Building with Biology promotes science

Helping understand benefits of biology

Montana State University’s Extended University is one of 200 institutions selected to participate in a national STEM outreach program called Building with Biology.

Building with Biology is funded by the National Science Foundation and was created to help the public better understand synthetic biology, an area of scientific research focused on the possibility of redesigning, engineering and constructing entirely new biological systems.

Synthetic biology builds on the science of agricultural breeding and genetic engineering to create new things faster and cheaper in even more controlled and specific ways. The field is exploring where biology-based products might provide solutions for a wide diversity of challenges in health, energy and the environment.

Engineering the mosquito

Extended University will host two events in the fall: an outreach event featuring hands-on activities; and a public forum called “Should We Engineer the Mosquito?” in which participants take part in a facilitated in-depth discussion about ways mosquitoes could be engineered to reduce malaria transmission.

For more information about the national program

http://www.buildingwithbiology.org or contact Suzi Taylor, Extended University, at (406) 994-7957 or taylor@montana.edu.