Synthetic Biology 101: An Evening of Casual Science Conversations

Synthetic biology is a field that uses engineering to design and create living things and materials for new, useful purposes – for example, engineering viruses that enable antibiotics to penetrate bacterial defenses, developing vaccines with molecular tools and harvesting rubber from modified bacteria.

The American Society for Microbiology is hosting a fun evening of casual and friendly science to learn more about synthetic biology. Speak with bioengineers, try your hand at a bit of microbiology, and learn about how future biotechnology could help make new energy sources, medicines and food. Atendees will get a chance to:

• Take a "cellfie" with your smartphone
• Extract DNA from a strawberry and observe how scientists analyze DNA through a gel
• Create different colors of bacteria and yeast fortified with vitamin A
• Learn how vaccines are developed and how bioengineering provides new protections against disease

The Synthetic Biology Project and the Baltimore Underground Science Space are co-organizing the event with the American Society for Microbiology.

The event is free, but an RSVP is required. The event will be held at the American Society for Microbiology at 1752 N Street NW in Washington, DC. We hope to see you there!