ASBMB Names Five Recipients of 2026 Science Outreach and Communication Grants

The American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (搜索)搜索该词条 has announced five recipients of its 2026 Science Outreach and Communication grants, awarding up to $1,000 each to early-career scientists whose projects bring molecular biology into schools, community centers, and cultural events. The program, administered by the ASBMB Science Outreach and Communication Committee since 2021, has reviewed hundreds of applications across four funding cycles, with awardees ranging from undergraduates to associate professors across the U.S. and internationally.

The committee places particular emphasis on projects serving under-resourced student communities, evaluating applications based on both the target audience and the scope of proposed activities.

Native American Science Connections Initiative

Maria Heidi Alaine Tahir, Director of Gifted and Talented Education at Saint Francis Indian School, will lead a project in which students in grades 6–12 explore the biochemical principles underlying traditional Native practices, including plant-based medicine, natural dyes, and food preservation. The initiative brings together science teachers, cultural liaisons, community mentors, and local elders who share traditional ecological knowledge alongside the scientific framework students are building. Students will document their findings and present them at cultural events, school showcases, and a dedicated community day. The University of South Dakota is also offering unit credits for students' research and outreach work.

"By fostering collaboration with elders and local cultural experts, the initiative strengthens respect for community knowledge while reinforcing the scientific process as a shared pursuit of understanding," Tahir said.

STAR² Lab DNA Day Initiative

Beth Anderson, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Notre Dame, leads an expanding program that sends graduate student "DNA Day Ambassadors" into South Bend-area high schools each April on National DNA Day. Teachers choose between two lesson tracks: a Forensics track in which students extract DNA from wheat germ and analyze gel electrophoresis images to solve a mock crime, and a Personalized Medicine track exploring pharmacogenetics through PTC taste-testing strips correlated with taste bud counts.

The program launched in 2023 with 56 students at a single school and grew to 235 students across four schools by 2024. This year's goal is 1,000 students at 10 schools. South Bend Community School Corp data show local students in grades 9–12 consistently scoring below state averages on college preparedness, underscoring the value of graduate student mentorship.

"Beginning with the discovery of DNA and subsequent exciting nucleic acid research, we aim to inform and inspire students about the many opportunities in science," Anderson said.

Mapping the Biochemical Interactions of Your Morning Routine

Grace Perna, a senior undergraduate student and executive board member of the Rochester Institute of Technology ASBMB Student Chapter, will run biweekly after-school seminars from March through May for students in grades 7–12 in local public school districts. Each session pairs primary scientific literature with students' own skincare and cosmetic products, using techniques such as micropipetting, spectrophotometry, microscopy, and bacterial culturing. Topics, selected by student survey, range from how soap works at the molecular level to how washing affects the skin microbiome.

"Those who decide that they do not want a career in STEM still leave with the ability to viably consult scientific literature and use it to understand the products that they use," Perna said.

What's on Your Plate? Unmasking Food Adulteration Through Science

Chandana Basu, a Wellcome Trust India Alliance Early Career Fellow at Banaras Hindu University, will host a day-and-a-half workshop at BHU's Institute of Science addressing food adulteration, a significant public health concern across India. The workshop opens with lectures on nutrition and food labeling, followed by hands-on lab work in which students detect adulterants in milk, cooking oils, and common spices using eco-friendly, accessible materials—including a technique leveraging the coffee ring effect to analyze milk. On the second day, students tour BHU research facilities and interact with scientists. Faculty from the Departments of Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Molecular and Human Genetics oversee the science, supported by postgraduate volunteers and undergraduate facilitators.

"By bridging scientific theory with real-life applications, this initiative nurtures molecular awareness, scientific curiosity and responsible citizenship," Basu said.

Drug D&D: Discover and Design

Christelle Baria, president of the UC Merced ASBMB Undergraduate Student Chapter, leads a program in California's Central Valley—a region of roughly five million people where fewer than one in five residents holds a bachelor's degree and STEM mentorship is scarce. UC Merced undergraduates visit community centers and high school classrooms in the Merced, Madera, and Modesto areas, introducing students to disease biology, molecular targets, and receptor-ligand binding. Students then design and build drug molecules out of Play-Doh using 3D models of target molecules, working through multiple rounds of trial and error that mirror the iterative nature of real drug discovery. Post-activity surveys track shifts in student interest and understanding. More than 57% of the region's population is Latinx, and access to STEM exposure that makes a science career feel attainable remains limited.

"Drug D&D's hands-on nature is intended to allow students who might not be able to see themselves in biology and biochemistry fields to experience the thrill of discovery," Baria said.