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From volunteer opportunities, workshops, and the launch of our Synthetic Biology course, to community outreach, a new BSC, and a major grant award, a lot is happening in our community this month. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
A Busy February at SoundBio
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From volunteer opportunities, hands-on workshops, and the launch of our Synthetic Biology course, to community outreach programs, a new biosafety cabinet, and a major grant award, there’s a lot happening in our community this month. Read on for ways to get involved, upcoming events, and a few big updates we’re excited to share!
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Mondays 1-2 pm: Big Picture Learning Sessions in Burien Thanks to everyone who came out to help with our first 2026 independent learning session at Big Picture! Six middle and high school students joined us for an introduction to lab science: getting familiar with lab equipment, learning appropriate safety protocols, and practicing proper use of PPE. Sessions are held on Mondays from 1-2 pm in Burien, and it’s not too late to volunteer! Email melanie@sound.bio or Slack us in #big-picture-sessions.
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February 25, 6-7 pm: Madrona K-8 in Edmonds
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We are looking for 1-2 volunteers to help with an Elephant Toothpaste and Yeast Air Balloons workshop. We will walk you through the experiments and discuss tips for engaging with young students in the weeks before the event. Email melanie@sound.bio or respond to the thread in the #volunteers channel. |
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Thursday March 26: Federal Way STEAM Exploration Night
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We need 2 volunteers to help run an Elephant Toothpaste workshop at the Federal Way STEAM Exploration Night. Location and time to be finalized. Email melanie@sound.bio or drop a message in #volunteers! |
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Not on Slack yet, but want to join the conversation? Email info@sound.bio.
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New Synthetic Biology Course
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We’re excited to launch Introduction to Synthetic Biology, a new six-week course beginning Thursday, March 12. While we’ve taught pieces of this workflow as individual workshops for years, this is the first time we’ve brought them together into a single, guided experience with expert instruction from a graduate researcher. You’ll learn: Micropipetting & general lab practices PCR & gel electrophoresis DNA extraction & preparation Molecular cloning (Golden Gate assembly) Bacterial transformation & culturing DNA sequence analysis with Benchling
Have a synthetic biology project you've been itching to explore? This course is an excellent starting point! You'll learn quick and simple cloning techniques you can easily repeat with your own gene of interest. Members get an additional 50% off all courses and workshops! To reduce barriers to STEM education, we provide fee waivers to those for whom the cost would otherwise be prohibitive. |
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Hands-on February Workshops
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We recently received a Thermo Scientific 1300 Series A2 Biosafety Cabinet, replacing our old laminar flow hood. Last Saturday, ten community members came to help lift and mount the cabinet. Many thanks to everyone who came out, and also a huge thank you to GHLabs (now part of the Gates Foundation) for the generous donation. While SoundBio remains a BSL-1 lab, this biosafety cabinet significantly expands the kinds of hands-on projects we can safely support. This includes work with non-pathogenic microbes, environmental microbiology samples, plasmid-based molecular biology (DNA extraction, PCR setup, cloning workflows), and yeast and other low-risk eukaryotic systems, as well as programs where participants can gain familiarity with professional-grade equipment and develop workforce-ready skills. Before the cabinet can be used, a few repairs are needed. Dezmond is coordinating the fixes, and we’ll share an update as soon as it’s ready for use. We can’t wait to see the new classes, experiments, and projects the BSC will support.
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SoundBio has received a major grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to expand our community-based environmental science programs focused on soil and water health, youth workforce development, and applied microbial ecology. In 2026, this funding will support hands-on workshops, site tours, community listening sessions, a youth summer program, and our biosensor Community Project. Stay tuned for more details as these programs get developed.
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Merch updates! We have new ultra-soft lightweight SoundBio tees, available in 100% cotton and a cotton/poly blend. Great for staying cool in the lab as we start inching towards spring. |
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Not a member yet? We have three tiers of lab access to meet and support your biology passions! Members receive a 50% discount on all courses and workshops. Visit our Membership page to find out about becoming a Tinkerer, Researcher, or Lead. Email us at info@sound.bio if you’d like to schedule an on-site visit or to join our Slack group.
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SoundBio never wants financial constraints to keep people out of the lab. Request a fee waiver through the form linked below, thanks to generous support from 4Culture and Society for Science! |
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SoundBio Lab is a registered 501c3 Non-profit. We believe that science should be for everyone. Read more on our website. Questions? Contact us at info@sound.bio. Donations
We greatly appreciate your continued support. You can donate anytime through our website. Click here to donate.
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