Hands-on Biotech

• Rainbow Pipetting
  Mix colors and make precise rainbows using pipettes, real tools of biotechnology. Every day scientists use these tools to precisely mix very tiny amounts of liquids. Come learn how to do it yourself!
• The Ribosome
  Discover the tiny factories inside all our cells, called ribosomes. Learn how these tiny molecular machines manufacture important parts of our cells. This activity is brought to us through a partnership with the Bradbury Science Museum of the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
• Digital Cell Puzzles
  Can you figure out the best way to help a microbe turn sugar into useful chemicals? This digital simulation was designed and created through a partnership between Lawrence staff and UC Berkeley computer scientists.
• Cell Factory
  Design new pathways for balls to travel through a pinball-esque maze. This will introduce you to the ways that scientists are reprogramming cells to make products like biofuels and anti-cancer medicines.

• Magnifying Shapes
  Use powerful and easy-to-use microscopes to investigate things up close, like plant parts, animal fur, feathers, and even your own skin. Do different things look the same up close? Do you think any of the small shapes you see might have a function?
• Discovering Biomaterials 
  Interact first-hand with a slimy biomaterial created by yeast and bacteria which becomes a naturally vegan leather when dried. Discover objects that have been created using this biomaterial and learn how scientists are designing new microbes to produce even better vegan leather materials.
• Smell the Biology
  Compare the different smell chemicals produced by natural and engineered yeast. What causes the smells? How different can they be? This will spark discussions about how scientists use this ability of microbes to produce various substances to solve real-world problems. 
• Biotech Ballot Box
  From glow-in-the dark cats, to disease-resistant crops to vegan leather, biotechnology has unleashed a plethora of interesting innovations. Which one is your favorite? Come cast your vote!
• Algae Bioreactors
  See a working set of DIY bioreactors using different species and colors of algae. Bioreactors are containers that scientists and engineers use to provide just the right conditions for microbes to live and to produce substances like fuels and medicines.

Inspire and prepare the next generation of citizens and scientists for the world of possibilities that biotechnology offers. Gifts to this fund support the design of a wide range of learning and discovery tools for visitors of all ages, including materials found in typical biotech research labs, such as microbial culture, genetic engineering, and DNA analysis equipment and supplies. Curriculum developers and educators are able to use the space to research effective and scalable biotech learning experiences.