iN PERSON

Artists in RESIDENCE sHARE

Wednesday, January 8, 6pm - 8pm EDT

Fall 2024 Artists in Residence, Ezra Moth and Tajah Willis, share their research and creative practices

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BIOTECH PATENTS

Learn about patents in the life sciences with Darren Haber of Amster Rothstein & Ebenstein LLP: The what, why, & how of biotech patents.

Biannual Open Lab

Wondering what we're up to? Come say hi and learn about the Genspace community!

Open Lab is a biannual gathering where Genspace members share their work with each other and the public. Meet other life science enthusiasts and hear about opportunities to get involved with individual and community projects. If you're considering joining the lab, or are just curious to see what we're all about, this is a great time to get to know us.

Painting with Microbes: ASM Agar Art Contest

Join Genspace for a hands-on activity where you'll learn how microbes can be engineered to produce eye-pleasing images and novel materials. Genspace will provide colorful or fluorescent microbes that you can paint on your own agar 'canvas'!

This event is part of the American Society for Microbiology Agar Art contest, and all participants are invited to enter their microbial art for the chance to win a prize! To learn more, you can visit www.asm.org/agarart

The Future of Biomaterials

A prototype showing and roundtable discussion with artists and designers from the Genspace biomaterials community, with invited guests.

HOW TO APPLY YOUR SYNBIO SKILLS TO BIOTECH: ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS PANEL

Join us at IndieBio for a panel discussion on applying skills to biotech and exploring alternative materials at Genspace.

HOW TO APPLY YOUR SYNBIO SKILLS TO BIOTECH

Learn how to apply your SynBio skills to NYC's biotech sector! Join us for chat and networking at Genspace's Break into Biotech event.

Brain in film

Celebrate Brain Awareness Week at Genspace and dive into the fascinating intersection of neuroscience and cinema.

Sunset Park Wide Open: Embodied Futures & the Ecology

of Care

In an era where technology and ecological paradigms are in constant flux, Embodied Futures & The Ecology of Care challenges normative views around care, body, and existence. This thought-provoking exhibition brings together artists, biologists, ethicists, and technologists to explore the concept of "care" as a universal principle that transcends human-centric viewpoints.

About the Exhibition

Embodied Futures & the Ecology of Care serves as a nexus of art, biology, technology, and ethics, raising the essential question: How can the concept of “care” extend beyond the human sphere? By inviting viewers to see care as a dynamic force that sustains and nurtures all beings, this curation encourages us to break free of the hierarchical limitations often associated with the term."Embodied futures," as conceptualized within this exhibition, refers to a future where bodies, ecologies, and technologies merge. The artists challenge us to imagine a world where “care” becomes an inherent part of the fabric of existence, inspiring empathy and reciprocity across species and ecosystems.

NATURE bINGO IN SUNSET PARK

Learn about the plants, insects, and fungi of Sunset Park, from the overlooked “weeds” to uncommon mushrooms.

Summer Movie Nights: Fire of Love

Join us for Movie Night at Genspace: This month we're watching National Geographic's Fire of Love.

Biodesign Challenge Summit - Open House & LAB TOUR

June 22-23, the annual Biodesign Challenge Summit is returning to New York City! The two-day event will be held at the Museum of Modern Art and Parsons School of Design, The New School. Speakers and ticket info will be announced in April.

The Genspace lab will be open on Saturday 2-4pm after the Summit for a drop-in Open House for BDC participants, judges, and friends!

Engineering Biology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In 2018, at the first Symposium for Builds BIO+, Nancy J Kelley talked about disruptive new technologies that were transforming both the life science and healthcare industries fusing biology, engineering, design and manufacturing. These changes were described as a Fourth Industrial Revolution characterized by a fusion of technologies that were blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological realms, opening up new markets for biological innovation in agriculture, chemicals, bioremediation, energy, advanced materials, fashion and direct to consumer healthcare. Today, that future is here.

Genspace Instructor, designer and creative strategist Karen Ingram and Genspace Executive Director Beth Tuck will be speaking on two panels between 10:15am - 12:15pm.

Lift Off: a Waterfront Kite Festival

Watch your kite soar above the Manhattan skyline and explore the science of flight!

The Conservancy’s 2023 season kicks off with the return of Kite Festival! Watch your kite soar above the Manhattan skyline the one day of the year kite-flying is open to the public at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Genspace will be flying kites and taking a look at microbes caught on the spring breeze, looking at microcosmos on petri-dishes with their microscopes.

BioTech Startup Networking Happy Hour

Interested in biotech startups and entrepreneurship? Join Genspace, Kaleidoscope Bio, Columbia Ventures Community NYC, the Biotech Club at Cornell, and more friends for a casual biotech-flavored happy hour!

Biology has the potential to solve the biggest problems facing human and planetary health. How can scientists develop microbiome-based therapies, create sustainable food systems, and improve infant wellness? Recent discoveries in these and other areas are showing that entrepreneurial scientists, designers, and technologists can turn lab-scale discoveries into world-changing technologies.

