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Technology has brought about some radical changes in the ways in which science is practiced. What first seemed nearly impossible—sequencing the entire human genome—is now a reality, and what first took years and millions of dollars now takes hours and costs thousands of dollars. These changes have… Read More

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A series of moments have shaped Rithik Kumar’s path to biotechnology. There was learning about nature from his parents who were avid gardeners. There was his grandmother getting a cancer diagnosis when he was in middle school and him feeling that he wanted to help more than anything else. There was… Read More

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Gel electrophoresis is an important verification step in ABE's Foundations of Biotech labs. It allows students to determine the size of a product by comparing it with a DNA ladder. Learning to correctly perform the procedure and interpret the results takes practice; below are a few tips from our… Read More

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Julie Pankowicz’s students engaging in an ABE activity Julie Pankowicz started teaching high school biology right out of undergraduate school when she turned 22 years old. “It was very scary, but exciting,” she says. More than 2 decades later, she has completely transformed the biotech program at… Read More

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Pipetting is a crucial skill in biotechnology. Doing it properly helps ensure better results in the lab, prolongs the life of the equipment, and reduces waste of expensive reagents. These skills are fundamental; none of the more advanced lab activities can be successful without a solid foundation… Read More

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Today, we often take antibiotics for granted. Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, these powerful medications have become a cornerstone of modern medicine. Physicians regularly prescribe them to combat a wide variety of bacterial and fungal infections. However, in recent years, many… Read More

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Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive genetic condition that causes recurrent respiratory infections and limits a patient’s ability to breathe over time.  A variety of different mutations in the CTFR gene can cause the condition. These mutations prevent certain proteins from functioning… Read More

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Over the last 6 years, a biotech revolution has occurred at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School in Massachusetts. Driven by biology teacher Scott Atkinson and supported through the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), the biotech program has gone from nonexistent to thriving in… Read More