BiOutils is a science communication platform from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Its mission is to support the teaching of modern experimental biology, providing material and know-how to teachers and classrooms. Active since 2007, its services are requested by 100% of the Geneva secondary schools and teachers enjoy with increasing demand its fundamental support. With Bento Lab, BiOutils brings classrooms an innovative approach to perform experimental biology, allowing every student to manage their own mini-laboratory!
Real experience of cutting-edge science
See how educators around the world are using Bento Lab to engage students with biotechnology.
Real experience of cutting-edge science
See how educators around the world are using Bento Lab to engage students with biotechnology.
Geneva, Switzerland
BiOutils: biology in every classroom
“Bento Lab helps me fulfil my dream… bringing a piece of a real research lab into a classroom environment!”
– Dr. Karl Perron, BiOutils group leader and Microbiologist
Auckland, New Zealand
Hands-on teaching
Lecturer Stephane Boyer at Unitec Institute of Technology uses Bento Lab to teach Molecular Biology to students interested in biodiversity. He also offers 1 or 2 days outreach workshops for school kids and the general public. Stephane’s research focuses on biodiversity assessment and species identification. He often travels to remote places to collect DNA samples, and using Bento Lab he can check that the samples are of good quality before bringing them back to the lab.
“Bento Lab allows me to give each student real hands-on experience in molecular analysis. I want to put a Bento Lab in the hands of everyone of my students.”
– Stephane Boyer
Yamaguchi, Japan
Linking bio-art, design, and everyday life
Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM] hosted leading researchers, students and artists for a unique series of intensive, hands-on workshops, YCAM Interlab Camp: Personal Biotechnology. Over the course of 3 days, the participants collected samples, and learnt how to analyse the samples using DNA sequencing, the technology to “read” biological data. The group also explored related bioethical issues, and considered what kind of links the Biotechnology has with art, design, and our daily lives.
London, United Kingdom
DIYBio: Molecular Biology as a Hobby
University student Edoardo Gianni and his friends are building their own molecular biology projects outside of the classroom. Edoardo has a passion for marine plankton that glow at night, called dinoflagellates. He hopes to soon identify the genes that makes the plankton glow!
“Bento brings to molecular biology what Arduino brought to electronics.”
– Edoardo Gianni
