C-GEM transformed the Nobel Prize-winning technique of directed evolution into an educational board game! Directed Evolution: The Game tasks players with solving a puzzle where your pieces are determined by a roll of the dice. During a game, players are awarded puzzle pieces based on… Read More »Learn about Directed Evolution Through Play
On Saturday, C-GEM participated in STEM Day at the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS). STEM Day celebrates innovative science education research performed at LHS and UC Berkeley. At STEM Day, C-GEM scientists demonstrated the science of biopolymers to over 800 museum guests using “Pasta-mers,” which… Read More »C-GEM brings polymer science to Lawrence Hall of Science STEM Day
This week, Dr. Alexandra Kent (postdoctoral scholar, Cate lab), Dr. Chandrima Majumdar (postdoctoral scholar, Cate lab), and C-GEM Executive Director Dr. Sarah Smaga all attended the 2025 ASBMB Annual Meeting in Chicago. Alexandra and Chandrima both presented posters and were selected to speak in the… Read More »Two C-GEM postdocs and Executive Director Smaga Present at ASBMB
On Saturday, C-GEM helped kick off the 12th annual Atlanta Science Festival at Georgia Tech’s Celebrate STEAM day. Over 5,000 attendees came to Georgia Tech to try hands-on activities for all ages, covering topics like robotics, biology, space, art, and more. Our booth featured MaryAgnes… Read More »C-GEM brings polymer science to Atlanta Science Festival
In honor of National Pasta Day, join C-GEM as we build polymers out of pasta! C-GEM scientists developed a kid-friendly activity to demonstrate how the sequence of amino acids or other monomers affects the folded structure and properties of a protein. The idea came from… Read More »Celebrate National Pasta Day with C-GEM
This past weekend, C-GEM was one of 36 exhibitors at the 4th Annual Kits Cubed STEM Fair. C-GEM scientists showed up on the front lawn of Oakland Technical High School to teach about the science of biopolymers to almost 4,500 attendees. Our booth featured our… Read More »C-GEM brings polymer science to the Kits Cubed STEM Fair
C-GEM Executive Director Sarah Smaga represented the scientific community with 24 other ASBMB members to advocate for supporting and funding basic science research in Washington D.C.. Smaga and others met with elected officials and their staffers to stress the importance of research funding. Read more… Read More »C-GEM represents on Capitol Hill
Last weekend, C-GEM exhibited at the Tri-Valley Innovation Expo at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA. Postdocs Alexandra Kent and Preeta Pratakshya, Graduate students Noah Hamlish and Cameron Swenson, and undergraduate Cathy Zhu joined Executive Director Sarah Smaga to share C-GEM research. Over 300… Read More »C-GEM talks biopolymers at the Tri-Valley Innovation Expo
C-GEM collaborated with the scientific discovery game Eterna to launch an online course about RNA structure, dynamics, and biology. The course is free, open to anyone, and combines videos, text, and interactive Eterna puzzles to reinforce core concepts about RNA. The first module focuses on… Read More »C-GEM and Eterna launch online RNA course
Last Saturday, C-GEM students, postdocs, and Eterna players spent a day in the sun at the Science Bonanza at Cal Day, a day-long celebration for admitted undergraduates and their families. Science Bonanza was organized by Science at Cal and brought together outreach from across disciplines… Read More »C-GEM celebrates Cal Day at the Science Bonanza