BioDesign Tour: Science & Tech for High Schools
As part of the BioDesign 2026 Bootcamp & Hackathon initiative, the CBS-UNMSM organizing committee successfully completed the BioDesign Tour, an in-person scientific outreach program visiting secondary schools throughout Metropolitan Lima.
This initiative connected modern biotechnology and genetic engineering with high school students, empowering them to tackle environmental and health challenges.
Scientific and Educational Focus of the Tour
In every school visit, the CBS-UNMSM and NEA team prioritized demystifying key molecular biology principles through hands-on demos:
- DNA Structure & Code: Understanding biological information storage in the double helix and the molecular central dogma.
- How Does a Gene Work?: Analyzing mechanisms of transcription (DNA to messenger RNA) and translation into functional proteins.
- The Functional Gene as a Transcriptional Unit (TU): Hands-on approach where a gene is engineered and assembled using standardized biological parts: Promoter (start signal and transcription strength), RBS (ribosome binding site), CDS / Coding Sequence (protein instructions), and Terminator (stop signal and stability).
Participating Educational Institutions
- IE 1263 Puruchuco (Ate): Experimental session on DNA double helix architecture and modular TU design.
- IE 1264 Juan Andrés Vivanco Amorín (Ate): Gene expression demonstration, biosafety principles, and bio-circuit logic.
- IE 7035 Leoncio Prado (San Juan de Miraflores): Biotechnology discovery, promoter/terminator regulation, and direct STEM vocational guidance.
Impact & Connection with BioDesign 2026
- Preferential enrollment: Students from visited schools receive priority access to the BioDesign 2026 Bootcamp & Hackathon.
- Direct university mentorship: Vocational dialogue with San Marcos university researchers and synthetic biology leaders.
Explore the Official Memories, TU Diagram, and Gallery on BioDesign