Dan Urban

Technological advancements in genomics have led to major developments in the areas of medicine, energy, and agriculture, that are impacting society at large. Due to the pace of these developments, many professional sectors of society lack the tools and genomics knowledge necessary to understand how this new research may affect them. The Genomics for Professionals program, otherwise known as Genomics forTM, was created by the outreach team at the IGB to help different sectors of society gain a better understanding of basic concepts in biology and advancements in genomics as a whole.

Activities that revolve around science provide children with the opportunity to develop different skills, including communication, problem solving, perseverance, and learning to work in teams. The Pollen Power camp, started in 2013, targets students from underrepresented populations in STEM and teaches them to observe the world around them with a scientific mindset.

Bats are famous for using echolocation—a process where emitted sound waves bounce off objects, providing information about their size, distance, and the surrounding environment. Bats have a unique inner ear structure that helps them hear these echoes. In a new study, researchers have discovered that this structure varies greatly among bats, providing new insights into the evolution of echolocation.

Starting from September 2020, six groups of 38 students from Franklin STEAM Academy in Champaign met every Tuesday afternoon after school to conduct research on important topics. The project, called “STEAM TRAIN,” involved the 6th-8th grade students, researchers from the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, and a dozen students from University Laboratory High School, or Uni High. The projects concluded in May 2021.

Every Tuesday afternoon after school, six groups of around 24 excited Franklin STEAM Academy students hang around online a bit longer to conduct independent research on topics of import to them via a scientific exploration project called “STEAM TRAIN.” Mentoring the 6th–8th grade students are some near peers—Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology (IGB) undergrads, grad students, and post docs, plus—even closer in age to the target group—a dozen University Laboratory High School (Uni High) students.

This year, the STEAM TRAIN (Transdisciplinary Research Across Institutional Near-Peers) project conceived by the IGB outreach staff was one of five projects awarded seed funding and up to two years of subsequent support from the Community + Research Partnership Program (CO+RE). The CO+RE grant represents the first awarded grant for outreach endeavors at the IGB.