A casual happy hour to meet other bioenthusiasts and entrepreneurs, chat about NYC’s growing biotech ecosystem, and imagine the life science innovations that you want to see in the world.

City Nature Challenge: Family Fun with Genspace

Green-Wood is a great place to get out and explore nature! Join Green-Wood, Genspace educators, and expert naturalist guides for an adventurous morning of family activities that help us better understand our environment. Expert naturalists will be on-site to help participants collect data on birds, insects, fungi, and plants at Green-Wood for the City Nature Challenge.

Cyborg Reading Group

Join our Cyborg Reading Group to discuss the ethical and social implications of emerging technologies and their intersections with life sciences, with Kathryn Hamilton, Liz McClellan, Megan Hines, and other Genspace community members.

March’s Topic: SLEEP! Hibernation and Bodily Autonomy

Open House New York - Guided Lab Tour

October 21-23, the 20th annual OHNY Weekend will unlock almost 300 places across the five boroughs through talks, tours, and behind the scenes access. All for free. Start planning your Weekend adventures.

PLANET MICROBES: ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY DISCUSSION GROUP

Microbes are the invisible engines that keep the planet running. They were the first lifeforms to arise on early Earth 3.5 billion years ago, and they’ll likely exist long after we’re gone...but it's here and now we’re interested in. How do microbes influence our climate, and how are they responding to climate change? Join ocean microbiologist Kyle Frischkorn, Ph.D. for an informal discussion of environmental microbiology research that’s hot off the press.

This monthly discussion will be centered around a recently published scientific article that delves into environmental microbiology, with a special emphasis on the changing climate. Participants of all backgrounds and experiences are welcome to join the conversation.

MOVIE NIGHT: FANTASTIC VOYAGE BY RICHARD FLEISCHER

Join us for Movie night at Genspace: This month we’re watching Fantastic Voyage.

Biofabricate summit 2022

Biofabricate is where design meets biology. Join the innovators leading the biomaterial revolution. Discover the new pioneers.

TWO days of CONCEPTS, PROTOTYPES, PRODUCTS.
Learn, network, partner, fund, recruit.

Annual March for Science NYC 2022

After two successful virtual Earth Day celebrations, March for Science New York City is once again taking to the streets in-person to demand science and justice in NYC! We will follow our marching route to our rally point, at which we'll end the day with a celebration of inspiring booths, speakers, workshops, and more!

Explore Genomics Careers with Illumina

Join us for a Genomics Career Chat with professionals from Illumina (the world’s largest sequencing company) in fields like biomedical research, sales and service.

Note: This event is intended for participants ages 15-25, and people who work with youth (teachers, guidance counselors, OST STEM providers, etc.) may also attend.

This event is part of "The Future is Bright" Campaign for National DNA Day.

Interspecies Mutations: Artist Talk with Giovanni Chiamenti

Join artist Giovanni Chiamenti to explore speculative new organic glossaries, symbiogenesis and ocean microplastic pollution.

Brain Awareness Week: Hands-on Activities for Families

Join us for a drop-in, family-friendly event for Brain Awareness Week! Explore the brain through hands-on activities, games, and crafts!

Love in Vein - Blood Cell Types [Art in the Lab microscopy & drawing sessions]

Art in the Lab is back for its first in-person session in two years and so delighted to partner with Genspace for an afternoon exploring the different cell types in blood: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Biodesign / Learning and growing at the intersection of art and science 

Join Isabel Correa (Columbia University Teachers College) for a conversation with leaders in Biodesign education and community engagement. We will discuss how biodesign can be a powerful space for educators and students to wrestle with some of the most pressing social and environmental issues of our times. 

STEM in the City Series: Grow STEAM Communities & Mushrooms at Genspace!

Join STEM Teachers NYC at Genspace for a hands-on STEAM activity where we will use mycelium (mushroom roots) to grow fun shapes!

Capitol Hill Maker Faire

Nation of Makers, along with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Congressional Maker Caucus, will host the 6th Annual 2021 Capitol Hill Maker Faire.

This year’s theme, “Building a Better World: Resiliency through Making”, will explore the opportunity that the diverse U.S. and global maker movements provide for resiliency -- in education, workforce, economics, and community.

Biomaterials & Genomics Startups: Meet IndieBio NY Class 3

Meet biotech startup founders whose technology is rebuilding the world!

Sunset Park Wide Open: Biology lab as studio

At Genspace we explore what it means to make work in collaboration with bacteria, plants, and fungi. What can we learn from non-human life forms? What is the role of care and experimentation? And what future can we envision or create in the lab?

Join Genspace for a drop-in open-house to see objects, multimedia, and other works from artists who've called Genspace home over the years. Explore what you might create with the tools of biotechnology.

Genspace Teen Leadership Council Social

Curious about opportunities to volunteer, teach, learn, and do science, and meet other youth leaders in NYC? Join the Genspace Teen Leadership Council (TLC) for a night of fun, food, and friends at our Teen Leadership Council Social. TLC promotes youth leadership as they take action, support their communities, and explore their interest in STEAM.

