Outreach

iGEM Calgary 2014 continued our collaboration with Telus Spark, Calgary’s science centre. We were invited to run two separate events at the monthly Adult Only Nights in June and August, where adults come to the science centre after hours to enjoy exciting science activities that span an array of topics. As well as conducting last year’s hit “Bacteria Art” sessions, where we used genetically modified E. coli expressing 4 different fluorescent proteins to paint on agar plates, we also extracted DNA from strawberries using pineapple juice, which could then be sampled by our participants.

Alongside Telus Spark, we also participated in city wide event, Beakerhead, which celebrates the advances and collaboration of science and engineering. For one week, the city of Calgary turns into a “Giant Laboratory”. In collaboration with BGSA (Biological Graduate Students Association) we aided with Bacterial Art and constructed an interactive display. We reached out to hundreds of Calgarians, educating them on subjects regarding synthetic bio (eg. Green Fluorescent protein uses etc.), and also our project.

Furthermore, we had two high school students join us in lab work during the latter half of the summer. We helped them gain insight into lab work and developing action plans in the lab. Click on the links below to learn more about our outreach opportunities this year.