On Saturday February, 22 Biodesign Institute participated in the annual ASU Open Door event to allow our public partners to better understand the scientific pursuits of the Biodesign Center. This event had many booths and interactive displays from the various labs and institutes that comprise the Biodesign Institute. The Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology presented various learning experiences by the members of Drs. Rittmann, Torres, Krajmalnik-Brown and Delgado laboratories. The Delgado laboratory was represented by Evelyn Miranda, Skanda Vishnu, and Aide Robles, with help from our EHE friends, Ashley Heida and Sayalee Joshi, who presented a display which allowed participants to more fully understand soil microbes and their ability to degrade contaminants.
Depending on the age of the children, explanations of differing levels of complexity were given stating that microbes (“Clean Up Bugs”) are able to derive energy from contaminants in the soil. The microbes were represented by cute oven mitts affixed with eyeballs, bells and fuzzy beads. Contaminants were represented by Easter Eggs in a tray of soil which had yummy candy contents for both the “clean up bugs” and the participants. Participants donned the mitts and dove into the dirt in search of “contaminants” that the “clean up bugs” could devour resulting in clean soil. Overall an estimated two-hundred children and their families received explanations on subsurface microbes and their ability to degrade contaminants. Participants, especially the youngest ones, were thrilled by the exhibit. The ASU Open Door event was a great success for the Delgado laboratory.