This event will welcome new potential TLC team members, showcase past TLC projects, and socialize with other youth who have shared interests.

Youth age 15+ are welcome to attend; younger youth should attend with a parent or guardian.

Postcards from a Decentralized Future

From top down to bottom up, from the life sciences to the blockchain, futurists explore the power of the collective to bring about an alternative future. In this session, we explore what we might learn from rural China about technology and collaboration; how the world’s first community biology lab does citizen science; and what writing a constitution for Mars can teach us about how to do politics without politicians.

Making DNA from Scratch: Great Power & Great Responsibility

In all living organisms, DNA sequences encode the blueprint for creating life. But over millions of years evolution has restricted the genes and variation in our gene pools, limiting life’s possibilities. In a rapidly-changing world, having more tools in our genetic toolkit could help us address or adapt to major global challenges. What could we make if nature had no limits?

DNA synthesis refers to a suite of biotechnology tools developed over the past 30 years to stitch together new combinations of DNA’s building blocks (As, Ts, Gs and Cs) in whatever order you decide. We’ll discuss the history and applications of DNA synthesis technologies, from their humble origins (just 77 base pairs) to major controversies (like the infamous horsepox study), and a bold proposal to synthesize the human genome (3 billion base pairs!). We’ll explore how these technologies will impact the world in the near-distant future, and the ethical and social dimensions of designing with DNA.

Cyberpunk 2077: How Garage Scientists are Changing the Landscape of Open Sourced Science and Labs

Just how the computer revolution began in garages, Biohackers are now tinkering with DNA to independently solve problems.

Fireside Chat at NOMCon 2021 with Esther Kim, synthetic biologist and biohacker. She has worked at small start-ups in the Bay Area creating sustainable solutions for known chemical compounds and analogs for novel applications. Esther has worked at The ODIN developing genetic engineering CRISPR kits for the everyday consumer and continues to mentor and teach. She is most known for her work championing independent scientific researchers in the biohacking community to disrupt and transform scientific research and communication. She is the director of Biohack the Planet, a science and technology conference, that happens annually in Las Vegas. Esther has made an appearance in a Netflix documentary, Unnatural Selection. Her mission is to make science accessible and affordable to all.

Mycology and Access Art Party

Heyyyy Microbial beings! Join us in celebrating mushrooms and interdependence in the cross-sections of disability artistry, science, eco-somatics, and Alt Text with Mycology myco/ access artists moira williams and zoey hart.

Party-goers are invited to co-create, celebrate, discuss and move together as we:

• Eco-Somatically play with “mushrooming” as a verb and way to tune into fungi ruptures and messy edges.

• Engage with disability artistry: poetry, performance and visual art.

• Participate in LAWNSHROOMING: a cross disability and co-creative Alt Text workshop with fungi.

Joining moira and zoey, guest artists from Art Beyond Sight's Art & Disability Residency: ariel ruvinski, alex dolores salerno and jillian crochet will share their perspectives of working with mycologically guided ideologies through disability artistry and access justice that emerge as interdependent and interspecies collaborations.

Art, Science, & Design: Collaborations for Climate Resiliency & Water Futures

“Climate change is devastating Central American coffee farms, spurring migration”

“Average Temperatures in Cities Forecast to Spike as Climate Change Worsens”

“NASA releases series of shocking satellite images showing how climate change is transforming our planet”

Headlines like these hit our newsfeed every day. To address these global challenges, we need creative paths to collaboration and collective action. BioArt and art-science collaborations stimulate the inquiry and innovation needed to create new ideas for climate resilience. Join Simone Johnson, Megan Wang, Genspace and our partners to learn about, imagine, and design our way to a climate resilient future.

In this four-part series, we’ll hear stories from artists, ecologists, engineers, historians, teachers, technologists, and more to explore what climate means to us today, and how science and art can work together to generate creative expressions connected to climate change and resilient communities. Each session will include a short presentation, small group discussion with space for imagination and design, and share outs in the hopes of sparking new collaborations and inspiration for your practice as an artist, scientist, teacher, or however you see yourself!

Fakebook: Using Data Science to Spot Fake News

As fake news permeates throughout social media outlets (like Facebook), it's more important than ever to identify what is fact vs. fiction. This is especially true in the age of COVID where the spread of misinformation can impact the spread of the virus. Data scientists are emerging on the front lines of this fight, using programs to help them identify fake news sources.

Led by Dr. Teon Brooks, Josh Modeste, and Steven Azeka from CiELabs, this workshop will explore the “life cycle” of scientific research and how scientists come to consensus about how we interpret data. We’ll examine what to look for in credible news sources, and the consequences of leaning on not-so-trusty pseudoscientific sources. Then you’ll put that knowledge to work by learning to code your own news validation program. No experience necessary!

