Grade School

1. Transform the agave plant into a DNA sequence and explore biodiversity of closely related plants. 2. Tiny translucent worms may hold answers to human health and longevity. Observe them under the microscope and find out why. 3. Sea urchins and fish have much in common with humans. Observe egg fertilization and early embryo development of purple urchin and zebrafish. 4. Gender differences affect decision making. Identify female and male fruit flies and learn why they scientists study them.

The UCSD Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) will be hosting activities centered around the topic of diabetes. There will be two interactive demonstrations, one giving insight into the biology of diabetes and the other highlighting bioengineering-related treatments.

In the “Making Waves” tour, kids and adults will be introduced to marine plankton and encouraged to think critically about what makes them unique and important in providing much of our oxygen and key players at the base of the marine food web. This event will include the JCVI Mobile BioLab, a modified motor coach, outfitted with advanced laboratory equipment. We will have multiple types of microscopes onboard enabling participants to visualize the microscopic work of marine phytoplankton.