Connecting Science: we connect Brazilians with the Science of DIYBio.
Mission: Design and facilitate creative workshops with low-cost materials that show
that science and technologies can be done by anyone and anywhere.
Vision: increase the number of students of elementary and high-schools as well as their teachers and family members who make and share science and technologies.
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What is our context?
Many brazilian students have never used lab tools or aren't even aware of advancements in biotechnology. In many cases, they are unaware of the science they do in their kitchen or the biotechnology that is present in the food they eat everyday. Brazilians have little chances to express themselves through more-structured scientific and technological experimentations because most schools lack labs or teachers and parents have little experience in carrying on science projects. So we connect the school community with creative science workshops where they can build lab equipment aided by tools of digital and analogic fabrication and explore biotechnologies with low-cost and safe materials. Participants of workshops and projects can answer a variety of personal questions or simply explore the beauty of nature. This has led to people realizing they are scientists and can build technologies themselves (we also highly encourage collaboration with universities). Moreover, science outreach projects in the field of Citizen Science, art and education have emerged from these interactions with several school communities and non-profit organization that focus on education. For example: The Invisible World, Inspira Ciência and MACB - Artbio Brasil.
See the portfolio of our founder Filipe Oliveira da Silva for more details of his projects!
What do we do?
We hold workshops where people can learn on their own pace how to build low-cost microscopes and explore different technologies that make use of biological materials from microorganisms to DNA. We have held more than 100 workshops for nearly 3.000 participants in 4 of the 5 main geographic regions in Brazil, including the Amazon Forest. We understand ourselves as part of the movement DIYBIO-Biohacking but apply this new way of doing science with the general public in the Brazilians contexts. That means we face challenges such as lack of resources, high social and education inequalities and large-scale environmental challenges.
What is our goal?
Connect Brazilians with the Science of DIYBio and DIYBio Movement. Many students, teachers and families never experienced science or have created lab equipments. We create workshops where they can do both. Moreover, most of those who already make science and technology projects in non-tradicional places do not realize that their work is not only leading to solutions but also shaping the ways we do science, who can make science and where science can be done. This means that there is already a culture of wanting to make science and even of DIYBio in Brazil but most practitioners are unaware of the DIYBio Movement and its cultural and political impacts. Practitioners usually present their studies and solutions in science fairs but do not see themselves as part of an Internacional Movement. Many university professors and researchers are also unaware of the DIYBio movement and its impacts. We are changing that in Brazil by promoting the culture of DIYBio as an innovative social movement that leads to more diversity in the making of science and technologies, including biotechnologies.
What is our approach?
We design workshops using a variety of scientific papers and inspirations from the fields of citizen science, design and arts. Our workshops allow participants to express themselves through science and biotechnologies in a variety of creative ways. We use low-cost materials, many times reused sources and materials that are then upcycled. We try our best to make sustainable choices of materials and practices. We contextualize practices within Brazilian pressing issues.
What do we aim for the future?
Opening a lab where we can combine the growth of microorganisms, microscopy and fermentation techniques as low-cost approaches to connect people in the making of science and technologies in a social context because we understand that learning is a social process and science/technologies are better if they include diversity of ideas in their making.
Find us on Instagram and Facebook.
Many brazilian students have never used lab tools or aren't even aware of advancements in biotechnology. In many cases, they are unaware of the science they do in their kitchen or the biotechnology that is present in the food they eat everyday. Brazilians have little chances to express themselves through more-structured scientific and technological experimentations because most schools lack labs or teachers and parents have little experience in carrying on science projects. So we connect the school community with creative science workshops where they can build lab equipment aided by tools of digital and analogic fabrication and explore biotechnologies with low-cost and safe materials. Participants of workshops and projects can answer a variety of personal questions or simply explore the beauty of nature. This has led to people realizing they are scientists and can build technologies themselves (we also highly encourage collaboration with universities). Moreover, science outreach projects in the field of Citizen Science, art and education have emerged from these interactions with several school communities and non-profit organization that focus on education. For example: The Invisible World, Inspira Ciência and MACB - Artbio Brasil.
See the portfolio of our founder Filipe Oliveira da Silva for more details of his projects!
What do we do?
We hold workshops where people can learn on their own pace how to build low-cost microscopes and explore different technologies that make use of biological materials from microorganisms to DNA. We have held more than 100 workshops for nearly 3.000 participants in 4 of the 5 main geographic regions in Brazil, including the Amazon Forest. We understand ourselves as part of the movement DIYBIO-Biohacking but apply this new way of doing science with the general public in the Brazilians contexts. That means we face challenges such as lack of resources, high social and education inequalities and large-scale environmental challenges.
What is our goal?
Connect Brazilians with the Science of DIYBio and DIYBio Movement. Many students, teachers and families never experienced science or have created lab equipments. We create workshops where they can do both. Moreover, most of those who already make science and technology projects in non-tradicional places do not realize that their work is not only leading to solutions but also shaping the ways we do science, who can make science and where science can be done. This means that there is already a culture of wanting to make science and even of DIYBio in Brazil but most practitioners are unaware of the DIYBio Movement and its cultural and political impacts. Practitioners usually present their studies and solutions in science fairs but do not see themselves as part of an Internacional Movement. Many university professors and researchers are also unaware of the DIYBio movement and its impacts. We are changing that in Brazil by promoting the culture of DIYBio as an innovative social movement that leads to more diversity in the making of science and technologies, including biotechnologies.
What is our approach?
We design workshops using a variety of scientific papers and inspirations from the fields of citizen science, design and arts. Our workshops allow participants to express themselves through science and biotechnologies in a variety of creative ways. We use low-cost materials, many times reused sources and materials that are then upcycled. We try our best to make sustainable choices of materials and practices. We contextualize practices within Brazilian pressing issues.
What do we aim for the future?
Opening a lab where we can combine the growth of microorganisms, microscopy and fermentation techniques as low-cost approaches to connect people in the making of science and technologies in a social context because we understand that learning is a social process and science/technologies are better if they include diversity of ideas in their making.
Find us on Instagram and Facebook.
