Scripps Florida Invites Community to CELLebrate

By Jeremy Pyle

More than 100 scientists from Scripps Florida, a division of the nonprofit Scripps Research Institute, will again bring the wonder of discovery from the laboratory to the public when the annual “CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida” community science festival returns to The Gardens Mall on Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10 AM to 3 PM. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Located throughout the Mall’s lower level, CELLebrate Science will entice visitors to explore the fascinating booths, pique their curiosity with a scavenger hunt-style quiz, and delight with fantastic prizes and giveaways. In addition to the ever-popular chemistry demonstrations, technology displays and hands-on science activity stations, this year’s CELLebrate Science event will feature new attractions designed to engage younger audiences and provide a greater depth of understanding to visitors interested in the latest research emerging from Scripps Florida laboratories.

“Insights from the Lab” is a series of 15-minute presentations by Scripps Florida scientists on compelling topics in biomedical research. Held in the Mall’s central Grand Court during the 11 AM hour and again after 1 PM, these “TED talk” style presentations will explore provocative questions such as “What is Aging?” and “Can we stop flu epidemics, reverse the AIDS pandemic, or even rid the world of human infectious diseases?” A complete schedule of talks is available online at www.scripps.edu/CELLebrate and in the free guide distributed at the event.

Educators from the South Florida Science Museum and the School District of Palm Beach County will also host booths at this year’s event, featuring hands-on activities for children and useful information for parents. Younger children will enjoy activities that employ the excitement of superheroes to explore fun aspects of biology, chemistry and physics. Children will even be able to make their own superhero mask! Superhero Science is one of the many themed programs available for children at the museum’s popular week-long summer camps. Families will be able to learn more about these exciting camps and how to register their children.

Returning to this year’s CELLebrate Science event is The School District of Palm Beach County, which will host a booth featuring activities for children and information for parents. Nearby, the winners of the 2012 Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair will display the results of their own scientific research. These students, from grades 6-12, will all compete at Florida’s State Science and Engineering Fair in Lakeland, FL, in March 2013.

“I have no doubt that many of these students will one day be working side-by-side with the scientists at Scripps and other scientific institutions,” said School District 6-12 Science Program Planner Gregory Goebel. “It is great to see the positive reaction from the public every year as they are amazed at the outstanding work being done by these middle and high school students that already has real-world applications.”

Interactive booths at the 2013 CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida festivities include:

• Chemistry at Scripps – From exploding hydrogen bubbles and beach balls filled with strange heavy gases to the extreme cold effects of liquid nitrogen, chemistry demonstrations return this year alongside hands-on chemistry activities for kids. Visitors can test their manual dexterity by manipulating objects in an actual laboratory glove box.
• Technology and Automation – Learn about extraordinary devices that speed up the process of scientific discovery and how Scripps Florida is using--and developing--new technologies that automate research. Scripps Research Institute scientists and engineers lead fun activities with robotics and microfluidics that illustrate the use of technology in the research lab.
• Model Organisms – Biomedical researchers study sea slugs, fruit flies, roundworms and zebrafish to understand basic human biology. Take a look at these amazing model organisms through a microscope and discover why they are so important to biomedical research.
• “Inner Life of a Cell” – Step inside a giant inflatable planetarium-style dome and experience a series of amazing short videos that create the illusion that you’ve entered a living cell. The presentations are narrated live by Scripps Florida scientists who will take visitors on a guided tour of a typical cell.
• Disease Biology – Viruses and bacteria can cause devastating human diseases, but did you know they also serve as powerful tools in biomedical research? Learn about the "Good, Bad and Ugly" of viruses and bacteria, then discover how Scripps Research Institute scientists are using them to search for treatments and cures for cancer, HIV, diabetes, hepatitis C and Alzheimer’s—just a few of the diseases being studied at Scripps Florida.
• The Science of Safety – Safety and research go hand in hand and it takes a crew of experts to ensure the health and well-being of scientists and our community. Scripps Florida’s Environmental Health and Safety team will illustrate some of the extraordinary safety measures employed in the laboratories, as well as the institute’s “green initiatives” designed to reduce our environmental footprint.
• Education at Scripps – Training the next generation of scientists is an important part of The Scripps Research Institute’s mission. In addition to a top-10 ranked graduate school, the institute offers many programs for undergraduates, high school and middle school teachers, and K-12 students. Meet Scripps Florida graduate students working to earn their PhD, along with recent high school summer interns from Palm Beach County schools who have worked in Scripps Florida labs.

In addition to the interactive science booths, visitors to CELLebrate Science with Scripps Florida can participate in a science scavenger hunt by answering questions and solving simple puzzles based on information and activities at the various booths. Every visitor who completes the scavenger hunt while visiting the activity booths will receive a commemorative gift and also be entered into a raffle to win a special prize.

For additional details about this event, please visit: www.scripps.edu/CELLebrate.

Send comments to: press[at]scripps.edu