Recently, MCDB graduate students and postdoctoral fellows shared some science with elementary students and their families. The occasion was a local elementary school STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) night! The Kozik, West, Dus, He, and Shan labs offered exhibits and activities for the students, including making model neurons, extracting DNA from strawberries, glow-in-the-dark bacteria, and streak plating!
The event drew over 330 students and families.
The "You Make Me Sick" game introduced ten different microbes that can make us sick. From clues with each stuffed animal, the participants had to match the microbe to the stuffed version.
A chance to learn about neurons by making models from pipe cleaners
Attendees could see bacteria glow and learn the science behind sour dough.
Set up for extracting DNA from strawberries, one of the hands-on activities at STEAM Night
A chance to learn about some hardy plants that can survive under tough conditions and could be turned into mini medicine factories by adding the appropriate DNA. They could be what astronauts need on future space journeys
Microbiomes of the body displayed! Nose, mouth, lungs, skin, GI tract
