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At MuScure, we believe that science thrives when everyone is included. Inclusive science not only reflects the diversity of our world but also unlocks new ideas, insights, and innovations that can change lives. Through our project, we have identified several focus areas: gender, accessibility needs, socioeconomic status, global outreach, and empowering future generations. These areas shape our commitment to ensure that our work is accessible, impactful, and empowering for all communities. Together, we can create a world where diverse minds contribute to groundbreaking discoveries that benefit all of humanity.

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Future generations


We believe that real change and the power to shape the future begins today. Education is the foundation of that change, and it starts from a young age. By inspiring future generations—especially middle schoolers and even younger audiences—we can nurture a passion for science early on.

People are most curious when they are young, and this curiosity enhances their brain's ability to learn, helping them retain information even if the subject is not initially interesting to them. This makes fostering curiosity in childhood essential for long-term learning and growth.

To achieve this, we created an engaging and easy-to-understand animation video designed to capture the attention of young minds. Our goal is to make science fun, relatable, and exciting for them.

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Socioeconomic status


In China, while tremendous strides have been made in reducing poverty, many children still face significant socioeconomic barriers, particularly in rural areas. By 2020, the government successfully eradicated extreme rural poverty, yet as of 2018, 19% of children were still living in multidimensional poverty, which includes limited access to education, healthcare, and other essential resources. [2]

To do our part, we traveled to a rural area in Sichuan, where we engaged with local children, introduced our project, and raised awareness about inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Through activities and discussions, we aimed to inspire curiosity in science and provide them with the tools to envision a brighter future.

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Gender


Our mascot a friendly bacterium (or intestine or yeast strain) is designed to be gender-neutral, representing that IBD knows no gender. This inclusive character reminds us that inflammatory bowel disease affects everyone, regardless of gender.

A common misconception is that IBD primarily affects women and is often confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, research shows that IBD affects both men and women at comparable rates. Research supports that both genders are almost equally impacted by this chronic condition.

To break down these stereotypes, we conducted recorded interviews with both male and female patients, sharing their unique experiences of living with IBD. We published these interviews across our social media platforms, alongside a survey, to raise awareness and inspire a broader understanding that IBD does not discriminate by gender. Our goal is to foster empathy and inclusivity in conversations about IBD, empowering all voices in this community.

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Accessibility needs


Wiki

Our focus areas for accessibility include autism, dyslexia, color blindness, low vision, and ADHD, ensuring our wiki is inclusive and easy to navigate for all users.

Many individuals, including those with autism, dyslexia, color blindness, low vision, and ADHD, face challenges when interacting with digital content. Common issues include difficulty processing overwhelming visuals, navigating unclear structures, and reading non-accessible fonts or low-contrast text.

To address these challenges, we designed our wiki with accessibility at its core. We implemented the following solutions:

For Autism: We created a predictable, structured design with clear navigation, consistent layouts, and muted color schemes to reduce sensory overload.

For Dyslexia: We introduced a font switch with dyslexia-friendly fonts like Dyslexie and OpenDyslexic, providing clear, legible text and avoiding excessive italics or underlining. (code given by iGEM TEC Chihuahua)

For Low Vision and Color Blindness: We selected high-contrast color palettes that avoid problematic color combinations (such as red-green, blue-yellow) and used easy-to-read, sans-serif fonts with adjustable text sizes. Additionally, text descriptions accompany all visuals.

For ADHD: We used a clean design, with clear headings, concise sections.

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Booklet

Similarly, we applied these design principles to our booklet by using high-contrast colors and readable fonts for users with low vision or color blindness. Additionally, we created an audiobook version for individuals who are blind or for those who simply prefer listening to books, ensuring that the content is accessible to everyone.

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Educational content

For our educational videos, we included written text and visuals over the speech to ensure the content is accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as individuals who may have difficulty understanding spoken language. Which can be found here

Global Outreach


Promotion video and booklet

Global outreach was a key priority for us, as we aimed to make our content accessible to people from all over the world. To achieve this, we translated our booklet into four of the most widely spoken languages: Chinese, Arabic, English, and French, and also created accompanying audiobooks in these languages.

Additionally, we expanded our efforts to make our promotion video available in five languages—Chinese, Arabic, English, French, and Dutch—further broadening our reach. By making our educational content available in multiple languages, we emphasize the importance of inclusivity and ensure that people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds can participate in and benefit from our project.

Hardware design

To ensure that our hardware design catered to different cultural backgrounds, we developed two distinct devices to accommodate the preferences and needs of diverse users.

For our Asian audience, we created a scented bag, inspired by the cultural significance of scented sachets, particularly in Chinese culture. These sachets, often filled with aromatic herbs, are deeply rooted in tradition, symbolizing health, protection, and good fortune. This made the scented bag design a culturally relevant and familiar choice for users in Asia, where such items are frequently used in daily life and traditional festivals. By incorporating this design, we aimed to blend our scientific solution with cultural practices, making it more acceptable and attractive for users in these regions.

At the same time, to accommodate users outside of Asia or anyone who prefers a more discreet and modern option, we designed a bracelet. This allows the device to be more inconspicuous and seamlessly integrated into daily wear, making it both practical and stylish. The bracelet caters to those who may prefer a more subtle solution.

By offering two distinct designs, we ensure that our hardware is not only functional but also resonates with the cultural and aesthetic preferences of our global audience.

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International interviews

We conducted interviews with individuals from diverse regions to gain insights into how the illness manifests across different populations. Among our interviewees were Ms. Zheng and Mr. Zao from Asia, as well as Mrs. Sara Levitt from Canada and Mrs. Lenette from the USA. These conversations helped us understand the unique experiences and challenges faced by people in different geographical areas. Additionally, we shared our survey on international platforms, allowing participants from around the globe to contribute their responses, providing us with a broader perspective on the global impact of the illness.

References


[1] Cell Press. (2014, October 2). How Curiosity Changes the Brain to Enhance Learning. ScienceDaily.

[2] World Bank. (2018, September 19). Poverty and shared prosperity 2018: Piecing together the poverty puzzle.

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