Events

Canada's first touring exhibition on genomics is an innovative, multi-dimensional public education project.  The Canadian Museum of Nature has produced it, Genome Canada is presenting it nationally, and the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) presented the exhibition stops in Ontario in 2008 and 2009.

The exhibit has 2,500 square feet of highly interactive, bilingual educational content about genomics, its applications, and the important contributions of Canadian scientists.  It aims to demystify genomics, challenge misconceptions, and encourage questions. It invites visitors to ponder ethical issues surrounding genetic testing, gene therapy, human cloning, GMO labelling and safety, DNA databanks, access to genetic information, and more!

The Geee! in Genome in Ontario 2008-2009

From May 23 to September 7, 2009, The Geee! in Genome attracted close to 24,000 visitors to The Children's Museum in Kitchener, presented by OGI.  The exhibit was an integral part of the Museum's summer camp program, allowing thousands of area children and others to voyage through the human body to learn about cells, DNA, healthy living, and other fun and engaging human science.  Activities included:

• Wearing your genes! Translate your name into DNA sequence using beads while learning about codons and amino acids, then wear your DNA alias on your wrist!
• Wrap and roll! Come and discover just how long your genome is - you'll be amazed that it all fits into such a tiny space in your cells.
• DNA in the kitchen!  Every living thing has its own DNA...but what does it look like?  Learn how to extract genomic DNA from fruits and veggies in your own kitchen.
• Catch these clones! Everyone's DNA is unique - unless of course you're a clone! Help our scientists to find the clones that managed to escape the laboratory and are hiding in plain sight!

The Museum also partnered with Eastwood Collegiate: Eastwood students created artwork portraying their ideas about genomics and loaned their works to the Museum to post alongside the exhibit for the summer, enhancing the exhibit and providing another level of conversation to take place between visitors about the impact of genomics on our lives and on society.

From September to November 2008, The Geee! in Genome had a highly successful run at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery, which OGI presented  in partnership with the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) and the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI), with the support of RBC Royal Bank and numerous other local sponsors and supporters. The exhibit attracted nearly 5,000 visitors, including 1,700 students from Thunder Bay and regional communities such as Dryden (a 350-km drive).

During the exhibit's visit to Thunder Bay, an associated weekly evening Speakers Series, sponsored by the TBRHS Foundation's Health Sciences Discovery Fund, attracted almost 300 additional visitors and featured local researchers from Genesis Genomics Inc., Lakehead University and its PaleoDNA Laboratory, Molecular World Inc., TBRHSC, and TBRRI. Other OGI-related speakers included funded researcher Dr. Rob Hegele (Robarts Research Institute), Board Director Dr. Bonnie Schmidt (Let's Talk Science), and Director of Outreach Dr. Shane Green. Dr. Green also visited four local  high schools to lead discussions with approximately 200 students about issues that  the exhibit raised as well as about career opportunities in genomics and related sciences.

For more details on the exhibit, click here.