Community Invited to ‘CELLebrate’ Scripps Florida’s 10th Anniversary at Annual Science Festival
JUPITER, FL–The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) invites the public to join more than 100 biomedical scientists on Saturday, February 1 in The Gardens Mall as part of the celebrations of Scripps Florida’s 10th anniversary. Featuring themed activity booths, a giant inflatable “cell,” and other demonstrations, CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida is the institute’s annual community science festival designed to spark curiosity and a sense of wonder in visitors of all ages. CELLebrate Science will run from 10 AM to 3 PM and admission is free.
Since its launch in 2010, CELLebrate Science has sought to make science relatable, relevant and fun for more than 10,000 visitors, offering an ever-changing variety of activity booths, special presentations and displays that highlight the impact of biomedical research in our daily lives. Visitors to CELLebrate Science will meet world-class scientists who work every day to understand the basic biology of diseases like cancer, diabetes, autism, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, while using the power of chemistry to develop new treatments.
Located throughout the Garden Mall’s lower level, the 2014 CELLebrate Science event will offer visitors a chance to explore many new activities along with familiar favorites at various booths, while participating in a scavenger hunt-style guidebook. Visitors who successfully answer guidebook questions will receive fun gifts and be entered into a raffle to win one of several fantastic prizes.
Hands-on activity booths scheduled for this year’s CELLebrate Science include:
“Inner Life of a Cell”: Stepping inside a giant inflatable planetarium-style dome, visitors will be surrounded by digital animation that takes them inside a human cell. New to this year’s “cellular journey” is animation produced by Harvard University exploring mitochondria, the “powerhouses of the cell.” As visitors exit the cell, scientists will demonstrate how to isolate and “fingerprint” DNA, how this coded information is replicated, and how this process is responsible for the structure and function of all living things.
Disease Biology: Visitors to this booth can try a hands-on activity that shows how the immune system suppresses and treats diseases such as cancer. Explore the role viruses play from health threat to therapy while building your own model virus! Plus, watch a demonstration of a state-of-the-art instrument used by scientists to sort healthy cells from cancer cells.
Model Organisms: How can a fruit fly and a tiny worm help researchers understand the biology of human disease? Is yeast just used for making bread? Visitors will find answers to these questions and learn how flies, fish, worms, yeast and many other organisms dramatically enhance our understanding of human aging, learning, memory and even cancer.
Chemistry: How are new medicines discovered? Is there a way to reduce or eliminate dangerous side effects from therapies meant to treat deadly diseases? Meet the chemists at Scripps Florida who will lead hands-on activities illustrating the nature of molecules and the “anatomy” of a chemical reaction. It’s something to see and hear!
Advanced Technology & Robotics: Technology moves research forward with instruments that are more accurate than the human hand and capable of completing a million experiments in less than 24 hours. Technology can also be a lot of fun! Visitors to this booth can control a robotic arm by using “machine vision,” measure how quickly advanced instruments do chemistry while learning about the ever-shrinking volumes of chemical experimentation, and discover how 3D printing is being used in the laboratory. While you’re there, don’t forget to say hello to our animatronic talking head designed by our robotics engineering team!
The 2014 CELLebrate Science event also includes fun math-based activities at each Scripps Florida activity booth designed to allow middle school students to explore questions like: how fast can droplets the size of a human cell race through a miniaturized chemistry laboratory? Why can’t you mix oil and vinegar? How “big” is a human cell, what does it take for me to see it with my eyes and how can I measure it?
Educators from the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, and the School District of Palm Beach County will again host booths at this year’s CELLebrate Science event, featuring hands-on activities for children and useful information for parents and teachers. Younger children will enjoy activities led by the Science Center, including “Grow your own Crystals,” “Polymer Slime,” and “Geometrical Origami.” Families also will be able to learn about the Science Center’s popular week-long summer camps and how to register their children.
The School District of Palm Beach County will present the 2013-2014 Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair student winners, who will compete at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair this spring. This is the first opportunity for the students to share with the public their winning research posters. Visitors are encouraged to meet the next generation of world-class research scientists and engineers—all from Palm Beach County!
About The Scripps Research Institute
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world's largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs about 3,000 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists—including three Nobel laureates—work toward their next discoveries. The institute's graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. For more information, see www.scripps.edu.
About the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium
The mission of the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium (SFSCA) is to open every mind to science through the strategic programming of interactive exhibits, engaging community-based camps and events. Founded in 1959 and formerly known as the South Florida Science Museum, the new SFSCA features more than 50 hands-on educational exhibits, an 8,000 gallon fresh and salt water aquarium featuring both local and exotic marine life, a digital planetarium, Conservation Research Station, Florida Exhibit Hall and an interactive Everglades Exhibit showcasing the richly diverse ecosystem that the Everglades water-environment supports. The South Florida Science Center is located at 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach. To learn more visit sfsciencecenter.org or call (561) 832-1988.
About The Gardens Mall
The Gardens Mall is located one mile east of I-95 on PGA Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The luxurious, 1.4-million-square-foot, super-regional shopping center features more than 160 retail specialty shops and restaurants. Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, and Sears are the major anchors. For more information about The Gardens Mall, call 561-775-7750 or visit the mall online at thegardensmall.com.
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