Outdoor Guided Nature Walks: City Nature Challenge

Genspace is participating in the CNC throughout the weekend of April 30-May 3. We'll also be hosting the following nature walks if you want to dig deeper into understanding the natural world around us! Bring a magnifying glass if you have one and binoculars if you want as this is bird migration season!

• Alley Pond Park: Amanda Goldstein will lead a nature walk at Alley Pond Park (Queens)

• Queens Botanical Garden: Gennadyi Gurman and Jasmin Alim will lead nature walks at the Queens Botanical Garden (Queens)

City Nature Challenge 2021

Join cities around the world to explore urban biodiversity! Help us discover the breadth of biodiversity in our NYC backyards.

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is a bioblitz that mobilizes people around the world to observe and identify the biodiversity in their own backyards - and to show off the nature of their city. Let’s seek out all the amazing plants and animals that call NYC home. You can learn more about the CNC here, and join the challenge by downloading iNaturalist to your phone and gathering observations of the life around you.

Check out the Genspace City Nature Challenge iNaturalist page here, and then join our virtual workshop on April 22 to get up to speed about the challenge before getting started outdoors. We'll discuss:

• the power of citizen science

• how to use iNaturalist, contribute observations, and identify organisms

• goals of the City Nature Challenge

BIG Discussions about CRISPR: A Black History Month Conversation

Join Genspace, In Those Genes, and Black in Genetics to watch the documentary film Human Nature, followed by an informal discussion with Black geneticists in honor of Black History Month. We’ll highlight the significant contributions Black people have made to research and medicine both as researchers and participants, examine the ethical and social issues of CRISPR and the legacy of medical apartheid, and explore why it’s important for Black people to be engaged in these emerging scientific fields today.

We were joined by special guests Dr. Janina Jeff, Alexis Stutzman, Markia Smith, Dr. Ashira Blazer, Vence Bonham, Dr. Tshaka Cunningham, David Sanchez, whose story was featured in the film, and producer Meredith DeSalazar.

CYBORG Reading Group

April 2021’s topic: Ownership and Autonomy in the Bioeconomy. We will explore the past and present conceptions of tissue/organism ownership and stewardship by looking at biobanks and ethical frameworks for engaging in research with indigenous communities. We will also explore the notion of knowledge commons vs. intellectual property and patent controversies in biotechnology. We’ll frame the conversation by reading a section from Octavia Butler’s Lillith’s Brood, exploring themes of power, control, and bodily autonomy.

Reading selections:

• Lillith’s Brood, Womb - Butler (1987)

• A framework for enhancing ethical genomic research with Indigenous communities - Claw, et al. (2018) Nature Communications

• Abstract Habitats: Installations of Coexistence and Coevolution - Lütticken (2015) - pages 120-122

• Making PCR - a Story of Biotechnology - Rabinow (1996) - pages 20-31

Engineering biology everywhere: a threat or key to a sustainable future?

What would happen if everybody could have access to the tools to engineer biology? Would it be the beginning of the end of the world as we know it? Would it be the beginning of a more sustainable era? Would it bring fairness or increase inequalities?

Join us in this conversation to try to untangle this complex topic with sociologists, DIY biologists, journalists and documentary filmmakers.

This event was part of the 2021 Cambridge Science Festival. View online here.

¡Al borde de la ilusión! ¿Lo que ves y escuchas es real? [Programa Juvenil]

Nuestra percepción de la realidad es posible a través de la interpretación que hace nuestro cerebro del mundo físico. Quizás lo que vio fue un truco de la mente, o lo que escuchó nunca sucedió. Estos engaños entre nuestro entorno real y lo que percibimos han emocionado a los científicos durante décadas. Únase a nosotros en este evento en celebración de la Semana del Cerebro y descubra cómo la información visual y auditiva viaja a nuestro cerebro, y como nuestro propio sistema nervioso podría engañarnos.

En esta conferencia interactiva, trazaremos los caminos que recorre la información sensorial para llegar a nuestro cerebro, cómo el cerebro luego traduce esa información y cómo los neurocientíficos están resolviendo estas preguntas. Exploraremos algunas ilusiones visuales y auditivas y hablaremos sobre cómo nuestros sentidos llegan a “engañar” a nuestras mentes. Obtendrá una mejor comprensión de cómo nuestro cerebro interpreta el mundo físico y qué preguntas los neurocientíficos estamos todavía tratando de responder.

Cyborg Reading Group

January 2021’s topic is: Monoclonal Antibodies and the Nature/Culture Boundary. Invented in the 1970s, monoclonal antibodies have recently come to public attention as a potential treatment for COVID-19. In this discussion, we’ll explore how monoclonal antibodies challenge the boundaries between natural and artificial. See Eventbrite for reading materials.

Who Benefits from Genomics Research? A Conversation with Variant Bio

Scientific research is replete with examples of extractive and exploitative practices, and the people who contribute biological samples or data, particularly from marginalized communities, rarely benefit directly from that research. Researchers are working hard to address this gap, and creative solutions are needed.

