Download PDF - Education Update

NOV/DEC 2010 ■ For Parents, Educators & Students ■ Education updatePersonal Genomics for Maine High School StudentsOne of the benefits of the course was bringingstudents with a common interest in sciencetogether. Susan Rundell, a student at ScarboroughHigh School, said that, for her, “the personalexperience was fantastic, connecting me to otherMaine high schoolers with similar interests aswell as professionals whom none of us wouldnormally get a chance to learn with, let alonesocialize with. I found that in my short time here,everyone began to feel like a family away fromhome, and that made the experience very enjoyable.”MDIBL intends to offer the course annually.It is free to all participants and funded by theMaine IDeA Network of Biomedical ResearchExcellence, a network of Maine research institutions,colleges, and universities led by MDIBLwith the common goal of enhancing biomedical17research and research training in the state ofMaine. The network is funded by the NationalCenter for Research Resources, part of theNational Institutes of Health.MDIBL is an independent, nonprofit marinelaboratory located in Bar Harbor, Maine. Thelab’s twelve resident research groups and 60visiting scientists study marine and other simpleorganisms to learn about the basic biology oflife, with a particular focus on development andregeneration and how organisms interact withtheir environment. MDIBL offers hands-on educationalprograms at all levels, from high schoolto medical school and for professionals. At everylevel, MDIBL students learn in real laboratorieswhere they experience the challenges andrewards of scientific research. For more information,see http://www.mdibl.org. #Chris Smith, Supervisor of MDIBL’s DNA Sequencing Center,shows high school students Dacie Manion and Margaret Hohow to load DNA into an agarose gelBy Shannara Gilman, MDIBLFifteen high school students from across Mainelearned how to analyze human DNA samplesduring the new, one-week “Summer Academy ofGenomics” at the Mount Desert Island BiologicalLaboratory (MDIBL). In addition to learningadvanced research techniques, students had theopportunity to live in an active scientific community.They interacted daily with scientists andstudents who come to MDIBL from around theworld and had unparalleled opportunities to discusseducation and careers in science.Charles Wray, Ph.D., director of scientificresources at MDIBL, designed and led the course.“The course was quite a whirlwind and a hugesuccess,” he says. “I was energized by workingwith extremely curious and capable high schoolstudents, covering everything from bioinformaticsand ethics to fluorescent PCR genotyping.”The course was designed for students whohad an interest in science or medicine but littleor no laboratory experience. Students testedsamples for mutations in a gene that affects howpatients respond to common medications such asPlavix and Nexium and utilized bioinformatics,or computational analysis tools, to interpret theirresults. A bioethicist from the Harvard MedicalSchool led a workshop for the students on theethical, legal, and social issues involved withpersonal genetics.Preschool(212) 229-9340247 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011Accepting applications forthe 2010/11 school year.• Open year round 8 am-6 pm daily• Part time & full time• Licensed by NYC Dept. of Health• established 1993NAEYC AccreditedCelebrating 16 YearsLimited spacesavailable for2010-2011Tomorrow’seducaTion leadersaTTendwagner Today.Wagner College challenges students to:• Think critically• Write insightfully• Communicate powerfully• Apply their knowledge in high-needschools, innovative charter schools,and creative after-school programsWagner students excel in the classroom,give back to their communities, andbecome the leaders who can createmeaningful reform in schools. Programaccredited by NCATE.www.wagner.edu • 718-390-3464