BioCoder #12

Chapter 7. Genes in Space

Julian Rubinfien

For a high school student interested in biology, there are more educational opportunities available outside the classroom than one could possibly experience in four years of American secondary education. There are summer internships at universities, essay contests, scientific scholarships for college, and—for those with access to professional laboratories and mentorship—science fairs. Biology competitions are generally more alike than they are different; most involve a lengthy application and judging process that culminates in the presentation of cash prizes to winners. I was surprised, then, when I read that Genes in Space, a two-year-old competition, promised its winner the opportunity to launch his or her biology experiments to the International Space Station (ISS), a collaboration between 15 nations that orbits the Earth at 17,000 miles per hour. The Genes in Space competition is a partnership between miniPCR, Math for America, the Center for Advancement of Science in Space, New England Biolabs, and The Boeing Company.

The idea of outer space is irresistibly romantic. There is no place more extreme, more foreign, or more beckoning. In fewer than 60 years, a total of 536 men and women have called space a (temporary) residence. Since then, we have been, as a species, reaching toward the future, working constantly to push the limits of habitability. From Lego bricks (brought to space by Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa) to Marshmallow ...