In the private sector, there is little to no precedent for sharing the proceeds of genomics research with the communities and individuals who contribute their data to science. For this reason, Variant Bio has developed a unique approach to benefit sharing, one that guarantees benefits for all of their partner communities.

Join us for a conversation with Variant Bio’s cultural anthropologist Dr. Sarah LeBaron von Baeyer to explore what this means for participants and for the industry in the future.

This live event was co-hosted with our fellow community biology labs: BUGSS, SoundBio, and BosLab.

Introduction to CRISPR Technology for Teens

CRISPR-Cas9 has completely revolutionized the field of biology as it allows for efficient genome editing. This complex of DNA and protein has the capacity to cut genomes at will, giving scientists the ability to silence genes, insert nucleotide sequences into DNA, and remove regions of an organism’s genome. With this technology, researchers may be able to develop treatments for hereditary conditions or produce more effective vaccines. As CRISPR becomes more important within the scientific community, younger students need opportunities to take a closer look at the basic components of this technology and how it is used. By the end of this two-day course, you'll fully comprehend CRISPR technology and, most importantly, be able to develop ways to better the world with this tool.

COVID-19: LEARNING TO SEPARATE FACT FROM FICTION

Information about the coronavirus and the current state of the pandemic can at times be confusing, contradictory, and even downright wrong. How do we discern what is true from what is false without becoming overwhelmed by jargon, statistics, and figures? Scientific literacy has always been important, but now, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, it feels even more urgent & necessary.

Join us for an interactive discussion on scientific literacy, mis/disinformation, and how we can effectively navigate and evaluate the copious amounts of information available to us. We’ll learn how to identify reputable resources to fact-check information and consider how our own biases might come into play.

THE ZOMBIE INSECT APOCALYPSE: A HALLOWEEN LECTURE

Insect-killing fungi are a source of endless fascination. Perhaps you’ve heard of zombie ants, but have you heard of zombie flies, cicadas, or beetles? These diverse fungi have inspired foundational scientific theories and their strategies to overtake insects have led to medical breakthroughs.

In this interactive lecture, we’ll revel in the profound influence these fungi have on our world, exploring their biology as a window into the extremes of fungal biology and host-pathogen interactions. We’ll explore what is known about these zombie systems, how they may relate, and what distinguishes them. We’ll also discuss the impact these fungi have had on society.

GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY MUSHROOM WALK

Join us for an all-ages, socially-distanced, family-friendly afternoon walk through Green-Wood Cemetery in search of mushroom specimens!

Green-Wood Cemetery is a favorite for novice and expert mycologists alike, and just so happens to be across the street from the Genspace lab. Join us for an afternoon walk through the cemetery to learn how to differentiate the delicious from the deadly and start putting names to some of the city’s more common fall fungi. At this time of year we can expect to see hen of the woods, agaricus, amanita, boletes, blewits, puffballs, honey mushrooms and perhaps even a stinkhorn or two!

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: LAB BASICS [MONTHLY SERIES]

August’s Topic: Fermentation

Curious about the basic science behind fermentation? Want to explore the world of fermented foods? Join us for an evening of science, food, and exploration! We’ll start with a crash-course in the science behind fermentation, covering a few different fermentation processes and methods. We’ll then explore a range of simple and complex fermented foods, sharing recipes for making yoghurt, bread, kombucha, and even dosas (South Indian pancakes).

No previous science or fermentation experience necessary!

This is a free event, but donations are strongly encouraged if you’re in a position to contribute.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: LAB BASICS [MONTHLY SERIES]

July’s Topic: Winogradsky Columns

Explore the wonderful world of microbes by creating a Winogradsky column using samples from your local surroundings! A Winogradsky column, sometimes described as "mirobial ecology in a bottle" is a beautiful (sometimes colorful!) visual demonstration of the diversity of microbes and microbial processes occurring in the soil around us.

In this interactive workshop, we'll walk you through how to make your own Winogradsky column using materials that you've probably already got lying around, and review some basic concepts in microbial science. No previous science experience needed!

This is a free event, but donations are strongly encouraged if you’re in a position to contribute.

Art in the Lab + Genspace: Beyond the Individual

Join Art in the Lab and Genspace for a casual, hour-long drawing session inspired by the collusion of organisms that make up our bodies. We’ll start with a short warm-up and then work through 10 different drawing exercises inspired by microscope slides curated from the Genspace community.

This is a free event, but donations are strongly encouraged if you’re in a position to contribute.

INTRODUCTION TO VACCINE SCIENCE

What does it take to develop a vaccine? How does a vaccine actually work? 

In this interactive lecture, Steve Kaminsky, Ph.D., Professor of Research in Genetic Medicine and an Associate Director of the Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility at Weill Cornell Medicine, will provide an overview of the vaccine development process and a brief primer on immunology science relevant to vaccine function.

Microbial Minutes in vivo with julie wolf

What's hot in the microbial sciences? Join Julie Wolf for an informal discussion of some of the most recent research from microbiology journals. This monthly gathering features a loosely structured conversation centered around 2 recent scientific articles. The major findings are contextualized within the history of the field; participants are invited to speculate what these discoveries might mean for the future. Participants of all scientific backgrounds are welcome to join this in vivo version of the American Society for Microbiology YouTube series.

