Have you ever wondered how synthetic biology can help conserve biodiversity in nature?
Many molecules and dyes are extracted from plants. Whether it be from the plant’s stem, flowers, leaves, or seeds, when these molecules or dyes are extracted, the entire plant is often destroyed upon extraction, leaving nothing to put back into its original habitat.
Twist Bioscience, a leader in the synthetic biology industry, is helping to alleviate some of the burden that these plants take on so that they can continue to thrive in their own habitat. We are able to synthetically print the DNA used to generate many of these molecules and dyes so that the plant doesn’t have to be destroyed. Not only does this help keep the plant where it belongs and allows for it to be a member of a complex and interconnected environment, but it also allows for less agricultural crops to be needed, which can free up large plots of land, avoid erosion and decrease pollution generated by pesticides.
In this guided tour, we invite you to take a walk with us in the San Bruno Mountain State and County Park where we will explore many native and non-native plants in the area, as well as focus on some of the plants that are often destroyed for their dyes and molecules.
The suggested minimum age for this event is 8 years old.
Note: This event is now full.
