Biotechnology Institute
News Digest
March/April 2007
The News Digest looks at the world of biotechnology education, with Biotechnology Institute news, links to recent biotechnology education articles and a schedule of upcoming events. The News Digest is published by the Biotechnology Institute, the national organization dedicated to biotechnology education.
In this issue:
- E.O. Wilson to Keynote Education Conference Banquet
- Minority Fellows Class of 2007 Announced
- Finalists Announced for Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award
- Webcast Highlights Institute Partnership with Industry
- Your World Now Online Only
- Illinois Teacher-Leader Program Held
- Genome Workshop Held
- Operation Biotechnology a Model
- New Mailing Address for the Biotechnology Institute
- Biotechnology Education News Headlines
- Events and Professional Development Sessions
E.O. Wilson to Speak at Conference on Biotechnology Education
Edward O. Wilson, legendary biologist, conservationist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will be the keynote speaker at the Biotechnology Institute’s Annual Awards Banquet on May 5. The banquet is the signature networking event of the Institute’s Conference on Biotechnology Education, the nation’s premier professional development program for biotechnology teachers, students and their supporters in the biotechnology community. The conference will be held May 3-6 in Boston, MA. Wilson, who is Pellegrino University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, is one of the most highly respected scientists in the world today. Hailed as “the new Darwin” by Thomas Wolfe and one of “America’s 25 Most Influential People” by TIME Magazine, Wilson has received 75 awards in international recognition for his contributions to science and humanity. Wilson has twice received the Pulitzer Prize for The Ants and On Human Nature.
For banquet registration information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org/banquet.
Minority Fellows Announced
The 2007 class of Fellows for the Minority Fellows Program has been announced. The mentoring program pairs Fellows, who are undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers and faculty from underserved populations at colleges and universities, with industry Mentors. Forty Fellows will be joining 40 Mentors in Boston to attend the Biotechnology Institute‘s Conference on Biotechnology Education, to be held May 3-6, to become better informed about opportunities in biotechnology. They will attend sessions on new and emerging technologies, mentoring, scientific content updates, and field visits to local industry and research facilities. Amgen, lead sponsor of the program, will be hosting the Fellows at its Cambridge facilities on May 4. Other program highlights include visits to the Whitehead Institute/MIT, Harvard Medical School and MassBay Community College. All Fellows also attend the subsequent BIO International Convention. The Minority Fellows Program is sponsored by Amgen, Inc. Additional funding is provided by Connetics Corporation, Exelixis, Inc. and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO).
For the list of 2007 Fellows and more about the Minority Fellows Program, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/minority_fellows_program.html.
Finalists Announced for Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award
Ten finalists have been announced for the 2007 Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award. The award annually recognizes exemplary teaching at the high school level that has positively impacted students’ understanding of biotechnology. The following educators serve as models for their colleagues on how to incorporate biotechnology into the classroom and act as a resource for their peers:
Joan Abrams, Rindge School of Technical Arts, Cambridge, MA; Peggy Deichstetter, St. Edward High School, Elgin, IL; Kristina Doss, Carlmont High School, Belmont, CA; Mary Jane Kurtz, Minuteman Regional High School, Lexington, MA; Peter Kritsch, Oregon High School, Oregon, WI; Kimberly Lewis, Wellston High School, Wellston, OH; John Sharkey, Parma High School, Parma, ID; Carolyn Slygh, Seminole Ridge High School, Loxahatchee, FL; John Taylor-Lehman, Tri-Valley High School, Dresden, OH; and LeeAnn Vaughan, Omaha North High School, Omaha, NE.
The top three honorees will be announced May 5 at the Biotechnology Institute’s Annual Awards Banquet and will receive cash awards of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively. The award is sponsored by Genzyme Corporation and Invitrogen Corporation.
For more about the Genzyme-Invitrogen Biotech Educator Award, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/programs/biotecheducatoraward.html.
