2026–27 Open Lab Sessions
Teams with accepted proposals can attend Open Labs with their mentors. Each team must enter collection data on the Barcode Sample Database at least one day prior to their first Open Lab. Teams who fail to enter their data cannot attend Open Labs.
Mentors must be present with their students at all times.
BLI Open Labs
| Date | Time | Host Location |
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Friday, December 4, 2026 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Saturday, December 12, 2026 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Saturday, January 16, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Saturday, January 30, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Saturday, February 6, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Friday, February 12, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Saturday, March 6, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | BNL* |
| Saturday, March 13, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Saturday, March 20, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | BNL* |
| Saturday, April 3, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Saturday, April 17, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | BNL* |
| Saturday, April 24, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC |
| Saturday, May 1, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | DNALC NYC |
| Saturday, May 8, 2027 | 9:30 am – 4:00 pm | BNL* |
Dolan DNA Learning Center (DNALC),
334 Main Street, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
[directions]
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech (DNALC NYC), 62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn NY 11201 (Corner of Tillary and Adams Streets)
[directions]
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL),
Office of Educational Programs,
Building 480, Upton, NY 11973
[directions]
*When you arrive at BNL you must show a federal- or state-issued photo ID. You will receive a temporary badge and a parking pass that must be displayed on your dashboard. In accordance with BNL safety requirements, long pants and flat, closed-toe shoes are mandatory.
Footlocker Kits for In-school Use
Acceptance of a team's proposal is required prior to a footlocker kit request. Two types of kits are available for loan:
- Full footlocker kits contain all equipment and replenishable materials needed to complete the DNA extraction and amplification. Full kits may be borrowed for up to two weeks.
- Mini footlocker kits contain reagents and any necessary minor equipment needed by each team. Kits that only require reagents and minimal equipment are more readily available than full footlockers kits.
If you are requesting a full footlocker kit, please be aware that a limited number of these kits are available. Footlockers should be requested at least 2 weeks in advance (or sooner) of intended use date. You may borrow a footlocker for up to 10 days.
