In 2019, it was launched in East China Normal University
It has served colleges and universities from all over the country, especially in the central and western regions
Biosciences, Biotechnology, Bioengineering,
2650 students majoring in biopharmacy
And it is expected to radiate to the "Belt and Road" countries
In 2023, the course was selected as a national "golden course"
(National first-class undergraduate course)
Molecular cloning, cell engineering... Treat diabetes with a beam of light? These concepts and outcomes sound like the plot of science fiction, somewhat incredible. As an emerging sub-discipline of biology, synthetic biology has developed rapidly, not only bringing about the third biotechnology revolution, but also being called the "heavenly creation" that belongs to the future. However, unless they enter the relevant laboratory to study, it is difficult for students to access this knowledge.
ECNU's "Virtual Simulation Experiment of Light-controlled Custom Cells for Blood Glucose Homeostasis Control" has brought about a leap forward. Based on the cutting-edge scientific research achievements of the Medical Synthetic Biology Research Center of East China Normal University, a virtual simulation comprehensive experimental teaching platform with multidisciplinary intersection and spatio-temporal expansion has been condensed, and students can freely and comprehensively learn the design ideas, experimental principles and experimental skills of synthetic biology online anytime, anywhere.
Unleash sci-fi thinking
Generation Z youth fall in love with scientific research
"Students and biographers know that biological experiments are very time-consuming, labor-intensive and costly," said Xie Fengzhen, a grade 17 undergraduate biotechnology major, "It takes three hours to do PCR, and a centrifuge takes 10w+, and it is difficult for undergraduates to have the opportunity to do high-end scientific research in experimental training." ”
In addition to the old problems such as long experimental cycle, high technical difficulty, and high price of reagent consumables, students are also easily "dissuaded" due to failed experiments.
In the virtual simulation laboratory of synthetic biology of East China Normal University, a gene amplification or cell engineering can be done in ten minutes, without spending a penny, greatly reducing the cost of trial and error, no matter how many times you want to repeat the exercise, you can do it anytime, anywhere.
"What I like the most is the storyline and realistic scenarios in this lab, where I feel like I'm playing a playthrough, and with the urgency to solve real problems, I'm constantly 'buffing' through in-depth self-directed learning to find answers." Qi Zhe, a grade 19 undergraduate student majoring in biological sciences, said.
The experiment was introduced from a hospital scene, facing the problem of daily insulin injections proposed by diabetic patients, guiding students to focus on developing a convenient and painless new diabetes treatment administration. The course reconstructs the entire experimental scene and steps in three dimensions, reproduces the construction of artificial intelligence light-controlled gene expression cells, and the experimental application of light-regulated insulin expression to control blood glucose homeostasis.
Students can accurately answer the key points in the experiment assessment, correctly select key operations, "clear" the entire experimental process and obtain corresponding points, and then unlock the experimental assessment mode with the total points, and finally obtain the score report by completing the experimental assessment independently.
QQ group discussion
When it comes to data detection and collection, the system presents real experimental data to help students draw conclusions through data processing and analysis. "Finally, the gene and engineered cell drugs I constructed can treat diabetes in mice, which is a very fulfilling thing, and it is not just a boring experiment to do." Jin Yunyu, a 20-grade undergraduate student majoring in biotechnology, said.
After the experiment, the system will summarize and sort out the entire learning and experimental process, and give students a prospect of synthetic biology applications. “
Ye Haifeng, course leader and associate dean of the School of Life Sciences, said.
The virtual simulation course is included in the course "Modern Biotechnology Experiment", the course has a total of 180 hours and 5 credits, of which the virtual simulation experiment accounts for 4 hours and 1 credit, all of which are online laboratory hours. The pass rate of students is 94.8%, of which more than 90% have the interest of further participating in scientific research activities after completing the course, and actively enter the laboratory for practice.
When academic excellence meets excellence in education
This is an undergraduate program that perfectly interprets the concept of "Academic Excellence Leads to Excellence in Education".