Good Genes: A Theater Performance Powered by DNA, History...and Booze!

Join us for an evening of theater, history, and science with artist Kathryn Hamilton of Sister Sylvester as she narrates the fortuitous sequence of events that led her to extract DNA from an almost 90-year-old unwashed hat worn by members of the famed German theater company, the Berliner Ensemble. 

Hamilton traces the life histories of the hat’s possible wearers, from Weimar Berlin to Soviet Russia, to the USA, guiding the audience through a performance-lecture filled with scientific and cultural discoveries. The performance also includes a complimentary cocktail infused with DNA extracted from the Berliner Ensemble hat! 

This work and performance are sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts Fund. Brooklyn Arts Fund (DCLA) is sponsored, in part, by the Greater New York Arts Development Fund of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC).

Gadgeteering community project: Open meeting

Join us for our next meeting for the Gadgeteering Community Project and learn about how you can get involved!

The Gadgeteering community project team designs and creates open-source lab tools and gear for life sciences research and creative projects. Join them to make cool things for biology!

CITY OF SCIENCE 2019: BROOKLYN

City of Science returns to Brooklyn! Join the World Science Festival and Con Edison for this larger-than-life touring event where the wondrous properties of science, technology, engineering, and math collide. Filled with interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities, this family-friendly program unleashes everyone’s inner scientist.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD: THANKSGIVING EDITION

Imagine your Thanksgiving dinner plate in the year 2050 - has the traditional turkey been replaced with lab grown substitutes? Did your food come from a farm or bioplastic bag? Or an in-home agriculture device? What will it look like? smell like? taste like?

Join Genspace and New Harvest for a funky, flavor-filled experience to investigate the Future of Food for Thanksgiving!

Genspace Strategic Planning - Town Halls

Please join Genspace for our upcoming Town Halls. We want to hear from you as we embark on our Strategic Planning to make sure we hear what you need to Learn, Create, and Grow with us in the future.

Halloween Happy Hour

Please join us for a Halloween Happy Hour at Genspace!

Activities include:

• Science-themed Costume Contest (winner gets a 10% discount off their next class) - come as your favorite microbe, mad scientist, or biomaterial!

• Screening of 1958 horror movie "The BLOB"

• Genetically modified yeast to make spooky microbial decorations

$5 tickets go towards drinks and popcorn

Harvest Festival at Brooklyn Bridge Park

Rediscover apples with Genspace! Did you know that apples can be used to power a clock? That the skin of apples is covered in a variety of bacterial characters? Have you ever seen one under a microscope? Join us at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Harvest Festival to discover the microcosmos of this favorite fall fruit through a variety of activities for the whole family. You'll never look at an apple the same way again.

Designing the Impossible: Public Talk by Dr. nelly ben hayoun

At Genspace the Willy Wonka of Design and Science, Critical explorer and fearless and passionate provocateur, WIRED Innovation Fellow, designer Nelly Ben Hayoun will create a space for thought, debate. She will define her design work and practice as a Designer of Experiences and demonstrate how the Human Condition can prevail over technology. She will pledge for Greek Tragedy and remind the audience that innovation often comes from 'multidisciplinary conflicts'. She will explain the challenges she faces in her own practice, trying to defy and design in the gravity of the hyperreal, a world where fiction is as truthful as reality. In this passionate keynote, she will share the complexity of her large-scale projects (The International Space Orchestra, Disaster Playground, I AM (NOT) A MONSTER and the University of the Underground) and introduce members of the public to the value of pluralistic thinking.

Fruiting Bodies Burial Ceremony

*Fruiting body: the spore-producing organ of a fungus, otherwise known as a mushroom

Join us as we remediate the environment of a local site by burying mushroom sculptures. This event is free and open to the public and follows an intensive workshop the weekend before where the participants will create the sculptures.

Read more about Fruiting Bodies: Creative Experiments in Fungal Inoculation and Mycoremediation here.

Microbes in the sky

For us, air is an invisible force we perhaps notice most during a summer breeze. However, if you look a little closer, the air is teeming with tiny living things known as microbes that swim through the air as if it were thick soup. Join Pioneer Works and Genspace on Governors Island to catch some of these microbial species on kites and check them out up close with microscopes.

Sunset Park Wide Open: Biology Lab as Studio

Hear from a community of artists and designers that use the biology lab as their studio. Through a series of lightning talks and performances, we will explore what it means to make work in collaboration with bacteria, plants, and fungi. What can we learn from non-human life forms? What is the role of care and experimentation? And what future can we envision or create in the lab?

This event is a part of Sunset Park Wide Open, co-presented by NARS Foundation, J&M Studios, BioBAT Art Space, Target Margin Theater, Tabla Rasa Gallery, Boccara Art, and Genspace. You can learn more about Sunset Park Wide Open here.

