You've pretty much figured out your three options.


(Something else). f/2.8 zooms are the preferred choice for many event-shooting professionals  for the reasons you state. So, this is probably the most effective route, but also the most expensive.
Flash (and many pros will do this in combination with f/2.8 zooms) can also help immeasurably with this type of shooting by giving you a tool to create good exposures in lower light with smaller apertures and higher shutter speeds.
A wider fast prime, such as the EF 35mm f/2 IS USM, might also be worth considering.


Of these three choices, the best bang for the buck is actually liable to be the flash.  But for event shooting, you probably do not want to gt an all-manual cheapie like a Yongnuo YN-560, but rather a TTL-capable flash with 360-degree swivel, because bounce is going to be your go-to technique to diffuse the light and not get that harsh on-camera look most people associate with flash, and because you may not have time to dink the output light level in Manual, and having eTTL-II automation to get you in the ballpark can be a lifesaver if you're moving in and out of changing lighting situations.

See Neil van Niekerk's Tangents blog for information on using on-camera flash for event shooting.

How can I better take indoor photographs with wide aperture and low light?
There are so many techniques/methodologies in the life sciences that we can use to interrogate interesting questions. The thing is, most of us are completely unaware of the available methods we can employ. Rather, we go with the techniques we are familiar with or that are popular in our subdomains at the time. But that's pretty limiting.

So I'm wondering... we have databases for everything else... is there one for life sciences techniques/methods? Something like this could be immensely helpful in experimental planning. In particular, I think a comprehensive database would help scientists break outside of their spheres of familiarity and to employ less known (but potentially illuminating) methods to their questions.

I know there are journals that publish protocols and methods, but they are fragmented and don't encompass everything. 

Does what I'm looking for exist? If not, how might one go about creating such a tool? 
