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The Maker Faire is a two day event where scientists, engineers and other “makers” gather to promote their craft to the public. We partnered with the Atlanta Science Festival in hosting the venue where the public could learn about synthetic biology. The events we hosted were from a kit provided by Building with Biology, a foundation dedicated to the education of synthetic biology to the public. The activities provided included a simple DNA extraction, a simulation of CRISPR/Cas9, and graffiti wall where attendees wrote down their thoughts on synthetic biology. | The Maker Faire is a two day event where scientists, engineers and other “makers” gather to promote their craft to the public. We partnered with the Atlanta Science Festival in hosting the venue where the public could learn about synthetic biology. The events we hosted were from a kit provided by Building with Biology, a foundation dedicated to the education of synthetic biology to the public. The activities provided included a simple DNA extraction, a simulation of CRISPR/Cas9, and graffiti wall where attendees wrote down their thoughts on synthetic biology. | ||
− | The event was a great success in educating the public. People of all ages enjoyed the DNA extraction and children especially liked the CRISPR/Cas9 simulation. The graffiti wall also stimulated many conversations on synthetic biology. For instance, many people who were initially wary of genetic engineering ended up appreciating its uses in medicine. Overall, people enjoyed learning about such a confusing topic in an easy to understand way. Over 500 people visited us throughout the duration of the event and the | + | The event was a great success in educating the public. People of all ages enjoyed the DNA extraction and children especially liked the CRISPR/Cas9 simulation. The graffiti wall also stimulated many conversations on synthetic biology. For instance, many people who were initially wary of genetic engineering ended up appreciating its uses in medicine. Overall, people enjoyed learning about such a confusing topic in an easy to understand way. Over 500 people visited us throughout the duration of the event and learned more about applications of synthetic biology in the world around us. |
We could not have hosted this event without the Georgia State University iGEM team and the Atlanta Science Festival. In addition to providing materials for us, the two groups also contributed volunteers to help with our activities. | We could not have hosted this event without the Georgia State University iGEM team and the Atlanta Science Festival. In addition to providing materials for us, the two groups also contributed volunteers to help with our activities. | ||
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− | The Atlanta Science Festival is an | + | The Atlanta Science Festival is an annual event in Georgia where interested people of all ages are able to learn more about science and see how it affects our daily lives. Our iGEM team was chosen to host a Discovery Dialogue discussing genetically modified organisms with the public. A group of experts, including a professor of chemical engineering, an ethicist, and several scientists, initially discussed aspects of GMOs in their career field, and then responded to audience questions. |
− | Overall, the forum was extremely | + | Overall, the forum was extremely educational and the audience polls taken reported a 32% increase in positive perception of GMOs. The panelists provided a balanced view of GMOs, discussing both the benefits and drawbacks. Some positives of GMOs they mentioned were the decreasing use of pesticides, the ability to cure malnutrition, and more nutritionally beneficial plants. The major drawback discussed was not knowing the long term effects of genetically modified organisms. Many participants admitted they focused more on the negative effects of GMOs, and were glad to hear a new perspective. The Discovery Dialogue was a great way for the public to voice their concerns about GMOs and educate them about both the positives and negative effects of genetically modified organisms. |
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− | At RESA, a professional learning agency focused on improving the work of educators, our team met with science educators across the region and held a workshop on synthetic biology. We showed them how to perform a simple pipetting lab | + | At RESA, a professional learning agency focused on improving the work of educators, our team met with science educators across the region and held a workshop on synthetic biology. Throughout our presentation, we focused on how teachers could integrate synthetic biology curriculum into high school classrooms. In order to do this, we introduced the teachers to iGEM and told them how they could start a team at their own school. We also showed them how to perform a simple pipetting lab that could be recreated in their classroom. Our iGEM team also explained our current project by creating an actual electrical circuit displaying the pathway our synthetic biology mechanism follows. Our overall purpose was to expose more high school science teachers to iGEM, as well as encourage them to include more synthetic biology based lab experiments and learning into their lesson plans. |
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Revision as of 17:34, 18 October 2016
Engagement
![](https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2016/2/26/T--LambertGA--purpleline.jpg)