bioMAKERlab: A Wetlab and Starter Activities for Promoting Synthetic Biology in High School Classes and Workshops

The bioMAKERlab, an innovative wetlab starter kit and activities funded by the National Science Foundation, will enable high school students and teachers to engage in synthetic biology by building genetic circuits that let microorganisms change color, smell, and shape. In synthetic biology, participants make their own DNA—gene by gene—and then grow their designs into real applications by inserting them into microorganisms to develop different traits and characteristics provided by the genes. The project will involve students from a Philadelphia public high school and young people participating in weekend workshops at The Franklin Institute, a Philadelphia-based science museum.