The BioBus is having an engine emergency, and we need your help.
Broken Down on the Side of the Road
It all started on our cross-country trip to Chicago, when a radiator valve failed, causing a coolant line to burst, and overheating our engine. In the process, we damaged multiple pistons, cylinder liners, and main bearings in our engine. We limped the bus to the N&W garage in Columbus Ohio, loaded our microscopes into a U-Haul, and setup tables on the floor of the Chicago Convention Center for the annual Biotechnology Industry convention. Folks there loved our microscopes, but everyone wanted to know, “where is the BioBus?” My heart was broken.
The folks in Columbus got us back on the road, and we managed our way back to NYC, hoping that the situation might improve. But the engine has only started smoking worse from oil that is being pushed past burned up cylinder seals. We have been told we’ll need at least $11,000 to properly fix the engine.
Burnt Cylinders
Since I started the BioBus, I’ve partnered with scientists across NYC and the country to create a unique science learning platform. We’ve engaged over 20,000 minds, primarily in economically disadvantaged communities, to think about life, about the environment, and about everyday materials around them in new and fascinating ways. The BioBus has been mine dream come true, and it makes my stomach turn to think this dream might end just as we’re getting started. Our schedule is already filling up for next fall, and we’re developing a group of new lessons focusing on climate change, algae species, and materials science.
Several different mechanics have inspected the bus and have assured me that it is in great shape, except for the engine. With your help, the rebuilt engine will move BioBus science another 500,000 miles forward. I believe the investment is worth it, and I hope you do to. For science; for education; for the BioBus: I need your help.
Thank you for your support.
Ben