Journey Through Your Genome: Carl Zimmer with Dr. Janina Jeff

What do we inherit from our ancestors? This profound question was offered an answer by the birth of genetics in the early 1900s: genes. In the years since, heredity has shown to be far more nuanced.

Named the best science book of 2018 by The Guardian, Carl Zimmer’s She Has Her Mother’s Laugh, offers a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. It comes two years after an award-winning series for STAT News called “Game of Genomes” that followed Zimmer and his scientific collaborators on a narrative journey through his own genome.

Join us for a lecture by Carl Zimmer, followed by a conversation with Dr. Janina Jeff, geneticist and host of In Those Genes, and a book signing.

City Nature Challenge: Observation Period

Which city is the wildest? Help us discover the breadth of biodiversity in our NYC backyards. The City Nature Challenge (CNC) mobilizes people around the world to observe and identify the biodiversity in their own backyards - and to compete on behalf of their city. Let’s show off all the amazing plants and animals that call NYC home.

What makes a strawberry grow, smell, and taste the way it does? DNA!

Queens Public Library Locations

Learn how to extract DNA from strawberries. For ages 10+ with a parent/guardian.

Peer review

Peer Review is an open journal club that meets monthly to discuss and debate scientific papers in an accessible and supportive environment. Peer Review welcomes scientists and non-scientists alike: curious minds of all backgrounds are invited to join us!

Get into Your Head: Neuroscience Extravaganza

Why do we remember what we do? What does it really mean to be right or left-handed? How does our mind communicate with our body? Celebrate Brain Awareness Week at Genspace and discover the answers to some of these neuroscience questions through a variety of activities for people from ages 5 to 105!

Open Lab: How to Look at Very Small Things

Discover the wonders of the microscopic world! In this all ages family-friendly open session, we invite you to explore the microcosmos through the Genspace microscopes, and draw or write about what you see. 

CRISPR Babies: Should you? Could you? Would you?

As gene editing techniques become more refined, the possibility of editing the human genome is moving from science fiction to reality - in November 2018, the first live births of CRISPR/Cas9 genome edited babies was reported by researcher Dr. He Jiankui of the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China.

This event has prompted an ongoing worldwide discussion about the uses of this new technology. We want to know what you think. Join Genspace for an open community forum where we will learn about gene editing, engage in guided conversation, and make a plan of action.

Science in Our Neighborhood

Science in Our Neighborhood is a celebration and exhibition of the ways that a creative inquiry can spark a scientific investigation, and vice versa. Storytellers David Chuchuca, Libby Mislan, and Yo-E Ryou will share images and prompts that document their own scientific journeys and invite everyone to participate in re-imagining their own homes through this lens. Join us for this evening exploring the connection between the arts, sciences, and community and leave with a renewed sense of wonder and possibility about your own neighborhood.

Genspace Ten Year Birthday Bash

It’s our birthday and we want to celebrate with you! Join us as we commemorate the last ten years of Genspace and get started on building the next ten together. Whether you’re new to Genspace or have been a part of our story since the start, we hope to see you there!

Citizen + Scientist: A Journey Into the Unseen World Around You

Join us at Genspace for an evening celebrating and investigating the microcosmos around us: Eugenia Bone will read from her new book Microbia, Eugenia and Dr. Julie Wolf will talk about what the new microbiology can teach us, Eugenia will sign books and Julie will show off some microbe samples in the lab.

biodesign: From Inspiration to integration

Curated by the Nature Lab at RISD and William Myers, this exhibition showcases recent examples of design and art that inform our complex relationship with nature and help us decipher how it may evolve in the future. Check out the work by Genspace member Fabienne Felder and board member Kathy High!

Bryant Park Author: One Thing Leads to Another

Genspace's Julie Wolf hosts author Eugenia Bone for a discussion of her new book, Microbia. Join us at the Bryant Park reading room!

The Most Powerful Force in the Universe: compound effects driving biology

When asked what the most powerful force in the universe was, legend has it that Einstein replied “compound interest”.  Beyond the financial world where compound interest describes how money keeps making more money, compound effects can refer to any system that makes more of itself.  This public talk addresses the importance of compound effects in familiar biological systems as well as the exotic frontiers of biotechnology.  

Nature/PostNature: Student Projects from the Biodesign Challenge

Join us for the opening of NATURE/POSTNATURE, an exhibition of student projects from the 2018 Biodesign Challenge. The 26 chosen projects portray futures where the lines between the natural and designed worlds have blurred, and where products and provocations are made from organisms that have been engineered on the cellular level.

The Future of design is biology

Join Genspace and WantedDesign for this panel during NYCxDESIGN, New York's celebration of global design. Four leading experts at the intersection of biology and design will discuss how biotechnology is transforming living organisms into the next medium for design. Panelists include Orkan Telhan, Danielle Trofe, Dr. Tal Danino, and Dr. Theanne Schiros.

