Outreach
Genome Day is an event hosted by the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign for community members to engage with researchers and learn about genomes, genes, and DNA. This event is held yearly at the local Orpheum Children’s Science Museum. Each year over 100 researchers create exhibits and activities designed to teach K-8 students about energy, the environment, health, food production, behavior, evolution and fundamental research at the IGB (read more here: https://www.igb.illinois.edu/acquainted/genome-day)
This year, the UIUC iGEM team is managing an activity about genetic engineering for the Genome Day on November 4, 2017. The UIUC iGEM team presented the NSF funded Building with Biology Super Organisms activity to educate visitors about designing genetically engineered organisms. Building with Biology is a group of tested activities used to introduce synthetic biology to the public. Last year, our UIUC iGEM team tested the activities with the Children’s Orpheum Museum and this year we decided to bring them back for a larger group. To read more about Building with Biology visit: http://buildingwithbiology.org/.