Backyard Brains

@backyardbrains.bsky.social

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On a mission to democratize brain research by developing DIY neuroscience tools for K-12 and college. Let's start the #NeuroRevolution! https://backyardbrains.com/

A teenager wearing white lab coat and a low-cost myoelectric hand prosthesis that he made himself using parts of Backyard Brains' Claw device.
A custom-built robotic prosthetic hand made by Jorge Iglesias Costas, using an EMG sensor from Backyard Brains. The hand is black and white, made of plastic, and is being used by a person born without left-hand fingers.
A Brain Awareness Week poster with a bunch of DIY neuroscience kits by Backyard Brains, a company that creates educational hardware, software and lesson plans.
A Venus flytrap plant with electrodes attached for recording its action potentials as it plans for its next meal.
Quote from Backyard Brains co-founder Tim Marzullo, reading: "Our dream is that every child in Chile has access to tools to learn and contribute to science." The background shows a girl doing push-ups. Her hands are on the ground next to a Spikerbox, which is a bioamplifier of electrical signals, and a smartphone.
An illustrated Christmas card showing a Christmas tree decorated with little brains, a bunch of boxes of Backyard Brains neuroscience kits, and the text "Deck the halls with neurons bright, it's a neuro-holiday delight!"
It's not just about plants. It's about breaking down the barriers in science.
What makes their achievement all the more special is its demo of open science in action! Students from a public high school in Santiago collaborated with scientists from Germany, Serbia, South Korea, and the United States. They started an open library of plant signaling that anyone can contribute to from anywhere.
The study showed that with proper mentorship, high-schoolers can conduct original research and publish their findings. This challenges the traditional model where students typically don't publish until graduate school.
This wasn't just a school project - it was real science. The team collected 398 recordings across five countries, refined the software for custom analysis, and went through rigorous peer review. Their paper was accepted by the prestigious journal 'Plant Signaling and Behavior' after just one round of revisions.
The team recorded from 16 different plant species, from common herbs to the famous Venus flytrap, measuring their electrical responses to stimuli. 9 of these plants produced measurable electrical signals in response to either touch or flame.
5 Chilean high-school students became lead authors on a peer-reviewed study about electrical signals in plants. The project, lasted 2 years and proved two key points: that kids can make meaningful contributions to science, and that plant electrophysiology is a perfect area for student inclusion and open science.
Proudest moment of 2024 at Backyard Brains: High-Schoolers Publish Plant Paper in a Notable Journal