Iowa City Science Booster Club

Join us TOMORROW on Families Fighting Flu 's Facebook Live at 7:30 ET/6:30 CT to learn about our new flu virtual game, Flu's Clues!

A University of Iowa Biology professor and biology PhD student will join us LIVE to discuss how we created this game with Families Fighting Flu.

Play the game: https://bit.ly/31yu4wz

Join us TOMORROW on Facebook Live at 7:30 ET/6:30 CT to learn about our new flu virtual game, Flu's Clues!

A University of Iowa biology professor and biology PhD student will join us LIVE to discuss how they and Iowa City Science Booster Club created this game with Families Fighting Flu.

Play the game: https://bit.ly/31yu4wz

What can you expect from a Science Booster Club event? You can expect:

•fun with friends, both new and old
•discovering something new
•and even trying something outside of your comfort zone!

We love to watch event participants become comfortable with new things, like catching bugs! It's so rewarding to teach others about the world around us, and we truly hope to see you at our next event!

Join IC SBC at TWO LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS to learn about the biodiversity of Iowa City! We'll see you at Scott Park on July 13th at 9am and Terry Trueblood on July 15th at 5pm.

Join IC SBC on Saturday, July 10th to help researchers from Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, and the Museum of Natural History in collecting, observing, and recording biodiversity at the Ashton Prairie site!

All you need to do is register online and bring your water, sunscreen, long pants, and anything else you need to have fun in the sun. We'll see you there!

Our friend in science outreach, Shelby Andersen has a message for you! Read below.

"As a part of my Global Health Studies certificate and the Latham Science Engagement Initiative I am conducting a free five-week, virtual, asynchronous course about pandemics! This course will explore topics such as what causes pandemics, immunity, studying pathogens in the lab, and the social influences of pandemics. Following the completion of the course on April 2nd, the course materials will be open for free use by parents and teachers. The ideal age range for the course will be high school students and adults, though I think younger kids could participate with assistance from a parent or guardian."

How exciting! If you or a loved one are interested, please don't hesitate to come to the start of this amazing course next week to learn more.

Research is so much more than bench work. IC Science Booster Club is so excited to start a campaign featuring scientists outside of the lab. We asked Abi to share something that means a lot to her - and how she is . This is what she has to say:

"I grew up in a tennis-loving family and am happy to have stuck with the sport since my childhood. From weekly lessons to evening family time on the courts, I have made many memories and friends through tennis.

I can say the same about table tennis which I have played in my basement with my brother since he was old enough to hold a paddle. Whenever I did not have access to a tennis court, this was my go-to. I will always remember the numerous ping-pong study breaks I used to take at Catlett to refresh myself from assignments.

I was introduced to the sport of pickleball during high school when new pickleball courts were being constructed near our local tennis courts. Having yet another racquet sport to relish in, I had no shortage of past times to choose from if I had extra time on my hands.

The peak of my tennis career was winning the team state championship during my senior year of high school. I wanted to continue my love for the sport in college and club tennis was the perfect way to do so while balancing academics. I was lucky to compete and travel to the several tournaments across the country, as well as the national club tournament.

Not only do I enjoy playing tennis, but I enjoy watching professionals as well. Their sheer skill is amazing, but even more mesmerizing in person. I was very grateful to have been able to attend the Laver Cup in person, to watch my favorite player, Roger Federer, live. It was the most unreal experience and I hope there are more major tennis tournaments in my future.

The sound of hitting a tennis ball and the fresh smell of a new can of tennis balls is unmatched. The feeling of releasing pent up stress into forehand and backhand strokes after a long day of classes or work is like no other.

Above all, tennis has been a way for me to funnel my energy and passion into sport. I hope that dozens of years down the line, I still have this fondness for racquet sports."

-Abi

The first round of our flu activity was so fun! If you signed up and didn't get a zoom link, please contact [email protected]!

Looking for fun & interactive ways for kids to learn? This Friday, Dec. 11, Families Fighting Flu and the Iowa City Science Booster Club will offer kids ages 7-14 a fun, interactive, and FREE role-playing game about flu symptoms, animal transmission, & vaccination! Parents, caretakers, and kids can sign up @ https://forms.gle/jwqCNTPoebUD7Yu46 to take part in the game.

Today in Science News:

A previously undiscovered super volcano MAY be hiding under Alaska's Aleutian Islands, connected to the Four Mountains chain seen in the photo. John Powers, a geophysicist at the US Geological Survey's Alaska Volcano Observatory, says there is convincing data that points to a 20km volcanic crater. The Aleutian Islands are only accessible for a short time each year, but when given the opportunity, the research team plans to investigate to confirm the volcano and look for other data.

-Beth Geiger at Science News
📸 NASA

Follow us on Instagram () or twitter () for more science news!

For , we are featuring Dr. Beth Osia, a brilliant new PhD at the University of Iowa Department of Biology who shows her love for life both in and out of the lab. Here's what she has to say:

"I just defended my thesis on signatures of a DNA repair mechanism known as Break-induced replication. In my research, I worked at the bench with the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly known as brewers yeast) to model DNA repair, and I also analyzed normal and cancer genomes of humans bioinformatically. I'm also passionate about scientific publishing, and contribute as a preprint editorial team member for two scientific peer-reviewed journals. Outside of my scientific pursuits, I'm a big fan of art and music, and I enjoy practicing ukulele and piano in my free time."
-Beth Osia, PhD