Objectives
Learning Goals
- Synthetic biologists solve problems by applying engineering principles to living materials.
- Synthetic biology uses the engineering design process.
- Synthetic biology is interconnected with society.
This is a hands-on Building with Biology activity. Visitors learn about the ways synthetic biologists can solve problems through creativity and the engineering process. Visitors are first challenged to design a superhero (by attaching cut-out features to a paper template, or by drawing them on) to rescue a person falling from a tall building. Then, visitors use that same creative engineering process to design a single-celled organism to clean up an oil spill. Participants discuss why they chose the features they did, and how designing a superhero is similar to or different from designing a microorganism.
Topics: Environment, Materials, Tools, and Applications, Society, Policy, and Economics
Audience: Ages 4 – Adult
Product Category: Short Activities
Last updated: May 20, 2016