PSPG hits the streets to explain how genes make us who we are
With help from the University of Pennsylvania and GAPSA, PSPG was able to run a volunteer booth at the Philly Science Carnival on May 3 rd . The carnival was part of the annual 9-day Philly Science Festival which provides informal science educational experiences throughout Philadelphia’s many neighborhoods. The title of the PSPG exhibit was “Who owns your genes?” and featured activities for children and adults alike to educate visitors about how genes make us who we are, what we can and cannot learn from personalized genomics services like 23andMe, and how several biotech companies have attempted to patent specific genes. Kids learned how genes act as the instructions for building an organism by drawing alleles for different traits out of a hat and using the genotype to decide how to put together a “monster.” In so doing, they were exposed to the basic principles of genetics (dominant vs. recessive alleles, complete vs. incomplete dominance, and cod