Lift off: A waterfront Kite festival

Genspace is partnering with Brooklyn Bridge Park to offer programming at Lift Off: A Waterfront Kite Festival. This family-friendly festival unites S.T.E.A.M concepts and outdoor adventures! Join us as we test the air's microbiome using petri dishes attached to kites.

understory

Genspace will be exhibiting at UNDERSTORY, a plant lab, urban ecology event and workshop series. Through hands-on workshops, a makers' bazaar and citizen science fair, tours, and plant sale, the two-day event will be an interactive showcase of living local economies, urban ecologies, and botanical explorations.

Book party

Every great [citizen] scientist needs a great library. At our Book Party, drinks are free for whoever brings a book. Donations can be new or used books on any topics relating to Genspace's mission: the study of life science, and its relationship with history, philosophy, technology, design, art, and all their various intersections. We will have stickers for you to mark your name inside the book, and to share with its next reader why this book was meaningful to you.

Bring a book and a friend and join us to mix, mingle, and celebrate our favorite reads!

Pregame Your Brain at Caveat

Join Genspace at Caveat, New York's newest speakeasy for playful, intelligent nightlife. We will be hosting an edition of their weekly Pregame Your Brain happy hour - a science fair for adults. Grab a drink and extract a strawberry’s DNA, learn how bacteria can take photographs, explore the microcosmos and get to know a variety of new biomaterials.

The Neuroscience Behind Optical Illusions

In Champions of Illusion, Profs. Susana Martinez-Conde and Stephen Macknik present a smorgasbord of mystifying images, many selected from their Best Illusion of the Year Contest. Martinez-Conde and Macknik, who study the intersection of neuroscience, illusions, and stage magic, will explain just why we think we see the things we see.

Lecture - Transnational reproduction: Race, Kinship, and Commercial Surrogacy in India

Daisy's work is primarily focused on race, racialization, and assisted reproductive technologies, and her recently published book, Transnational Reproduction is an ethnography of transnational surrogacy in India.

Genspace Housewarming Party

Genspace has a brand new home, and we can't wait to show it off. Join us for food and drinks as we celebrate!

The Real Stories Behind CRISPR: A talk by director Adam Bolt about his new documentary film on CRISPR

For an entire year, documentary film director Adam Bolt has been interviewing the scientific minds behind CRISPR, the controversial gene editing technique that has ignited public imagination about designer babies, new cures for cancer, and more. Join iBiology and Genspace for a talk where Adam will share insights from his meetings with pioneers in the field for his forthcoming feature film.

Genomics Lecture w/ CHRIS MASON: Designing genomes for Earth, Mars & beyond

A key component of our new Brooklyn Barcoding Program is a Genomics Lecture Series, which is intended to introduce audiences to contemporary issues in genomic research. We are excited to welcome Chris Mason as the third lecturer in the series. The Mason lab is discovering and designing genomes for Earth, Mars, and beyond. 

Biotech Futures Talk + Lab Series: Synthetic Biology

The Biotech Futures Series explores the implications of and ways in which biology is becoming a data science. Each talk is paired with a 3-4 hour lab workshop to demonstrate how these themes become realized in the lab.

Book Release: Designature: The Nature of Signatures in Art and Design

Professor at University of Pennsylvania and leading biodesigner Orkan Telhan discusses his new book Designature, which explores the ways in which humans make their mark in the designed and natural world.

Genomics Lecture Series w/ Christine Marizzi

Genspace is proud to announce our Brooklyn Barcoding Program. A key component of our new Brooklyn Barcoding Program is a Genomics Lecture and Workshop series, which is intended to introduce audiences to contemporary issues in genomic research. We are excited to welcome Christine Marizzi as the first lecturer in the series.

The Future Will Be Grown: Student Projects from the Biodesign Challenge

Join us for the opening of THE FUTURE WILL BE GROWN, an exhibition of student projects from Biodesign Challenge 2017. Finalist teams from the twenty-two universities across the world converged at the Biodesign Challenge Summit at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City on June 22rd + 23rd to showcase their projects and compete for the Glass Microbe. 

Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, & Creators of All Kinds

Genspace is proud to welcome David Guston, editor of the newly published Frankenstein: Annotated for Scientists, Engineers, and Creators of All Kinds for a book signing event. In our era of synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and climate engineering, this edition of Frankenstein resonates forcefully with readers.

Genomics Lecture Series w/ Karen Hogan

Genspace is proud to announce our Brooklyn Barcoding Program. A key component of our new Brooklyn Barcoding Program is a Genomics Lecture and Workshop series, which is intended to introduce audiences to contemporary issues in genomic research. We are excited to welcome Karen Hogan as the second lecturer in the series.

Second Saturdays: DNA Barcoding

Ever wonder if that fish sandwich is really all fish, that goats cheese is really goat or what plant species that weed in your yard is? Come find out. Every second Saturday we will open up our lab for DNA Barcoding. Get hands-on lab experience and learn how to read the code of life. BYOS (Bring Your Own Sample). Second Saturdays are connected to Genspace's Brooklyn DNA Barcoding Program- funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.