Photo credit: BTC Institute.

Ellyn credits the program with helping her achieve her goals:

“Over the course of two years in which I was a Youth Apprentice, I obtained numerous skills, both inside and outside of the lab. I gained valuable scientific experience, including techniques like gel electrophoresis, nucleic acid purification, PCR, SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, cell culture and more.

On a personal level, I became very close with other students in the class and with our instructors, Barbara Bielec and Chad Zimprich. Everyone involved was always very approachable and willing to help with both laboratory tasks and in terms of giving advice for the future.

Through the program, I was placed in Dr. Que Lan’s entomology lab at UW-Madison, beginning in 2009. While there, I worked on a project involving sterol carrier protein-2, a protein involved in cholesterol uptake in mosquitoes.Notably, I am still working in Dr. Lan’s lab, however my research focus has shifted to bacterial fermentation. In between working in Dr. Lan’s lab, I also worked at the Forest Products Laboratory (USDA).

Additionally, this past June, I began an internship at Promega in the Scientific Applications department. Here I work to develop new applications for existing projects. This November marks five years of laboratory research for me, which would not have been possible without the Youth Apprenticeship Program and everyone involved. In addition to the specific labs that I have had the opportunity to work in, my experience in the Youth Apprenticeship Program has allowed me to emerge as a leader in my college lab courses. The program has clearly made a phenomenal impact on my life and is something I am very grateful for.”

Photo credit: BTC Institute.

One aspect of the program that makes it so effective and unique is the amount of time that students spend working. Youth apprentices who start as juniors in the program must work 900 paid work hours to earn the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Skill Standards Certificate from the State of Wisconsin, youth apprentices who start work as seniors must earn 450 work hours. Students have had employment at a variety of companies and UW-Madison research labs, a few examples that have hired multiple apprentices include Genus PIC (ABS), MOFA Global, Promega and laboratories in the UW-Madison Departments of Bacteriology, Biochemistry, Entomology, Genetics, Horticulture, Plant Pathology and Surgery. Many of the students, like Ellyn, continue to be employed by their worksite long after they graduate from high school—proof of how effective this program is in helping to create the next generation STEM workforce.

Each year the BTC Institute hosts a Youth Apprenticeship Program preview night for all of the Dane County youth apprenticeship options: biotechnology, automotive technician, health services, and many more (www.dcsc.org). This year the preview nights will be held February 24 and 25 starting at 5:00pm. Students in grades 10 and 11 who are interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to attend one of the evening sessions with a parent.

Summer Science Vacation

The African American Ethnic Academy and the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTC Institute), both 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organizations, have collaborated for twenty years in offering A Celebration of Life, a summer science program for upper elementary and middle school students. The program is open to all area students, with tuition reimbursement and transportation provided for those who need that assistance.

With supporting grants from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium, an educational arm of NASA, two summer science camps are offered this year – one for upper elementary and one for middle schools students. We just completed the first session, full mornings for two weeks for students entering 3rd–5th grade and have launched the second one, same format, for middle school students this week.

Needless to say, the theme of Wild Weather! lends itself to a wide array of hands-on, exploratory activities.  Here are a few of our favorites that you may wish to try out with the kids in your life.

Vortex Races

Materials:  2 empty 2-liter bottles, sink, 2 people.

Procedure:
1) Fill bottles to the same volume, about 2/3 full.
2) One person should swirl one of the bottles creating a vortex.
3) At the same time the water should be poured out of the vortex and no vortex bottles into the sink.
4) Who wins the race?

Active learning and hands-on science activities encourage students to explore science topics.

Tornado in a Bottle

Materials:  2 empty 2-liter bottles, water, food coloring (optional), duct tape.

Procedure:
1) Fill one bottle ½ full of water.
2) Add a drop of food coloring to the water in the bottle.
3) Duct tape the empty bottle to the bottle with water in it, taping around the mouths of both bottles.
4) Swirl the bottles, turn over and you have a…TORNADO!

Lightning on a Plate

Materials:  white paper plate, white plastic fork, black pepper.

Procedure:
1) Sprinkle a small amount of black pepper on to white paper plate.
2) Rub plastic fork in your hair to create static electricity.
3) Hold fork ~½ inch over the pepper.
4) What happens?

Helping students learn how to ask questions and design experiments to answer them.

A long-term objective of A Celebration of Life is to increase the number of minority students who enroll in—and successfully complete—high school science courses, and who eventually choose to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).  In addition to developing knowledge and abilities associated with scientific investigations in field and laboratory settings (e.g. formulating and testing hypotheses, utilizing problem-solving skills, learning and demonstrating correct techniques), students are challenged to develop their communication skills through teamwork, journals, and presentations to parents and family members. They are also encouraged to express and develop their creativity in numerous ways.

