SoundBio April 2026 Newsletter

Spring is in full swing at SoundBio Lab, and there’s a lot to explore this month! We’re hiring a Community Programs Coordinator, opening applications for our youth summer internship, launching a new biosensor community project, kicking off our CRISPR course, and offering a full lineup of hands-on workshops. Dive in and see how you can get involved!

We’re Hiring a

Community Programs Coordinator!

Community Outreach Programs at SoundBio Lab

We’re looking for a part-time Community Programs Coordinator to join our team and help develop and deliver our community-based science education programs. This role is a great fit for someone interested in community engagement, science education, and nonprofit program coordination.

Position Details:

Approximately 40 hours/month at $25/hour
Predominantly in-person, with regular attendance at Seattle outreach events & our University District lab

LEARN MORE AND APPLY

Biosensor Community Project Opens April 10

Join SoundBio Lab as we explore bioluminescent organisms as biosensors to detect heavy metals and other contaminants in soil and water, with the ultimate goal of creating easy-to-use testing kits for our communities to conduct their own experiments.

Our first workshop will be on Friday, April 10 from 4-6 pm! We’ll explore which organisms are best for detecting heavy metals. This event is free and open to ages 12+. Register here.

Biosensors Community Project at SoundBio

Summer Youth Internship

National Youth Laboratory and SoundBio Summer 2026 Internship for High School and Undergraduate Students

Are you in late high school or early college and interested in bioengineering? The NYL Summer Internship with SoundBio Lab & Stemtac Foundation is an 8-week, hands-on program where you’ll design and build your own low-cost plate reader and explore synthetic biology, circuit design, and microcontroller programming. Students receive a $500 stipend upon successful completion of the internship.

Internship Dates: July 1st - August 19th, 2026; M & W, 2-4 PM
Application Dates: April 1st - April 30th. Apply today!
Priority given to public school students & underserved communities

For more information, join our virtual info session on Saturday, April 11th @ 11:00 AM. Zoom link provided after registration.

Seeking Workshop Preparation Assistant

We’re looking for a volunteer Workshop Preparation Assistant to support our hands-on workshops and instructors by preparing media, cultures, example reactions, and tracking stock of workshop-related supplies.

This role requires about 8-10 hours per month, centered around workshop dates, with a commitment of at least 6 months. Volunteers receive free Tinkerer-level membership and gain valuable experience supporting lab operations and science education.

Ideal candidates have a background in biology or chemistry, knowledge of lab safety, strong organizational skills, enthusiasm for our mission, and an interest in science communication.

APPLY FOR THIS VOLUNTEER POSITION

CRISPR Course Starts April 23

CRISPR is a powerful tool that has revolutionized gene editing across many fields. In this five-week course, learn how to transform bacteria using CRISPR-editing DNA plasmids, extract & purify DNA, visualize proteins & DNA with biotech software, and analyze DNA sequencing data. We’ll also explore CRISPR’s origins and its real-world applications.

Spring Workshops

We have many exciting hands-on workshops coming up in the next two months! In April, build your own Microscope using low-cost materials and get an up-close look at microorganisms, practice bacterial transformation in Genetic Engineering 101 and experiment with making your own biodegradable plastic materials in our brand new DIY Bio-Plastics Workshop.

Build your own microscope using low-cost materials and use it to study microorganisms too small to see with the naked eye

Genetic Engineering 101: Transforming Cells

In May, learn to Extract DNA from Bacteria, get hands-on with our new Opentrons lab automation robot, create your own living masterpiece in Painting with Bacteria, or learn a new cutting-edge technology for tumor detection with Liquid Biopsy.

Inaugural SoundBio Ignite Prize Awarded!

SoundBio inaugural Ignite Prize awarded at the Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge

Congratulations to team TPT-Finder for winning the inaugural SoundBio Ignite Prize at the UW Buerk Innovation Center Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge! The team received a six-month membership to our lab. We’re excited to support their continued work!

Open House Recap

Thanks to everyone who came to our Lab Open House! We had around 15 attendees, did several tours of the lab and equipment, discussed projects and volunteer opportunities, had fun with yeast biology experiments, and had some great conversations! It was fantastic to meet new volunteers and talk to everyone about their ideas. We’re excited to keep building with you all!

Become a SoundBio Member

Want to join a group project or start your own? Visit our Membership page to learn about becoming a Tinkerer, Researcher, or Lead. All members receive a 50% discount on all courses and workshops.

Email us at info@sound.bio to schedule an on-site visit or to join our Slack group.

SoundBio never wants financial constraints to keep people out of the lab. If cost is a barrier for your participation, please request a fee waiver. Thanks to generous support from 4Culture and Society for Science!

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. Your support will enable us to expand our reach and impact even further, positively affecting countless lives.

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