Ethics, Openness, Outreach and the Media course – SAW session

Above: Nicotiana benthamiana by Aymeric Leveau (JIC), image NRP-103: licenced under CC-BY 4.0.

Below: Artwork created by a scientists, inspired by above image of Nicotiana benthamiana

As part of a workshop for post docs on ethics, the media, openness and outreach the participants were treated to an after-dinner Science Art and Writing session at St Andrews Brewhouse in Norwich. The session began with a discussion about communicating with the public and then focused in on specialised communication, something scientists do very well! Writer Mike O’Driscoll then introduced the group to other styles of communication and encouraged them to write poetry to explore new ways of getting messages across. 

Artist Chris Hann then led an art activity on the theme of plants to encourage creative interpretation and sharing of science. This activity not only introduced new ways of approaching outreach but also gave the scientists time to reflect on the key messages and aims of their work and how they might express that and also sitting around the table exercising their artistic sides led to a vibrant level of creative exchange which was very refreshing.

Short poems from scientists

OpenPlant Science, Art and Writing Workshop a success

Year 6 pupils at Stapleford Community Primary School (South Cambs) enjoyed an OpenPlant ­ Science, Art and Writing Trust day workshop at the end of January. Scientists Dr. Carlos A Lugo (TSL) and Marielle Vigouroux (JIC), together with SAW Trust coordinator, Dr. Jenni Rant (JIC), artist Chris Hann and writer Mike O’Driscoll, presented their OpenPlant Fund plant electrophysiology project through a series of activities themed around excitable media and circuits of plants, linking them to biological systems like the brain, heart and muscle.

The pupils used the Plant SpikerShield system wired up to a Venus flytrap plant and observed the signal when the trap closed. They also had fun working out the optimum time lapse between trigger hair taps for the trap to shut, flexed their muscles to light a bulb, listened to their heartbeat and tested brain signalling with Chinese whispers. With the invaluable help from a professional writer and artist, children were inspired by the science to write some amazing poems and create fantastic pieces of art. The children were very receptive, everyone had lots of fun and the feedback was incredibly positive. A big thank you to Ms Emma Wright, the year 6 teacher, for her warm welcome and her enthusiasm towards the project!

Comments from the kids;

‘In Science, I really enjoyed the reflex activity where we did Chinese whispers and were shining lights into our eyes to see how they react. Also, the venus fly trap was incredible, the way it would close if something tickles the hair inside’.

‘I enjoyed doing the science where I had sensors stuck to my arm, then I would tense my muscles to make the lights go red’.

‘I enjoyed the images of neurons and recreating them with dye, the result was rather satisfying. It was also fun doing the poetry’.

A comment from the teacher, Emma Wright;

The SAW day was fantastic. Throughout the day the children were all engaged with the variety of activities. The children also learnt a lot from the subject specialists that showed their subjects in a new light. Equally the children and teachers alike picked up hints and tips that could be used in the classroom again. I would highly recommend this for anyone.

Poems written in the workshop;

SCIENCE

by Ben

Icy, sapphire neurons racing around colliding,

Whispering Venus fly traps with dagger-like hairs,

Spearing out jaggedly.

A stampede of colours like two universes amalgamating,

A heartbeat,

Boom…..boom boom…….boom boom,

A vortex of multicolour zooms around in an oyster shape,

A scene of Africa with a paisley pattern confuses the brain.

PUMPING X-RAY

by Elijah

Pumping message swirling

Across rainbow chaos,

Pumping high to low,

Bu-bom…Bu-bom…Bu-bom,

X-ray signal making waves,

Tubes linking, waving sea into my brain.

www.sawtrust.org

Using electronic circuits to represent synthetic biology at the Youth STEMM Award mid-year conference

OpenPlant exhibited on gene circuits and synthetic biology at their stand at the exciting mid-year conference for the Youth STEMM Award. Around 200 pupils, aged 14­16, from schools around Norfolk attended the event at the John Innes Centre which included exhibits showcasing the science on site as well as a keynote talk from celebrity ethnobiologist James Wong. Read more about the Youth STEMM Award here.

The OpenPlant exhibit, run by Nadia Radzman, Don Nguyen and Colette Matthewman, explained gene circuits by comparing them to representative electronic circuits. Example gene circuits were explained to visitors, who then interacted with the electronic circuits and paired them with the gene circuit they represented. This use of electronics represented the concept of synthetic biology as an engineering discipline and opened up conversations around standard parts, components and modularisation ­- key principles of engineering. Pupils could also learn how scientists at the John Innes Centre get these gene circuits into Tobacco plants and had a go at infiltrating tobacco leaves (with water containing colouring). Plenty of information about case studies for the use of gene circuits in plants were given to complete the picture of what synthetic biology can achieve.

We were very impressed by how well the pupils interacted with the activities. The circuits caught the attention of those with a physics or engineering interest as well as those who were more focused on biology.

OpenPlant stand at Festival of Plants

Cambridge University’s Botanic Garden hosts a Festival of Plants in May that provides the public with an opportunity to explore the diversity of flora and also find out how this important resource contributes to scientific plant research locally and globally. 

We presented accessible activities to explain some of our research goals and how they might impact on society. 

Through taking time to explain and discuss our projects at events such as this, people feel more confident to take a positive interest in the process and potential outcomes. It also gives us an opportunity to hear people’s thoughts on our research goals that we can then reflect upon. 

SAW Project at Ludham Primary School

Scientific images used for Ludham Primary School project

Dr Colette Matthewman, project manager of OpenPlant, Norwich, worked with writer Mike O'Driscoll and artist Chris Hann to design and deliver a brand new SAW project with a year 5 class at Ludham Primary School. SAW projects extend science learning into poetry and art, inviting children to generate personal responses to the science concepts where they discover new perspectives of the world and broaden their horizons.

Children got hands-on with DNA extraction, played a game to learn Mendel's Laws of Inheritance and were shown how model plants such as the simple liverwort Marchantia enable scientists to study traits that are found in more complex plant species.

The poetry session produced some excellent work that reflected the children's understanding of the link between DNA and genetic differences. The children learned about root nodules during the science session and so the art used these structures as a starting point for work with oil pastels, glue, salt and colour pigments. Root nodules are specialised structures produced as a result of a symbiosis between certain plant species and bacteria in the soil that enable the plant to fix atmospheric nitrogen, giving plants a significant advantage in nitrogen poor soils.

http://www.sawtrust.org/in-schools/openplant-saw-project-at-ludham-primary-school/