Abstract
The Genetics of Taste (GOT) Lab is an active research lab that studies human genetics at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. In addition to the scientific research it conducts, the now-10-year-old lab is designed to accommodate two forms of public participation: community (citizen) science and crowdsourcing participants (human subjects). These crowdsourced participants provide a diverse sample for collecting taste and genetics data, and typically spend about 30 minutes in the Lab during enrollments. Alternatively, the community scientists invest a much more significant amount of time; they volunteer five hours weekly to train and then to assist in all aspects of the Lab’s research, including data collection, DNA extraction, and manuscript preparation. This case study featuring the GOT Lab’s pilot project, the Bitter Study, highlights three key topics: the ability to replicate established findings in the taste field using a community science model; the learning experiences of participants; and best practices and recommendations for other institutions that might wish to develop and implement a similar bi-level community-science model. Here we present data to illustrate that both the scientific and educational goals of community science and crowdsourcing are attainable within the same working space.
Highlights
When the Denver Museum of Nature & Science upgraded the aging health exhibit, Hall of Life, a decision was made to move away from the disease and wellness model of health exhibits to an interactive human biology–focused exhibit that engaged guests in a personally relevant way
We developed this report with four main goals in mind: 1) to describe the background and details of the community-science enrollment model developed in our Genetics of Taste (GOT) Lab; 2) to demonstrate that the involvement of community scientists in a genetics research program does not affect research integrity; 3) to share findings from a third-party evaluation to document the model’s contribution to engaging and educational guest experiences; and most importantly; 4) to provide recommendations to encourage and inform future community science work in the arena of human health and genetics, and the development of similar community-based research labs in informal-science venues
Even though photo images taken by community scientists were excluded approximately twice as often as those taken by staff (p < 0.001; see Figure 3), acceptable images collected by staff and by community scientists yielded no difference in fungiform papillae (FP) counts (p = 0.2961)
Summary
When the Denver Museum of Nature & Science (hereafter known as the Museum) upgraded the aging health exhibit, Hall of Life, a decision was made to move away from the disease and wellness model of health exhibits to an interactive human biology–focused exhibit that engaged guests in a personally relevant way. The team decided to hire a geneticist and create a publicfacing research lab; this lab would study human genetics, but it would be a space where the public could participate in the scientific process in as many ways as feasible. The guest experience would include each of the following educational and scientific elements: an invitation to enter the Lab and to interact with staff and community scientists; an opportunity to learn about how genetics relates to their everyday lives; and the chance to contribute their own phenotypic and genotypic data to the research as part of a crowdsourcing effort
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