Connecticut’s BioBus
Visits Tunza International Children’s Conference on the Environment
July 22, 2:30-4:45 & July 23, 9:45-12:00, 1:30-3:45

Open for Visitors at
New London Tall Ships® Environmental Festival
July 24 & July 25, 10:00-4:00

Connecticut’s BioBus will be hosting international students in hands-on advanced bioscience experiment sessions at the Tunza International Children’s Conference on the Environment at Connecticut College on Thursday, July 22 and Friday, July 23. The BioBus will then will move to the State Pier in New London to be part of the exhibits during the New London Tall Ships â Environmental Festival on Saturday July 24 and Sunday, July 25. While on the State Pier, the BioBus will be open for public tours from 8:30am to 4:30 pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

During the Connecticut BioBus visit to the Tunza International Children’s Conference on the Environment, conference attendees will conduct the Art of Forgery experiment from the BioBus curriculum. This experiment challenges students to use gel electrophoresis, a technique scientists use to separate molecules based on size and charge, to identify paint samples from paintings to identify a “forged” painting from the original.

While on the State Pier at the New London Tall Ships Environmental Festival, the BioBus will be open for public tours, during which BioBus staff scientists will showcase the advanced tools and techniques scientists use today in the biosciences, and also discuss Connecticut’s vibrant bioscience industry.

Outfitted with the latest in bioscience equipment and state-of-the-art computers, the Connecticut BioBus is a 40-foot-long mobile science learning center designed to provide students throughout Connecticut with hands-on experience in the life sciences. The BioBus is designed to foster the excitement of scientific discovery among students and ignite interest in pursuing scientific careers.

Since its inception on September 5, 2001, Connecticut’s BioBus has visited 189 schools, teaching more than 19,500 students during two hour hands-on laboratory sessions, and training more than 450 teachers in advanced bioscience investigational teaching techniques. The BioBus also hosted community and sponsor events attended by over 14,000 people.

The Connecticut BioBus represents a five-year, $3.6 million partnership between the members of Connecticut United for Research Excellence, Inc. (CURE) and Connecticut Innovations the state’s leading investor in high technology.

CURE is a statewide coalition of educational and research institutions, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and other supporting businesses. CURE serves as the organizational center of bioscience in Connecticut and is dedicated to promoting the growth and increasing public understanding of biomedical research and science in the state.

The New London Tall Ships® Environmental Festival has been planned for two years as a companion event to the 2004 Tunza International Children's Conference on the Environment, a signature event of the United Nations Environment Program. It will attract 600 youngsters ages 10-13 from 100 countries to Connecticut College from July 19-23. It is designed for these young environmental leaders to learn about the environment, meet new international friends with common interests, and develop the skills necessary to impact future environmental practices and policies. The students will participate in the Tall Ships Festival, conducting research and sailing on the ships that offer educational programs.

The Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation is the Founding Sponsor of the Conference. Other sponsors include Cross Sound Ferry and Pepsi. Official media sponsors are The Day Publishing Company and Lin Television Corporation, WTNH-TV. For more information on the conference, visit www.icc04.org.

Contact:
Amy Enders, CURE
203-777-8516