Information regarding African-American STEM professionals, historic and contemporary, is shared.  Role models of color are key players in program activities. This year, Professor Michael Morgan, UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences and Dr. Carol McCartney, Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey are providing talks and activities for both sessions.

Our elementary group was hosted by meteorologist Bob Lesh at Channel 3, WISC-TV our local CBS affiliate station in Madison, WI, USA on June 19^th.  He showed us weather and broadcast equipment, and we got to watch and be part of News 3 at Noon!  Our middle school students will visit this Friday, July 3^rd.

Visiting WISC-TV channel 3 Madison, WI to learn about wild weather!

We’re having a great summer!

Megan Wagner (left) and Katie Aliota, science teachers from Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School in Sun Prairie, WI; load an agarose gel with colored dyes.

Today’s blog is jointly written by guest blogger  Peter Kritsch, Biotechnology and Biology Teacher at Oregon High School and contributor Barbara Bielec. K-12 Program Director at the BTC Institute.

The BTC Institute has offered two graduate-level courses for high school teachers for many summers.  Biotechnology: The Basics and Biotechnology: Beyond the Basics have become very popular and are also drawing the interest of middle school teachers.  So, this June we piloted a new 3-day course designed specifically for them.  Representing different schools and districts, eight teachers learned how to extract DNA from strawberries, pour and run agarose gels, identify a taste gene, and received information on lots of resources to use with their students.

Through the BTC Institute’s Biotechnology Teacher Academy, these courses are offered at no cost and $300-$500 stipends are available.  A main Academy goal is to provide high quality professional development opportunities that prioritize content that participants can smoothly incorporate into their classrooms.   Our commitment to stipends is generously supported by the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC), Promega Corporation, Madison College and the BTC Institute.  (All three courses are offered for graduate credits from Edgewood College, and Viterbo University also offers credits for the two geared to high school teachers.)

The importance of this approach is affirmed by Sherry Jacobsen (Kromrey Middle School in Middleton, WI):

This [course] is such a gift to teachers!  Many times we aren’t treated as professionals so it was nice to be treated as a professional without a high personal cost.  I love how the course is so practical.  Many courses are only in theory and no application.  I can take so many useful ideas with me.

Biotechnology is making its way into the middle school classroom. With access to the BTC Institute’s Equipment Loan Program, teachers can check out micropipettes, gel boxes & power supplies, an ultraviolet light box and other equipment for up to two weeks.  Course participant Amy Reimer (Core Knowledge Middle School in Verona, WI), has already taken advantage of this program and noted that it was “great to review procedures” through the course and plans to borrow equipment again this coming year.

Amy Reimer, science teacher from Core Knowledge Charter School in Verona, gets ready to load a gel.

Peter Kritsch (Biotechnology and Biology Teacher at Oregon High School) and Barbara Bielec (K-12 Program Director at the BTC Institute) served as the lead instructors.   They have co-taught biotechnology courses for teachers since 2007, and both have observed that interest from middle school teachers has really increased in recent years.

I had a great time working with the middle school teachers. It is fantastic that many DNA-related concepts are making their way into the middle school curriculum. The teachers saw how micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, transformations, genetic testing, and PCR can really make learning about DNA become so much more relevant to students. I was really impressed by the middle school teachers who participated and their passion for learning and teaching. At the same time, I also learned new perspectives on how to teach science. That is what makes taking any of the teacher courses at BTCI so much fun and rewarding- the opportunity to learn from so many great teachers from around the country. —Peter Kritsch

One objective of the course was to help teachers make connections between biotechnology and NASA objectives and research efforts.  Guest speaker Ben Knox (graduate student, UW-Madison Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology) directly addressed this topic, providing a fascinating presentation of research that involves testing Aspergillus fumigatus strains found on the International Space Station.   Ben utilized this work as the basis for a lesson on scientific literacy for middle school students – also providing the initial journal article, and subsequent scientific blogs on the research, both accurate and inaccurate.  (1, 2, 3)

From left, Amanda Shipley (Kromrey MS), Sherry Jacobsen (Kromrey MS), Amy Reimer (Core Knowledge Charter School), Peter Kritsch (Oregon HS) and Kristen Hraban (UW-Stevens Point Teacher in Training).

