K-12 Students

The Plant Metabolic Network (PMN) once again left a lasting impression at the recent STEAM Expo Days event during the MSU Science Festival. Led by Charles Hawkins, director of PMN, a dedicated team of volunteers including Danielle Hoffman, Matt Stata, and Hillary Fischer engaged with approximately 300 students, showcasing an innovative outreach activity focused on the chemical nature of fragrance in fruits.

Titled "Why do Bananas Smell so A-Peeling," the activity captivated attendees with its hands-on approach and interactive demonstrations. Through engaging discussions and captivating experiments, participants were introduced to the fascinating world of plant metabolism and chemistry.

February 7, 2024 was Science Night at the local Glencairn Elementary School here in East Lansing, MI, and PMN was there with a booth, run by PMN director Dr. Charles Hawkins! We called our booth “Why do bananas smell so a-peeling”, and we showed students and their families all about how the wonderful smells of fruits and other plants are actually caused by chemistry and metabolism.