On Wednesday, Mr. Donohue's Advanced Placement Biology class was visited by Maggie Keeler from the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation. Hull High School was chosen as a pilot school for the The BioTeach Take Out Training and Equipment (TOTE) program, which is run through the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation.
Ms. Keeler brought in specialized equipment, so that students in the class could conduct a lab to determine ampicillin resistance in an unknown bacterial strain. Students practiced micropipetting techniques, used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) equipment to amplify DNA samples, and separated DNA fragments using gel electrophoresis.
Jobs in the Biotech industry in Massachusetts industry are growing at just over 10% per year, and The Mass Biotechnology Education Foundation works to generate interest in the life sciences and biotech careers by providing high quality, hands-on lab experiences for students, and professional development for classroom teachers.