NASA and the WSGC wisely recognize the need for training throughout many scientific disciplines, and as plans are made for humans to travel, explore, and someday live in space, biotechnology joins other technologies to support these efforts.  Often students and teachers do not realize how the life sciences relate to NASA goals and, therefore, another important objective of this project is to highlight how biotechnology is and will be used in space exploration. Biotechnology training, along with training in other STEM fields, is needed to support secondary teachers, those key educators who directly influence the scientists and engineers of tomorrow.

Providing specific examples for teachers of NASA’s life science research helps educators meet their school districts’ incorporation of the Next Generation Science Standards (4) which include space science, and helps meet the goal of increased literacy in all fields, including science.

Teacher responses to Ben’s talks were all very positive.  As Amanda Shipley (Kromrey Middle School in Middleton, WI) explained:

This information is so interesting to me.  I can see myself tying a lot of it into my literacy curriculum.  We do a research paper for one of our units.  This could potentially be a topic or students could explore current NASA-related research.

Megan Wagner, teacher at Cardinal Heights Upper Middle School in Sun Prairie, WI agreed:

This is a fascinating topic.  Who would think about pathogens “hitchhiking” to space and causing all sort of problems for providing life and astronauts’ health?!!

The course was also enriched by other guest speakers, including: Margo Grady, Genetic Counselor ProHealth; Leith Nye, Education & Outreach Specialist, Wisconsin Energy Institute, Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center; and, Dan Murphy, Outreach Coordinator, Morgridge Institute for Research. For example, Dan provided a presentation and led a lab activity on stem cells that are designed to teach middle school students about cell differentiation.

In quick summary: Amy Hintzman (Lake Forest Country Day School in Lake Forest, IL) wrote:

I thought there was a great variety of topics, as well as lab time vs. speakers. Connections to people in the field and with resources was very helpful!

The BTC Institute looks forward to holding this special middle school course again in summer 2018!

References

1. Knox BP, Blachowicz A, Palmer JM, Romsdahl J, Huttenlocher A, Wang CCC, Keller NP, Venkateswaran K. 2016. Characterization of Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from air and surfaces of the International Space Station. mSphere 1(5):e00227-16. doi:10.1128/mSphere.00227-16.
2. ASM Communications, Examining Aspergillus fumigatus on the Space Station, Wednesday, 26 October 2016 13:55
3. Hays, Brook. A pathogenic fungus grows in space.  Oct. 26, 2016 at 6:19 PM
4. https://www.nextgenscience.org/

Amani Gillette’s Story

Amani working in the laboratory of Dr. McFall-Ngai’s as a high school Youth Apprentice

Amani Gillette, a junior from LaFollette High School in Madison, started the Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship Program (YAP) in Fall Semester, 2010.  An outstanding youth apprentice (YA) throughout her two years in the program, she excelled in both the specialized laboratory course at the BTC Institute and in her work site research under the mentorship of Professor Margaret McFall-Ngai, UW-Madison Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology.  Amani’s characterization of a gene and protein found in a small tropical squid resulted in her first scientific publication and poster presentation.

Fast forward— after receiving a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Technological University (which included working in a tissue engineering lab and two summers interning at Promega Corporation under the supervision of Dr. Dan Lazar to help develop an assay for autophagy), Amani is now back in Madison. She is in her second year of graduate school and, working with Dr. Melissa Skala at the Morgridge Institute for Research, is currently mentoring Biotechnology YA Ava VanDommelen (senior from DeForest High School). Following in Amani’s footsteps, Ava will present her research nationally this January at the SPIE conference (the International Society of Optics and Photonics).

Recently Amani wrote about her YAP-Biotechnology experience:
In high school I was introduced to, and became a part of, a biotechnology program that initially introduced me to lab work initially through an intensive four hour weekly class while also preparing me to interview and get hired by a research lab in the area. This program was my first real exposure to research, in its many exciting and frustrating forms, and was instrumental in helping me decide what to do with my future. During my time in this first lab I realized that research was something I could see myself doing for a long time; the thrill of discovery, the detailed problem solving, and the reward of finally getting that stubborn Western Blot to work appealed to me, and still does.

 The lab that hired me as a part of the youth apprenticeship program was a microbial sciences lab with research focused on the symbiosis between the bacteria Vibrio fischerii and the small tropical squid Euprymna scolopes. I was given the lead on a gene sequencing project and with the help of my mentor, started by performing the technique known as 5’ RACE to generate the full length sequence. From there I learned the methods for analyzing the sequence through computer programs that define the structure of the protein and its relatedness to other proteins. In addition, I identified a unique sequence in the protein, to which we were able to have an antibody made in order to localize the encoded protein within the squid tissue.

