory environment. 1 2 3 4 5
Using standard laboratory equipment (i.e. measuring devices (scales, etc.), pipettes, etc.) 1 2 3 4 5
Working with DNA 1 2 3 4 5
Designing an experiment 1 2 3 4 5
Data analysis 1 2 3 4 5
Teaching 1 2 3 4 5
Collaborating out of your field 1 2 3 4 5
Others:……………………… 1 2 3 4 5
Briefly describe how you have previously engaged in cross-disciplinary collaboration for your personal research or the research of your undergraduate students. What was the nature of the collaboration and what were the ultimate goals?
Perceptions of Synthetic Biology/Personal Goals
1.) What is your current understanding of synthetic biology? What, if anything, makes synthetic biology a unique field?
2.) How comfortable do you currently feel with teaching synthetic biology to undergraduates?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain:
3.) How comfortable do you currently feel with conducting synthetic biology-based research projects with undergraduates?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain: 4.) Do you currently feel your undergraduate students are comfortable with the concepts of synthetic biology?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain:
5.) Do you think that your undergraduate students will be able to master the concepts of synthetic biology? In your opinion, what would be the best ways for your students to obtain mastery of this subject?
6.) How comfortable do you currently feel with working with individuals outside of your discipline in collaborative research?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain:
7.) How comfortable do you feel in your ability to establish cross-disciplinary collaborations?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain:
8.) What resources do you feel will be necessary for you to successfully engage in synthetic biology work? Include all possible resources such as financial support, academic support, GCAT support, etc.
9.) How do you envision utilizing synthetic biology in your student-led research? How will this work ultimately be presented?
10.) How much time and effort do you feel you will be able to put into developing the ideas and materials necessary to successfully conduct synthetic biology work with your undergraduates?
1 2 3 4 5
Very little------------------------------------------------------------------------------as much as it takes
11.) Would you feel comfortable with this preparation effort given your current teaching load?
1 2 3 4 5 Not at all---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Totally
Briefly explain:
12.) Briefly describe what you see as the primary benefits of synthetic biology for your undergraduate students.
13.) What are your personal expectations for this workshop?
14.) What are your reservations about this workshop?
Thank you!
PROPOSED REPORT GOALS
(added by Jones/Reyna 5/13/10)
Jones :Some of the questions that have been tossed out ("How do you want to get out of this workshop?" -- Alive, I hope! ;) seem valuable for the workshop organizers, but not for readers of a meeting report. Some of the things I'd want to know if I were reading such an article would be:
1. What *is* this stuff? (see above)
2. Can I do it in *my* classroom with *my* students? (= translatability)
2a. costs
2b. necessary intellectual level/preparation of students
2c. my effort to learn the necessary ideas
2d. my effort to develop materials
2e. how can I fit it into my current teaching load?
3. What are the benefits for my students? For me?
4. What support is available for me?
5. How can I use this in a student research project?
(provided by Campbell 5/14/10)
Why did you apply?
What are your expectations?
What are your reservations?
Have you tried collaborative research outside your discipline before?
Are you frustrated after day 1?
After 2 days, do you think you can do this or do you have regrets about coming?
Now that day 3 is here, are you feeling energized and realize that sliced bread is nothing compared to this workshop?
etc.
(Alvarez: For each day, a "color chart" will be used to assess day-to-day feelings, frustrations, etc.)