Compared with the discrete experiments A and B in traditional experimental teaching, this course is not just the training of a single experimental skill.
Through the visual teaching and repeated operation exercises of 3D animation of experimental processes such as gene circuit design, molecular cloning, cell transfection, cell stabilization line screening, microcapsule preparation, and diabetic mouse model preparation, students can better understand the basic concepts of synthetic biology and master the principles and methods of complex gene circuit design in a short period of time.
It is not so much teaching experiments, but effectively teaching undergraduates what scientific research is and how to do it.
Multiple experimental modules are integrated throughout
The course is problem-oriented, and a series of basic experimental "small modules" such as cell culture are assembled into comprehensive experimental "large modules" such as molecular cloning, cell transfection, cell stabilization line screening, microcapsule preparation, diabetic mouse model preparation and blood glucose homeostasis control, and multiple experimental modules are integrated throughout.
This process has a strict logical level, experimental design is one link after another, gradually integrated into a systematic full-chain scientific thinking, through a very comprehensive training, to help students develop independent research thinking and ability.
"Synthetic biology research can modularize and program life activities, providing new strategies and ideas for solving life science problems."
Ye Haifeng said,
In the course, students may also face the challenge of multiple failed experiments, and need to solve the problem by independently analyzing the reasons and constantly adjusting the experimental protocol and technical means. Students also need to have strong independent learning and inquiry skills, and be able to actively find data and conduct comprehensive analysis according to the requirements of experimental tasks. Unconsciously, students' autonomy, innovation, multidisciplinary thinking ability, reasoning judgment and logical ability in experiments have been improved.
It is the interdisciplinary and reverse thinking characteristics of synthetic biology and the outstanding strength of the Department of Synthetic Biology of East China Normal University that create a new scientific research experimental teaching mode, which not only provides students with rich experimental experience, but also provides the best example that can be replicated and promoted for the construction of virtual simulation courses.
Do scientific research like a warrior exploring the wilderness
Jin Class is the guide
The course design is derived from the representative research results of Professor Haifeng Ye's team, "Smartphone-controlled opto genetically engineered cells enable semiautomatic glucose homeostasis in diabetic mice" (Science Translational Medicine, 2017).
The research project is highly interdisciplinary, involving a large number and variety of experiments. The most difficult thing about the virtual simulation course with this research as the core is that students need to have a solid grasp of genetic engineering, cell engineering, cell therapy, drug delivery, information software engineering and other fields, and be able to flexibly use this knowledge to solve practical problems.
The course leader, Professor Ye Haifeng, guided the experiment
The course took one year to develop, and 80% of the design team members have the title of associate senior or above, and they also have strong professionalism and innovation ability in related fields. Professor Ye Haifeng, the course leader, is the chief scientist of the National Key Research and Development Program of Synthetic Biology, his unique and in-depth insights into scientific research, profound knowledge, rich content and unique and interesting forms, is the enlightener and leader of many students in the field of synthetic biology.
Xinyi Wang, a doctoral student, was attracted by the potential and innovation in the field of synthetic biology during her undergraduate studies, and became deeply interested in how to use synthetic biology technology to design and build new biological diagnosis and treatment systems.
Inspired by the course, Xinyi began to actively participate in synthetic biology research projects and laboratory practices. She deeply studied relevant literature, mastered basic experimental techniques, and under the guidance of Ye Haifeng, designed and successfully built biosensors and intelligent living drug control systems with potential for biomedical applications.
As an excellent doctoral student, Xinyi Wang has published many high-quality research papers such as Science sub-journals, and is interested in continuing to explore in the field of medical synthetic biology and realize the clinical application of intelligent living drugs as soon as possible.
Ye Haifeng said: "
Source|Academic Office, School of Life Sciences
Text | Lu Anqi
Poster design|Xie Xinyi
Editor|Wu Xiaolan