College biotech workshop promotes excitement in the classroom, economy




A CLOSER LOOK—Teachers Corrine Mansfield of Sinaloa Middle School, left, and Robin Paul of Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills study insect cell cultures during a workshop at Moorpark College. Thirteen science teachers participated in a series of workshops that introduced new biotech methods and technology. The April 24 workshop, taught by college faculty, focused on “real-time” polymerase chain reactions which can be used to identify bacteria in a fraction of the time that older methods require.

A CLOSER LOOK—Teachers Corrine Mansfield of Sinaloa Middle School, left, and Robin Paul of Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills study insect cell cultures during a workshop at Moorpark College. Thirteen science teachers participated in a series of workshops that introduced new biotech methods and technology. The April 24 workshop, taught by college faculty, focused on “real-time” polymerase chain reactions which can be used to identify bacteria in a fraction of the time that older methods require.

A recent workshop at Moorpark College taught secondary school instructors the latest trends in biotechnology. Now the teachers can introduce the topics to their students at middle and high school campuses.

The program’s goal is twofold: Provide teachers with exercises that excite and engage students, and offer professional development to enhance and expand their technical skills and knowledge of biotechnology.

“In the U.S. we have a significant need to increase the number of students graduating in science, technology, engineering and math. In Ventura County we have a burgeoning startup industry in biotechnology and other high-tech industries,” said Moorpark College biology professor Marie Panec, who led a team of educators in creating and teaching the workshops. “Our community needs to have programs to develop a work force trained in these areas.”

Educators from 20 middle and high schools in the Conejo, Las Virgenes, Moorpark, Oak Park, Simi Valley and Pleasant Valley school districts, among others, participated in this year’s March and April instructional program, up from the 14 schools that took part last year when the workshops were first offered. Panec plans to offer the workshops annually.

An important goal of secondary education is to provide students with information on what academic knowledge and skills are required for a particular career, Panec said.

“It is essential to expose students to biotechnology information,” said Calabasas High School science teacher Nancy Jobsz. “In biotechnology are the jobs of the future.”

This year’s workshop topics covered biotechnology and food, human genetics, stem cell work and real-time polymerase chain reaction, or PCR.

PCR analysis allows forensic scientists to create millions of exact DNA duplications from a single DNA sample, even one as small as several skin cells. Workshop participants examined mixed samples for known biological markers using the PCR process.

“This technology is being used extensively in other industries that require analysis of mixtures of organisms or cells,” Panec said.

Teachers explored contemporary work in brain research through the National Science Foundation-funded Dolan DNA Learning Center on neurobiology.

To develop the courses, Panec worked with fellow Moorpark biology professors Mary Rees, Paul Kores, Subhash Karkare, Jazmir Hernandez and Sandy Bryant, and lab technician Mary Swenson. The team used material from their own classes and from the work of biotech scientists.

Panec has the support of local companies Fisher Scientific, Baxter Healthcare, Olympus America and Carolina Biological. Equipment purchased for the courses is available year-round for teachers to borrow and use in their classrooms.

Robin Paul, Beth McGrath and Nadia Chocran, all science teachers at Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura Hills, said the workshops offer ideas for how to teach any type of science class.

“I like the tie-in with bioethics,” said Moorpark High School chemistry teacher Joel Tiefel. “These are good resources for providing information on bioethical issues.”

Alison Becchina, a science teacher at Sinaloa Middle School in Simi Valley, so enjoyed a DNA extraction on strawberries that she requested materials to conduct the experiment in her classroom.

“The students love the exercises,” Becchina said. “Now that all of our teachers are here from Sinaloa, it will be easy to collaborate and incorporate into our lesson plans.”

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