New High-Tech Community Lab Nurtures Next Generation of Scientists

NEW YORK - Oct. 30, 2014 - PRLog -- New York, NEW YORK (October 30, 2014) – The BioBase (http://www.biobus.org/saturday/), a brand new, state-of-the-art community laboratory located on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, is opening its doors for students all over New York City to experience the power, beauty and fun of scientific exploration.

Housed in the recently-completed Lower Eastside Girls Club Center for Community, the BioBase features an 800-square-foot microscope lab, a 40-person multimedia amphitheater, and a 4000-square-foot living green roof. Developed and run by PhD-level scientists, the interdisciplinary programs offered at the BioBase are designed to cultivate the participants’ critical thinking skills and natural curiosity.

Harnessing this curiosity is critical, as studies by Junior Achievement USA and other organizations have revealed that students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) has been waning. And this decline could have serious ramifications: The Partnership for New American Economy predicts that the U.S. will face a shortfall (http://www.informationweek.com/it-strategy/us-tech-worker...) of more than 200,000 advanced-degree STEM professionals by 2018.

“It’s imperative that we foster our students’ interest in STEM and medical fields,” says Latasha Wright, PhD and Director of the BioBase. “Our nation desperately needs more science professionals, and STEM fields offer many career opportunities for the next generation of college graduates.”

The BioBase was created by the masterminds behind the BioBus, a microscope lab on wheels that has been visiting schools across NYC since 2008. During a BioBus school visit, up to 180 students climb inside the retrofitted 1974 transit bus, and get hands-on experience using research-grade microscopes. “Every day on the BioBus, students complain that their microscope time was too short. So we created the BioBase to give these students the chance to build on the curiosity ignited by the BioBus and to further develop their science skills. We don’t just want to provide one-off experiences -- we want to nurture future scientists,” says Sarah Weisberg, M.Sc. and BioBus Program Director.

Science Saturdays at the BioBase begin in November, and, like BioBase afterschool and summer programs, are open to students across NYC. Throughout October, the BioBus is visiting middle schools located within a few blocks of the BioBase, giving participants a taste of what’s in store at the BioBase.

The BioBase is a new development in science education in New York, providing exciting, accessible, interactive programs to students from across the city. Participants design and execute their own experiments, charting their own path towards new discoveries. Using world-class scientific equipment and mentored by professional scientists, students at the BioBase gain confidence in their abilities and a better understanding of the powerful world of science. The BioBase is a hub for research and exploration, a new home for New York’s next generation of scientists.

You can visit the BioBase at our first two Science Saturday Open Houses on Nov 1 and Nov 8. The event is free but RSVP is required. For more information or to RSVP, go to http://www.biobus.org/saturday.

Contact Mai Browne: maib@biobus.org