On July 18th William and Mary opened their doors to the public for a Building with Biology public forum. We wanted to bring together all our multidisciplinary partners and invited all the members of our community, not focusing on a specific demographic but rather reaching out to anybody interested in the event. We had over 80 attendees- approximately 25 children, 18 teenagers, and 40 adults. The evening started with a catered dinner and brief opening remarks. The attendees were then divided into three categories based on age. This made the event somewhat logistically challenging as three concurrent events were happening simultaneously. We focused heavily on hands-on experiences for the children and teenagers while the adults participated in a public forum program sponsored by Building with Biology. The adult program was called Editing our Evolution, the program packets can be found Here "building with bio packet”.

The adults discussed topics such the ethics behind editing the human genome and potential uses of SynBio in medicine. The program pushed participants to think about where we draw ethical lines. The participants had the opportunity to discuss in small groups as well as engage in a larger discussion. Members of the iGEM team floated around the room, clarifying misconceptions, and answering questions.

We engaged the younger children with a variety of activities. Young scientists could complete a DNA extraction, play a monster alleles game, create a cell cookie, create a DNA double helix out of candy and practice plating isolated colonies with fake bacteria. They enjoyed the DNA extractions so much that they asked the team if they could extract DNA from anything they could get their hands on—broccoli, carrots, and even chicken nuggets. We conducted an impromptu experiment to evaluate what foods would yield the most DNA and why.

The teenagers were invited into the iGEM lab, and were tasked with solving a mystery of a stolen backpack. Using PCR, gel electrophoresis, bacteria streaking, microscopy, paper chromatography, and their own ingenuity, they combined different aspects of SynBio to find the culprit. Having an overarching theme was especially effective, and giving the teenagers a goal to work towards, solving the mystery, piqued their interest and held their attention. They left the lab proudly displaying their paper chromatography and telling their parents about how they learned to use a micropipette for the first time.

Members from all three age groups expressed how much they loved the event. Several parents asked the team when the next Evening of Science would be held. They also asked to be notified immediately when there was another similar event hosted by the team.

This evening would not have been possible without Building with Biology. We are grateful for the materials and support they provided.