Webcast Spotlights Institute Partnership with Industry
Paul Hanle, president of the Biotechnology Institute, joined Jeff Ghannam, the Institute’s communications director, for a March 8 appearance on Bio Live, the online video broadcasting program of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). Hanle discussed how BIO members can partner with the Institute to promote biotechnology education. Hanle provide specific examples of recent partnerships with BIO members and highlighted opportunities for BIO members to participate in the Institute’s activities that will precede the BIO International Convention in Boston.
See the webcast at http://www.biotechinstitute.org/about/index.html.
Your World Now Available Only Online
The Biotechnology Institute publishes Your World: Biotechnology & You, the premier biotechnology magazine for grades 7 to 12, twice a year. The magazine is an indispensable tool for bringing biotechnology into the classroom. In order to provide all students, teachers, parents and the general public with easy access to this resource, the magazine has moved to an online only format and is available for free. The magazine is no longer being published in print.
For more information, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/resources/your_world_magazine.html
Illinois Teacher-Leader Program
The Biotechnology Institute and the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization Institute partnered to provide professional development sessions in biotechnology to 75 teachers across the state of Illinois. The sessions were delivered February 26 through March 2 and hosted at three sites: Southern Illinois Research Park at Southern Illinois University (Carbondale), EnterpriseWorks at University of Illinois (Champaign), and Illinois Science and Technology Park (Skokie). Included in each of the three one-day professional developments sessions were guest speakers from industry on current research topics such as nanotechnology, biofuels, and identifying cancer through smell.
Genome: The Secret of How Life Works Professional Development
The New York Hall of Science hosted a professional development session for teachers that was conducted by the Biotechnology Institute on March 3. Participants were from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and from as far away as Georgia. The session provided participants hands-on experience with activities from the Institute’s recently published Teacher’s Resource Guide. The resource guide is a stand-alone tool on genomics that is used to support a five-year professional development initiative for teachers conducted in conjunction with the Pfizer, Inc. exhibit, Genome: The Secret of How Life Works. Teachers also interacted with the Genome website (www.genome.pfizer.com) and had the opportunity to visit the exhibit, which will be at the New York Hall of Science until May 6. The program is funded through a grant from the Pfizer Foundation. The exhibit will be at the St. Louis Science Center, September 29 to January 6.
For information about the Teacher’s Resource Guide and to download a free copy, visit http://www.biotechinstitute.org/resources/genome.html.
Operation Biotechnology a Model
Scott May, vice president for systems and curriculum, and Claire Cornell, director of development, gave presentations at the Project Directors Meeting of the Fund for the Improvement of Secondary Education (FIPSE). The meeting, targeted at current FIPSE grant managers, was held February 11-13 in Washington, DC. A program of the US Department of Education, FIPSE provides grants to colleges, universities, and nongovernmental organization to promote reform, innovation, and improvement in postsecondary education. The Institute in 2006 received a three-year FIPSE grant of $824,660 to support the Institute’s “Operation Biotechnology,” a new biotechnology teacher training program that over three years will train 1,385 teachers and impact more than 34,625 students. May's presentation focused on getting a new FIPSE grant program started and Cornell's shared her insight into securing funding that complements FIPSE grants.
For more about Operation Biotechnology, see http://www.biotechinstitute.org/news/news_detail.php?news_id=37.
New Mailing Address for the Biotechnology Institute
The Biotechnology Institute has a new mailing address as of March 9, 2007. The new address is
Biotechnology Institute
2000 North 14th Street
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22201
All other contact information remains the same. Please update your records accordingly.
Biotechnology Education News Headlines
Below is recent biotechnology education news. See more news at http://www.biotechinstitute.org/news/.
Experts Predict Economic Boom From Nanotechnology. North Carolina could experience the same economic returns from nanotechnology as it has in the past 30 years from biotechnology investments if the state capitalizes on its strengths in emerging technologies with support that leads to commercialization of its innovations, according to leading experts in science, education, and business who spoke at the second annual NC Nanotech Conference held March 13, 2007 at the Grandover Resort and Conference in Greensboro. (Carolina Newswire, 3/19/07.)
