Amanda B. Merkelson, MPH, spoke with potential participants at DNA Day. Photographed by Bruna Purtell.
While enjoying cake pops arranged in the shape of a double helix, visitors engaged with staff from the BioMe™ BioBank Program at the National DNA Day fair held on Wednesday, April 25, in Guggenheim Pavilion. More than 200 attended the fair, which commemorates the discovery of the molecular structure of DNA in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. The annual fair also aims to educate the public about the event’s organizer, the BioMe BioBank Program of The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, which collects de-identified DNA and plasma for research purposes. During the five-hour fair, 127 participants had DNA and plasma extracted onsite by BioMe, which to date has enrolled more than 42,000 people.
“This DNA Day celebrated BioMe’s achievements and advances in the personalized medicine revolution started at Mount Sinai 11 years ago,” said Amanda B. Merkelson, MPH, BioMe Biobank Managing Director. “I cannot think of a more fun way to bring everyone associated with BioMe together and an easier way to participate in making treatments and diagnoses safer and better for the patients who need them the most.”