The MilliporeSigma Jaffrey SPARK team engaged with the next generation of scientists at an event hosted by the Mansfield Public Library in Temple on Monday
Brett Gretter of the firm’s Jaffrey site led a demonstration, showing children the magic behind flavors and fragrances, while Roland Landry assisted by keeping everyone involved in the interactive activity with help from Library Director Beth Crooker.
The young scientists learned that humans can recognize more than 10,000 scents. They practiced recognizing scents by smelling different chemicals on scent sticks. They then learned how their body recognizes and interprets scents. The focus was on how the structure of the chemical causes the fragrance based on how it interacts with human sensory receptors. Students then used their initial research on the different scents to design a unique fragrance for a particular purpose.
According Millipore Sigma’s Community Engagement page, the program “educates and inspires students around the world through hands-on, interactive science lessons led by our trained Life Science employees that encourage students to explore, wonder, and ask why.” The firm supplies all materials and equipment for the events, and states that over the past nine years, the program has reached more than 45,500 students in 25 countries.
Library Director Crooker lauded the event.
“It was a great opportunity to bring some STEM activities to our patrons,” she said. “It was our first time hosting the Millipore Sigma Jaffrey SPARK team and we had 12 kids signed up, which was very encouraging. We received positive feedback from the attendees and their families and look forward to hosting the Curiosity Lab again in Temple. We are fortunate to have such a great resource nearby.”