Alabama Biotechnology Group Gives Students Hands-on Experience. A partnership between Bob Jones High School and a North Alabama-based group called the Partnership for Biotechnology Research has made it possible to go from sci-fi to hi-sci (higher science) in the classroom. Johnston said PBR supplies and performs some of the school's 12 required AP biology labs. Established in 2003, PBR is a nonprofit, volunteer-based alliance networking the biotechnology community in North Alabama, said PBR member Neil Lamb, director of education and outreach with the Hudson Alpha Institute of Biotechnology. It consists of more than 250 people ranging from biotech leaders and workers to university students and faculty to a wide range of service and support providers from Huntsville and surrounding communities. (Huntsville Times, 3/14/07.)
Community Colleges Fuel Bay Area Biotech Growth. Jobexpertssay the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are the fastest growing industries in the Bay Area. If you don't believe it, check the numbers at Genentech, the pioneering biotech firm in South San Francisco, which has been so successful that industry companies continue to cluster around it as if it were the mother company. Genentech employed 10,460 people at the end of 2006 and expects to see 11 percent job growth this year. That means the firm plans to hire 1,200 new workers. Community colleges such as Skyline College in San Bruno and Ohlone College in Fremont offer programs that train people for biomanufacturing jobs. The colleges partner with companies such as Genentech and Cell Genesys, also in South San Francisco, and Novartis in Emeryville to help shape the training program. (Alameda Times, 3/11/07.)
Events and Professional Development Sessions
See http://www.biotechinstitute.org/events/event_list.php for events and information. To submit your event, go to http://www.biotechinstitute.org/news/intake.html.
March 26, 2007 - Annual Symposium on Biotechnology Education
Each year, the Museum of Science in Boston hosts a full day of workshops presented by middle and high school teachers offering successful, classroom-tested DNA and biotechnology related activities. The symposium is designed as a forum for middle school, high school, and community college educators to share ideas, classroom activities, and laboratory investigations. Space is limited. Registration for the 12th Annual Symposium on Biotechnology Education is by phone only at 617-723-2500.
For information, visit http://www.mos.org/educators.
April 25, 2007 - BayBio Partnering 2007
Join Northern California's world-leading life science industry in alliance with top-tier pharmaceutical companies for BayBioNEST's First Annual Partnering Event. This high level partnering event will provide an opportunity for local companies to identify partners, build relationships, and evaluate technology. BayBioNEST's First Annual Partnering Event has been created to provide an opportunity for local companies to find deals and establish partnerships here in the Northern California.
Registration: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=129235
April 25, 2007 - National DNA Day Essay Contest
The National DNA Day Essay Contest for 7th-12th graders is part of National DNA Day, which is held every April 25th. There are multiple different opportunities to get involved; the essay contest is just one. Teachers around the country are encouraged to consider adding this as an assignment during their genetics unit and then submitting their best essays to the contest. Three winning students for each essay are selected each year and the teacher of the first place prize winners receives $2000 to spend on classroom science equipment. Applied Biosystems is also sponsoring cash awards for 6 student winners and up to 5 stipends for students chosen to work in a science laboratory near their home during summer 2007. The essay contest is sponsored by the American Society of Human Genetics. For more information, see www.genednet.org/pages/k12_dnaday.shtml.
September 3-October 12, 2007 - Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands
Applications are now available for the 2007 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands, a unique professional development program for secondary school teachers. This is a special chance for educators to visit these remote islands; the inspiration for Darwin and home to unique ecosystems found no where else on Earth! This year the program is open to classroom teachers of all disciplines in grades 7-12, who teach full time in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Twenty eligible applicants will be selected in May to participate on this fully funded program. The deadline for application is April 23, 2007. The application is now online at www.iie.org/toyota.
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