Zoo in You: The Human Microbiome Exhibit Opens in San Diego

On January 28, over 250 scientists, philanthropists and other STEM community notables, including JCVI CEO Council Member Reena Horowitz, came out to support the San Diego premier of the Zoo in You: The Human Microbiome exhibit at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. The Zoo in You is a new 2,000 sq. ft. exhibit funded by a SEPA grant from NIH in partnership with JCVI. Through May 8, 2016 visitors to the display can learn about our constant microbial companions, where they live, how diverse they are, and in what ways scientists are realizing just how important they are to our personal health.

Thanks to new, sophisticated technology and the cutting-edge research of the National Institutes of Health’s Human Microbiome Project, the world is just starting to discover what the microbes in each of us are up to and how they affect us.

JCVI is taking other steps to help the San Diego community learn about the importance of their microbiomes. In addition to the exhibit, JCVI scientist Karen Beeri led a class of 23 girls in activities about microbes and DNA sequencing at Fleet’s Saturday Science Club for Girls on February 13. The girls toured the Zoo in You exhibit, made DNA bracelets, and used RNA decoders to decode the secret messages found in our amino acids.

Zoo in You: The Human Microbiome will be on display at Fleet until May 8, 2016. Check it out!

For more information about JCVI’s education initiatives, please contact the JCVI development team at development@jcvi.org.