ChiTownBio, a 501(c)(3) organization, was founded in the spring of 2017 by a group of scientists and students wishing to address the lack of a community biology space in the Chicagoland area. As the nation’s third largest city, with a combined metropolitan population of nearly 10 million, Chicago remained one of America’s only major cities without a space for ordinary citizens to learn about, practice and use biology. Building upon the success of community labs across the nation, such as Genspace in NYC and BioCurious in the Bay Area, ChiTownBio is dedicated to creating a diverse community and providing an inclusive, state-of-the-art space where makers, hackers, artists, teachers, students, etc. can do biology.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we rely on our organizers and members to support our programming. Click below to donate!

We’re currently hosting monthly meet ups where citizen scientists (that’s you!) can do hands on biological experimentation, bioart/design, connect with amateurs/professionals and learn about the living world!

Connect with us on social media. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Meetup!