Ellen is passionate about increasing science literacy in both student and adult populations, particularly in the areas of molecular and synthetic biology. Her work at Genspace, a community lab in Brooklyn, is dedicated to promoting citizen science and access to biotechnology.

Ellen will be involved in four Sydney Science Festival events including a biohacking forum at ATP Innovations, a senior schools program at the Royal Botanic Garden, a seminar for science communicators and a public lecture at UTS. Don’t miss this opportunity to meet her at one of these events and get new ideas about how to incorporate biohacking and genetics into your outreach and engagement programs.

Biohacking events at Sydney Science Festival

Get down with DNA 10 am, Thursday 18 August, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Stage 6 biology students and their teachers will meet Dr Ellen Jorgensen and spend the day exploring exciting DIY bio techniques and the amazing things biohackers do. The DIY bio movement gives bio-entrepreneurs low-cost access to facilities for proof-of-concept experiments.

Hands-on science workshops will be delivered by Sydney’s leading science organisations including the Royal Botanic Garden, Taronga Conservation Society, UTS Centre for Forensic Science and the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics. Students will also experience a behind the scenes tour of the Royal Botanic Garden’s Plant Pathology laboratory to look at gel electrophoresis, a DNA transilluminator and participate in an interactive demonstration of plant DNA extraction.

The Global Biohack Revolution 6pm, Thursday 18 August, ATP innovations Meet the biohackers from Australia and around the world who are leading the global biotechnology revolution! This all-star panel of biohackers will discuss the challenges and opportunities in democratisation of science through biohacking with a focus on education and the commercialisation of research.

Dr Ellen Jorgensen will be joined by JJ Hastings (BioQuisitive, London Biohackspace), Meow-Meow Ludo (Biohack Sydney, BioFoundry), Andrew Gray (Biohack Melbourne, BioQuisitive) and Oron Catts (SymbioticA Perth).

DNA groundswell 10 am, Friday 19 August, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney This session is an opportunity for science communicators and scientists across Sydney to think about how they can incorporate exciting open access programs into their work. Learn how Genspace uses biohacking to engage the community through courses, cultural events, educational outreach and experiences for students and the public. Meet the people behind BioFoundry, Australia’s first open access lab that also runs courses for enthusiasts and curious amateurs. Discover how biohacking is democratising science around the world by lowering the financial and technological entry barriers to science education and research training. International guests Dr Ellen Jorgensen will be joined by local biohacker Meow-Ludo Meow-Meow, Co-founder of Sydney’s BioFoundry.

Biohacking: why should we care? 6 pm, Friday 19 August, University of Technology Sydney How is biohacking changing the world? Should we be concerned about safety? Can DIY labs ferment a revolution? What are the opportunities? Can they create a culture of start-ups and entrepreneurs?

In this public lecture, Dr Ellen Jorgensen will provide insights into biohacking, novel applications it has produced and how it can serve as a useful education tool. This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr Sheila Donnelly, Prof Peter Ralph and Prof Michael Wallach from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

Guest blog post by Jackie Randles, Manager Inspiring Australia (NSW).