Dear ChiTownBio Community,
Thanks for attending our first public meeting last week! We were absolutely ecstatic to see us fill the space with old and new friends, and even managed to lure in patrons of our gracious host (Empirical Brewery Taproom) into our community! For those of you who were unable to make it, we quizzed each other on the realities (and fantasies) of gene editing, discussed the current landscape of the DIY biology movement in the US, extracted strawberry DNA using 190 proof liquor, and had a great conversation about what WE can do as a community in the Chicagoland area.
As we grow and move towards an actual lab space, we plan on hosting a number of events where we can discuss plans for the lab, craft a shared vision of our future, and foster a real sense of community. ChiTownBio will be Chicago’s first makerspace dedicated to solely to the pursuits of citizen science in the field of biology and biotechnology. As our mission states, we are dedicated to putting the knowledge, skills, and tools of biotechnology into the hands of all Chicagoans who want to explore the living world and use it to benefit our community.
But hold on! We’re not done yet… We’re excited to announce our next event on September 21st at the Empirical Brewery Taproom (1801 W. Foster Ave, Chicago, IL), where we will demo another simple experiment and discuss the potential applications and uses in a lab environment. We’d love to grab a drink with you as we plan for the future of DIY biology in Chicago. Spread the word!
As always, remember to follow us on Facebook, connect with us on Twitter, and find us on Meetup.
Thanks again for your interest and support!
-The Organizers of ChiTownBio