Skip to main content

PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Educ.
Sec. STEM Education
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1486293
This article is part of the Research Topic Education in Synthetic Biology View all 5 articles

Integrating Mathematical Modeling into Synthetic Biology Education: A Comprehensive Approach through Webinars and Syllabus Development

Provisionally accepted
Yadira Boada Yadira Boada 1,2FRANCISCO J. FLORES FRANCISCO J. FLORES 3,4Alejandro Vignoni Alejandro Vignoni 1*
  • 1 Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Valencia, Spain
  • 2 Centro Universitario EDEM, Valencia, Spain
  • 3 University of the Armed Forces (ESPE), Latacunga, Cotopaxi, Ecuador
  • 4 Equinox University of Technology, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Mathematical modeling is a fundamental aspect of synthetic biology, enabling precise design and analysis of biological systems. To enhance students' understanding of this critical topic, we developed a series of webinars aimed at teaching mathematical modeling to iGEM teams. These webinars were initially created to maintain student engagement during a period of restricted lab access but quickly demonstrated their value as an effective educational tool. The success of these webinars highlighted the suitability of mathematical modeling as a topic well-suited to both onsite and online learning environments. Recognizing this, we expanded the content into a comprehensive syllabus for undergraduate courses in synthetic biology at the Universitat Politécnica de Valencia in Spain and Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas - ESPE in Ecuador. The course now serves as a core component of synthetic biology education, offering students a robust framework for understanding and applying mathematical models. It includes a series of lectures, practical exercises, and case studies, all designed to deepen students' knowledge and skills in this essential area. To support educators and students, we have also developed a deck of slides and example scripts that provide practical examples and reinforce the concepts taught in the course. This manuscript presents the development, implementation, and impact of these educational initiatives, demonstrating how mathematical modeling can be effectively integrated into synthetic biology curricula to prepare students for real-world challenges in the field.

    Keywords: iGEM, Mathematical modeling for biology, Webinar Education, synthetic biology education, DBTL

    Received: 25 Aug 2024; Accepted: 23 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Boada, FLORES and Vignoni. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Alejandro Vignoni, Instituto de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, 46022, Valencia, Spain

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.