Amani overseeing Ava’s work in the tissue culture hood

Amani’s experience with YAP gave her a head start in her scientific training and career.  It also motivated her to provide similar experiences for others:

When I was accepted into UW-Madison and Dr. Skala’s lab it felt like I had come full circle, not in a research sense, but in the sense that I was in a position where I could give back to the program that jump-started my interest in research many years ago. One of the first things I did in Dr. Skala’s lab was tell her about the local YA program and to my relief she was as excited as I was to become involved with it. I have taken great pride in mentoring our first YA and am thrilled that others in my lab have seen the benefit and will be continuing to support this program. Under my guidance Ava has been trained in our lab’s techniques and has started her own research project and will even be presenting a poster at a national conference, all before graduating high school. It is great to help someone learn new skills, and develop their own ideas for how experiments should progress. In an effort to improve my mentorship skills I am in week 5 of an 8-week Research Mentor Training program that is an online seminar series developed by the Wisconsin Program for Scientific Teaching and the Delta Program at UW.

Q/A with Ava VanDommelen, Current YAP Student

What have you learned/gained from the YAP-Biotech program?

The Youth Apprenticeship-Biotechnology program has impacted my life in such a tremendous way by giving me hands-on experience and exposure in academic research before even graduating high school. Although science is something that has always fascinated me, this program allowed me to further explore something I love and solidified my decision to pursue a career in the field.

What is the topic of your scientific poster?  What is your research project?

This past summer I began a research project in collaboration with Dr Manish Patankar at the UW Hospital looking at the metabolism of immune cells using fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. The scientific poster I will be presenting at SPIE will be about the impacts that the acidic tumor microenvironment has on the metabolism, mobility and viability of various immune cells.

What are your plans for next year?

Next year I am planning on attending a four-year university to major in Biology/Biochemistry. I hope to continue participating in research throughout my college career as well.

What are your feelings about having a science mentor?  How has Amani helped you learn and grow?

I have really enjoyed having a mentor through the Youth-Apprenticeship-Biotechnology program. I actually was able to meet Amani before I applied to the program and after she told me about it, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. Amani has been a very influential person in my life as she has taught me so much; whether it be about how to correctly write a scientific abstract, to operating the microscope or giving me advice on applying to colleges, I am so incredibly thankful that I was able to have Amani as my mentor as she has helped to me to grow my love for science and grow as a person.

What are some challenges you’ve had to address as part of the YAP-Biotech program?

Balancing academic requirements and being involved in athletics throughout my high school career as well as being a part of the Youth-Apprenticeship Biotechnology program was definitely a challenge for me. Being a part of so many activities created a chaotic schedule, but it taught me how to balance my time more wisely and I would not trade my experiences for the world.

Q/A with Dr. Melissa Skala at the Morgridge Institute for Research

What do you see as strengths of the YAP-Biotech program?  How has it positively impacted your lab?

YAP-Biotech students come to the lab prepared to make progress. They are well trained, so we spend our time asking research questions, rather than teaching basic lab skills. This makes them valuable members of the lab.

What would you tell another professor or employer about the program?

The program selects for the most motivated students and professionally trains them, so the result is talented young scientists who are ready to take on a challenge. I wouldn’t hesitate to take any of these students full time, they are a catch.

What makes this program unique in terms of high school science campus research experiences?

The program is an immersive research experience, which is a refreshing contrast to traditional textbook science in high school. Students quickly learn that very little is known about basic biology, that assumptions aren’t always valid, and that rigorous science is the best way to create new knowledge. These lessons can’t be taught in a classroom, and are critical to success in biomedical careers.

Why are you hiring another YA this year?

The students bring energy and drive to the lab, and it’s great for the lab atmosphere. The students are also capable of exploring new areas of interest, which is exciting for me and the rest of the lab. It’s also fun to watch the students mature and gain independence over their research experience.

Any other thoughts you’d like to share about the program or your YA Ava, and your graduate student Amani?

Amani is a fantastic graduate student, largely because of her significant research experiences starting with the YA program. She has also been a wonderful mentor to Ava, which has helped Ava mature into an independent scientist. Both Ava and Amani are wonderful lab members, and fun for everyone to work with. These experiences are what make biomedical research rewarding and stimulating.

Learn More

This story is just one example of the impact of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship Program.  Training young scientists for over twenty years, this unique program, with its combination of specialized training and extensive worksite experience, nurtures the STEM workforce. For more information please see:  www.dcsc.org  or www.btci.org

As adults, we can all attest to the benefits of attending professional conferences. They provide us with opportunities to present and share with others, network, and renew and refresh in our field. For some of us, that first conference, at the college or early employment level, may have contributed significantly to a sense of ourselves as professionals.  But what does it mean to someone younger?

