ChiTownBio

June 2025 Newsletter

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by

Brandon Nieves
in
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ChiTownBio

Hi everyone!

Ever wondered what microscopic worlds thrive beneath Chicago’s canopy? This month, we’re transforming curiosity into discovery as we trace mushrooms from North Park Village Nature Center directly to our lab benches – and you’re invited to be a part of it!

🔬 Urban Fungi Exploration -> Lab Culturing

  • June 28 – North Park Village Nature Center – 1PM to 3PM

    • Here’s what makes this different from a typical nature walk: You’ll leave with living samples destined for our lab’s incubators. Our partnership with the Chicago Mushroom Club brings expert identification, while we’re bringing tools to capture these organisms for study.

  • The Complete Pipeline:

    • Identify -> expert mycologists guide specimen selection

    • Sample -> Use our pre-prepared agar plates (we’ve done the autoclave work!)

    • Culture -> Your sample incubate in our lab’s controlled environment

    • Analyze -> Join us to examine growth patterns and capabilities

  • No experience required — just bring curiosity. We handle the technical prep so you can focus on discovery. RSVP on Meetup.

🧫 Lab Updates

  • Beach Cleanup Meets Citizen Science

    • Our May and June partnerships with Alliance for the Great Lakes and ChiPride weren’t just about collecting trash. Participants gathered data now feeding into active analysis projects. This is biotechnology in action: community care generating research data.

  • Python 101

    • This past week’s workshop covered the absolute basics — assigning variables, comparing values. Our community wants to upgrade their computational skills to amplify research impact.

  • Volunteer Science Communication

    • Our volunteer team is developing outreach strategies using the organisms growing in the lab. Nothing beats showing someone their first glimpse of microorganisms under a microscope or watching a slime mold solve a maze. Science communication isn’t about dumbing down — it’s about opening doors.

🧬 Community Building Across Chicago Biotech

  • Upcoming Fermenters:

    • July 1 | Pilot Project Brewing

    • August 5 | mHUB

    • These CHIentist partnership events reveal biotech’s presence throughout Chicago industries. Come discover your niche in this growing network!

🙌 Volunteer with Us


Looking for a hands-on way to contribute? We’ve just added a Volunteer Form where you can let us know how you’d like to help—be it event planning, lab tasks, or special projects.


We’ll be reaching out soon regarding signing up for some of our events in the future!

Join Our Community on Discord 💬

Connect with fellow members, share ideas, and stay updated on all our events by joining our Discord channel.


Support ChiTownBio

As we open our lab, we need your help. Your donations will directly support the setup of our new space and help us bring cutting-edge biotech opportunities to the Chicago community.


Become a member: Bring your project or research to life at the lab!


Donate: Support our mission.


Contribute Supplies: Got spare lab equipment or materials? Email Us!


Share Your Ideas: Have a concept or project in mind? Let’s talk!


Thank You for being part of our community!

We look forward to welcoming you as a new member, seeing you during our lab hours, and connecting with you at our events. If you have any questions or need further details, feel free to reply to this email.


Dr. Andy Scarpelli

President, ChiTownBio

Lab Hours

Mon 12p – 7p

Wed 10a – 5p

Thu 12p – 7p

Sat 12p – 7p


ChiTownBio
6634 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL