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Students can design and launch their own DNA experiments with Genes in Space

January 8, 2019

Astronaut survival in deep space. Using biology to transform new worlds. Those topics and more await students in grades 7-12 with the Genes in Space program.

Genes in Space is a science contest that challenges students to design original DNA experiments that address real-life challenges and opportunities of space exploration. The contest is free, and does not require equipment. Proposals will be judged solely on creative and scientific merit. The winning experiment is conducted in space, and samples are returned to Earth for analysis. Learn more about the contest here.

All student contestants practice valuable scientific skills while exploring a topic that interests them and learn about the field of space biology. Awards will be announced May 21, 2019. Awardees win a miniPCR DNA Discovery System™ for their educational institutions. Five finalist teams additionally receive mentoring from Harvard and MIT Ph.D. scientists and receive travel awards to attend the 2019 International Space Station R&D Conference where they will present their ideas to a panel of judges. The winning team will watch their DNA experiment launch into space.

The application period begins January 14, 2019 and ends April 19, 2019.

Educators can turn Genes in Space into a class assignment. Free tools for bringing modern genetic analysis and space biology into the classroom are available here. Resources include interactive videos, lesson plans, classroom activities and worksheets, and more.Genes in Space is a collaboration between miniPCR and Boeing with support from CASIS, Math for America, and New England Biolabs, Inc.

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The Iowa Space Grant Consortium is primarily funded through a NASA Cooperative Grant.

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