{% block lead %}We ask every team to think deeply and creatively about whether their project is responsible and good for the world. Consider how the world affects your work and how your work affects the world.{% endblock %}
{% block lead %}We ask every team to think deeply and creatively about whether their project is responsible and good for
the world. Consider how the world affects your work and how your work affects the world.{% endblock %}
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<h4>Silver Medal Criterion #2</h4>
<p>Explain how you have determined your work is responsible and good for the world.</p>
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<p>Please see the <ahref="https://competition.igem.org/judging/medals">2023 Medals Page</a> for more information.</p>
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<h4>Best Integrated Human Practices</h4>
<p>To compete for the Best Integrated Human Practices prize, please describe your work on this page and also fill out the description on the <ahref="https://competition.igem.org/deliverables/judging-form">judging form</a>.</p>
<p>How does your project affect society and how does society influence the direction of your project? How might ethical considerations and stakeholder input guide your project purpose and design and the experiments you conduct in the lab? How does this feedback enter into the process of your work all through the iGEM competition? Document a thoughtful and creative approach to exploring these questions and how your project evolved in the process to compete for this award!</p>
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<p>Please see the <ahref="https://competition.igem.org/judging/awards">2023 Awards Page</a> for more information.</p>
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<h1>Human Practices</h1>
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<h1>SynBio Auction</h1>
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We, iGEM IIT Madras, strongly believe that education is the only way
to empower self and society. In this mission of introducing synthetic
biology to middle and high school students to educate them about the
immense potential and the advancements going on currently, we
organized a half day visit for the students of Chennai Public School,
housed inside our very own Institute, to show them the various
facilities in the Department of Biotechnology.
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We started off the day with a short information session, where we
presented synthetic biology through very simple slides and gave them a
gist of genetic engineering. This was followed by an interactive
session in which the students got to know about various fields of
Biotechnology and exciting developments in the field like CRISPR-Cas.
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We then proceeded to introduce them to microbiology lab techniques
following a session on Good Lab Practices. A simple streaking
experiment was demonstrated to them by our lab members after which all
the students tried it on their own. Some students even tried their
hand at some Bio Art! The results of which were later shown to them
after 24 hours of incubation.
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As responsible scientists and engineers, it is important to understand
ethical practices and follow them religiously. We planned out an
informal debate to bring up various caveats in ethics, especially
concerns of gene modification and consent. Several students keenly
participated in the debate and brought up very insightful points. We
were moved by their conviction and clarity.
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To end the day on a high note, we distributed some goodies for them to
keep as souvenirs. The students also had the chance to have lunch
amidst the greenery of the campus! The feedback we received was
hugely positive. The students got to have a fun and informative time.
We plan to conduct more such visits, especially for schools in
underdeveloped regions.
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A talk on recombinant proteins for food <br/>
technology by the Good Food Institute
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Using synthetic biology to improve the quality of life and reaching
sustainable development goals is the spirit of iGEM. Keeping this goal
in mind, we conducted a session with Ms. Chandana Tekkatte, a stem
cell biologist from the Good Food Institute.
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<h2>Overview</h2>
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<p>At iGEM we believe societal considerations should be upfront and integrated throughout the design and execution of synthetic biology projects. “Human Practices” refers to iGEM teams' efforts to actively consider how the world affects their work and their work affects the world. Through your Human Practices activities, your team should demonstrate how you have thought carefully and creatively about whether your project is responsible and good for the world. We invite you to explore issues relating (but not limited) to the ethics, safety, security, and sustainability of your project, and to show how this exploration feeds back into your project purpose, design, and execution.</p>
<p>Please note you can compete for the Silver Medal criterion #2 and the Best Integrated Human Practices prize with this page.</p>
<p>For more information, please see the <ahref="https://responsibility.igem.org/human-practices/what-is-human-practices">Human Practices Hub</a>.
<p>On this page, your team should document all of your Human Practices work and activities. You should write about the Human Practices topics you considered in your project, document any activities you conducted to explore these topics (such as engaging with experts and stakeholders), describe why you took a particular approach (including referencing any work you built upon), and explain if and how you integrated takeaways from your Human Practices work back into your project purpose, design and/or execution.</p>
