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Maker Faire: Building With 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 majority appreciated our event and 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.