Inspiring Tomorrow’s Scientists: UC Irvine Hosts Youth Science Event

The Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center and the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, partnering with the Medical, Educational Missions and Outreach (MEMO) Foundation, hosted a science day event for kids aged 5–18.

What happens when raisins are dropped into a cup of soda? How can red cabbage help measure the level of acidity in household products? From studying density and chemistry to measuring pH, more than 130 kids, aged 5 through 18, experienced the wonders of science on Oct. 4, 2025, at Science Day at UC Irvine.

The event — sponsored by the Medical, Educational Missions and Outreach (MEMO) Foundation — included six hands-on activities. In addition to experimenting with raisins and cabbage, students fed cells in a dish, examined the interaction of polar and non-polar molecules, modeled genetic code with gummy bears and Twizzlers, and extracted DNA from strawberries.

Participants could also attend three optional activities during their two-hour session: listening to a presentation on research at UC Irvine, visiting an information booth on public health, and touring a research lab.

“I wanted to teach kids how fun and exciting science can be,” says Asuka Eguchi, PhD, assistant professor of physiology and biophysics. She organized the event in collaboration with UC Irvine’s Muscle Biology and Disease Research Center and Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center. “We’re also grateful to MEMO, a local nonprofit, for sponsoring our event and making it a success.”

“Thank you for sponsoring this event — it was awesome,” said one parent. “The kids enjoyed the activities, and getting to tour a lab was a unique experience for them.”

The volunteers enjoyed the activities as well. “It was a great experience for me too,” says Sammy Ngo, a lab assistant in the Flanagan Lab at UC Irvine. “Seeing little kids learn is so heartwarming and gives me hope for the future of science in our country.”

Eguchi appreciated the support from people like Sammy. “We had a lot of volunteers, including PhD students across different schools — the School of Medicine, engineering and biological sciences,” she says. “I owe a huge debt to these volunteers for donating their time.”

The volunteers led the kid-friendly activities near the new Falling Leaves building. “It was all held outside, so we could make a mess if need be, especially for the density and chemistry activity where we blew up balloons,” says Eguchi. “Extracting DNA from smashed strawberries was also a bit messy!”

She adds that the parents seemed to be having fun as well. “It was great to have both the parents and kids really engaged and enjoying the activities together,” she says. “It’s important as scientists to show the general public what we’re doing as researchers, working to improve public health and developing medicines, and having fun throughout the learning process.”

Eguchi was heartened by the event’s success. “I loved seeing the kids experience joy while doing activities similar to what we do in the lab, admiring the structures of proteins or DNA,” she says.

In a survey about the event, many of the parents and volunteers requested a similar event in the future. One 8-year-old child said they would like to attend quarterly!

Eguchi is seeking support to hold a similar event next year, and she already has at least one interested volunteer. “It was great interacting with children and parents from the community to teach them about what we do as scientists,” says PhD student Rosty Brichko. “I hope to return next year!”