Recently, three high school students enrolled in the Dane County Biotechnology Youth Apprentice (YA) Program were able to conferences related to their interest in pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers.  Here’s what they discovered.

Isabel Jones, Verona Area High School senior and second year YA, who works at the Morgridge Institute for Research, presented a scientific poster at one conference and spoke on a panel at another:

The opportunity to attend the annual Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) conference in Atlanta was initially proposed to me by my Principal Investigator Dr. Melissa Skala, then supported by my mentor Dr. Alex Walsh, as well as some of my other lab members. Morgridge was able to fund my trip, and since I had gathered enough data at that point to present, I jumped on the opportunity. At the conference I presented a poster on the “Characterization of Human CD4+ T Cells using Metabolic Imagining” during a large poster session with undergraduates from across the country. This experience was fascinating since I was able to explore projects from all corners of BME, as well as listen to talks on immunology and cancer research.

By attending this conference, I was able to further progress my professional knowledge by interacting with adults in the field, which I would recommend to any high school student looking to experience the real workforce in a learning-friendly environment.

I was also able to recently attend STEM Forward’s sySTEMnow Conference in Milwaukee, where I spoke on a panel with Josh Fassl, Barbara Bielec, Amani Gillette, and Ava VanDommelen about the Youth Apprenticeship program itself and the opportunities I have gained from it. By participating in this panel, I was reminded that with a strong work ethic, and opportune program such as the Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship, you can achieve things you never thought possible.

Lucas Bauer, Jefferson High School senior and first year YA, works at Ganser Scientific in Madison and got to see things from a biotechnology business perspective:

In mid-October, my Biotechnology Youth Apprenticeship mentor asked me if I had any interest in attending the 2018 Wisconsin Technology Council-hosted Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium (ESS), which he was already attending to seek funding. I was immediately interested and accepted the offer.

The conference is a once-yearly networking event held at the Monona Terrace Convention Center and aims to connect small startup businesses with funding from investors in order to build successful businesses and includes panel discussions and other sessions throughout the two days.

During the ESS, I was able to talk to investors and entrepreneurs from many fields, including biotechnology, and attend sessions focused on running businesses and the growing technological and biological industries in both Madison and all of Wisconsin. The ESS gave me a great opportunity to not only network with people in the field I wish to enter but also gain a better understanding of the business portion of the life sciences and the process by which new companies fund-raise and develop into industry leaders.

The ESS was a very useful and informative experience, one of many offered by the BTC Institute to its students. I express my deep gratitude to my mentor, Dr. Joe Beck, the Wisconsin Technology Council, and the BTC Institute for providing me with this great opportunity to broaden my horizon and build meaningful connections.

Anita Anongdeth, Monona Grove High School senior and first year YA, was recently hired by the Gilroy Lab in the UW-Madison Department of Botany.  She appreciated seeing the bigger picture of biotechnology:

BioForward’s Wisconsin Biohealth Summit was the first conference that I have ever attended. It seemed mostly geared towards businesses within the biotechnology field, but all the speakers and the overall experience was still really cool.  The first keynote speaker had a really interesting speech on everything from space travel, to the microscopic buggers that grow on subways. It was like attending a Ted Talk, but packed full of big science words, and geared towards an audience that understood that language. I found myself in this situation most of the conference, where the content was absolutely intriguing, but the language and the way it was presented was, at times, confusing.

My favorite part of the conference was most likely the breakout session after the first keynote speaker. This was a panel with four amazing women who had higher positions within their companies, and their thoughts on how to diversify the work field. I learned that because women are perceived to be more emotional, women must approach any situation purely from a rational and logical standpoint. Women should use logos over pathos when arguing, because of this preconceived thought about women.

I wanted to attend this conference because I’m all about taking advantage of new opportunities and I wanted to experience something new. I would most definitely recommend other students to go to these conferences, even if a lot of the information doesn’t make sense at the time. These types of opportunities are very important to be exposed to because it gives an insight on what I could be doing. Because I am interested in the biotechnology field and simply biology in general, this gives me a goal and an idea of what succeeding in the field looks like.

Isabel, Lucas and Anita were all able to attend these conferences thanks to financial support from people who care about the next generation of STEM professionals.  Both Lucas and Anita were offered complimentary registration by BioForward and the Wisconsin Technology Council, the organizations that hosted the events.  Something to think about…if you have the opportunity to help organize a professional conference, please consider offering this eye-opening experience to high school students!