(Photo by: Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)
PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The “Building with Biology” event being held at the Children’s Museum of Virginia is a part of a nationwide initiative to promote educational conversation between the public and scientists about the importance of synthetic biology and its future in our lifestyles in the future.
The event takes place July 16, 2016 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hands-on activities will be lead by professors, researchers and students from Norfolk State University. They will be held in the S.T.E.M. Studio from 2:30-4:30 p.m. and are included in museum admission. Visitors are welcome to drop in during those times as advanced registration is not required.
Participants in the hands-on experiences may create “super organisms” to solve certain problems, extract DNA from a wheat germ, and discuss which future technologies they’d support and why. With these informal scientist-public events, the interconnectedness of biology and our everyday society can be brought to light.
Another aspect of the “Building with Biology” event is the forum, designed as a large group discussion set to start at 1:00 p.m. and is about biologically engineered mosquitoes to combat diseases.
This session will be facilitated by Dr. Ashley Haines, an Associate Professor of Biology in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at Norfolk State University since 2010. Dr. Haines’ primary research interest is in the molecular evolution of bacteria and the immune response of their hosts.
Participants may pre-register by emailing matyseckc@portsmouthva.gov
