玩转科学世界，探索生物奥秘
Explore the scientific world for the mysteries of biology
在今年国际基因工程机器大赛（iGEM）中，THIS- China团队斩获铜奖！而早在赛前， THIS- China团队在校内分别为小学部和初中部精心准备了科学活动和实验工作坊，向同学们科普相关生物知识，让更多同学共同探索科学的乐趣，为清华附中国际部大家庭贡献自己的一份力量。下面，让我们一起来看看他们组织的精彩活动吧！
In order to make their own contribution to our THIS family, the THIS-China Team, who won the bronze medal in this year’s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, conducted a series of science activities and experimental workshops for the primary and middle school students. Let’s take a look at the wonderful activities they organized!
THIS iGEM团队为小学部的同学们带来了一堂有趣的生物实验课，主题为“纸的层析法”，主要是向同学们展示通过水分离的过程，墨水中会呈现出不同的颜色成分。THIS iGEM队员们指导小学同学们用记号笔在纸上画一条线，然后将纸放入盛有少量水的烧杯中固定。在静置一段时间后，同学们观察到墨水的颜色以不同的速度逐渐分散开，形成颜色分层。实验结束时，水中最终出现了不同的颜色条带，如同彩虹一般。通过这个实验，大家学到了“水的属性”的知识：大分子物质移动的更快更远，而分子较小的物质移动得更慢更近。
THIS iGEM team conducted a real experiment for primary school, called paper chromatography. For this fun experiment, the goal is to separate the different pigments of ink from a wet-erase marker. The iGEM members guided students in drawing a line with the marker on the paper and placing the paper into a beaker with a small volume of water. The students observed that colors dispersed at different speeds, eventually forming a color ladder. By the end of the experiment, there were some very nice color separations. All the primary kids learned in this “water property” lesson that large substances move faster and farther while materials with smaller distributions move more slowly and closer together.
这节实验课不仅成功地激发了小学生对于探索科学知识的浓厚兴趣，同时也锻炼了THIS iGEM 队员们将科学知识、科学应用以及领导力结合的能力。
This successful activity stimulated primary students’ interest in exploring biological knowledge in the future. It is also a perfect combination of science concepts, application and leadership for our iGEM students.
在初中部的讲座中，THIS iGEM团队为同学们介绍了一项他们最近正在研究的有关颜色的课题——帝王紫，并以这个项目为例，让初中部的学生预先了解合成生物学。团队成员为大家讲述了合成染料和天然染料、基因编辑以及生产途径。此前，THIS iGEM团队利用基因改造技术以及微生物发酵技术，成功在实验室里做出了这种独特的染料并且用我们生产的染料印染了布料。期待在未来，这个技术会成为一种绿色可持续发展的染料生产方式。
In the middle school assembly, the iGEM team briefly introduced a recent research project on color – Tyrian Purple, and used this project as an example to give middle school students a preview of synthetic biology. They, first, talked about synthetic and natural dyes, gene editing, and the production pathways. Then, the team shared how they found a new way of producing Tyrian purple dye using biological reactions. By using microbial fermentation and genetic engineering techniques they have successfully produced this valuable dye in our lab. Also, they used these techniques to dye cloth with high efficiency. In the future, the team hopes that this becomes a new approach for sustainable and green dye production.
这些丰富多彩的科学活动顺利开展，是THIS iGEM团队对于探索创新、团结合作、领袖气质的实践。参与活动的小学和初中部学生们也从中收获了许多，大家积极参与，认真聆听学习，学会了相互尊重包容。我们相信，在未来会有更多跨学部的合作，让每一位学生积极参与到学校丰富多彩的活动中，不断提升实践能力，增强团队协作能力，从而成为素质全面、综合能力强的国际化杰出人才。
The iGEM team of students successfully demonstrated THIS core values through these academic activities, especially innovation, collaboration, and leadership. For the primary and middle school students, they fully participated, listened carefully and showed respect to those who guided them as well as to those who worked side by side with them. We believe that there will be more cross-divisional cooperation in the future so that every THIS student can actively participate in the rich school activities to continuously improve their practical skills and enhance their teamwork abilities and become a well-rounded, comprehensive and outstanding international talent.
