Whidbey Island Ecological Studies Continue into the fall of 2016.

Recently, over the days of November 4-5,  25 students from all cohorts in the Biotechnology Academy visited the ongoing research site up on Whidbey Island.  For 15 years, students have been active participants in an on-going ecological research project measuring growth of a newly re-planted forest and carbon sequestration of several re-planted trees.  And, as per usual, we were fortunate to have a cool rainless Friday for data collection and a damp, raining Saturday for data analysis.  The students were fabulous in their eagerness to be a part of the natural world and they were able to put their electronic devices away (shocking, but true).  This is an outdoor experience where kids can be kids and throw away their "cool" card and be part of the present.  Here are some images from the weekend.

Collecting insects from trees.

Do banana slugs really have a neurotoxin?  No pain here after kissing.

Apple harvest for apple pressing and cider production.

That's one big old growth red western cedar. The mother tree.

Looking at invertebrates from study sites.

Collecting critters from live traps set overnight.

Testing the waters for the pond sampling expeditions.  It was a warm, balmy, November afternoon.

Reporting out data on carbon sequestration.

And the cows are always a hit with Seattle city kids!  Getting in touch with rural landscapes.

Busting home.  Biotech signs on the ferry to Mulkiteo.

School is Off to a Great Start! Biotech Academy Students are Learning Science by Doing It.

Genetics students making observations of an unknown substance.

Genetics students modeling protein folding.

A lovely tertiary protein!

Genetics student with a successful DNA extraction.

Biology students learning chemical properties of substances.

Biology students learning safe wafting technique.

School is Off to a Great Start! Biotech Academy Students are Learning Science by Doing It.

Genetics students making observations of an unknown substance.

Genetics students modeling protein folding.

A lovely tertiary protein!

Genetics student with a successful DNA extraction.

Biology students learning chemical properties of substances.

Biology students learning safe wafting technique.

Imagine Tomorrow Competition Was Amazing!

Ballard's Biology Biotechnology students competed at the 9th annual Imagine Tomorrow Competition at WSU from May 20-22, 2016. Eight teams from Ballard were selected to move on to this competition.  Students and instructors stayed in the dorms, ate in the cafeteria, and experienced life on a college campus for the weekend.

This competition asks students to take on the world’s energy issues and other grand challenges with creative, well-researched ideas.  Students competed in one of four challenge areas: Biofuels, Aerospace, Built Environment, or Food, Energy, and Water.  Each challenge had three different approaches in which students use to address solving an energy problem: technology, design or behavior.  There were 121 teams from the Pacific Northwest who competed in this year’s event titled: Pursue Sustainability Nonstop.  Our Ballard students did an excellent job presenting their scientific projects to the judges.  Teams were praised for their knowledge, presentation styles, and thoroughness.  Teams also returned home with awards for their ideas.

In the Food, Energy and Water challenge, using the behavior approach Ballad’s Green Ground  team won 2^nd place for their project: creating a working model of a seesaw that generates electricity, to demonstrate for the children the capabilities of reusable energy.  Team members Amika Smalley, Alex Van Loen, Franny Berger, and Ezra Finch won $1800 in cash prizes.

 And in the Biofuels challenge, using the behavior approach Ballard’s  Wake Up and Smell the Coffee team won Honorable Mention for their project: turning coffee grounds into biofuel.  Team members Fiona Doherty, Samantha Smith, Annabelle Fryer, Parker Crotty, and Sarah Jane Hayward won $1000 in cash prizes.

It was a great STEM weekend!

Green Ground with their educational see-saw-2nd place winners!

Yes, there is an app for that! This team designed an app that is a game for younger kids to learn about conservation.

Hamming it up in between judging sessions.  

Wake up and smell the coffee! This team created a biofuel out of coffee grounds. Honorable Mention!

Team "On with the Wind" during their judging session. They designed a wind turbine to power street lights.

Group photo after a day of judging.  Flashing the b t sign for Biotech.

Student BioExpo 2016

Ballard Biotech students presented their capstone projects at the BioExpo at Shoreline Community College on Monday, May 16, 2016.  And what a great day it was!  The students competed with 19 other schools in WA, in 13 different categories.  Here are the results from our Ballard students:

Drama Dance: 3^rd Place: Anna Leipertz, Anna Volk, Bella Williams and Rees Williams for their ballet interpretive dance” Cri du Chat”

Art:  2^nd Place: Hunter Kulik-“Ironing out Hemochromatosis”

SeaVuria: 1^st Place : Samara Barwell, Dorian Stump, Jessi e MacKenzie, and Polina Skrypka  “Obstetric  Fistulas-The Untold Story”

Molecular Modeling: 1^st Place: Emma B. Doherty “Missense Modeling”

Multimedia:  Honorable Mention: Bryce Heinen, Niles Requarth, Antonio Martorano “Concentrating on ADHD: and Honorable Mention: Aaron Mamaril, Cale Spence, Manny Xenos, and Sam Rogers “Schizophrenia-A Rock Opera”

People’s Choice!  Hunter Thompsen, Luis Winters, and Sam Blank “Down Syndrome Rap”

Molecular Modeling

SeaVuria-working with high school students in Kenya

MagTown Rappers

Multimedia-Looking sharp!

Cri-du-chat Winners

Artistic expressions of brain disorders

Imagine Tomorrow Pre-Judging Event Held on April 7.

All biology/biotechnology students participated in the Imagine Tomorrow Pre-Judging event to determine which 8 teams will move forward to the final competition at WSU. The final competition is on May 20-22, 2016.  The student groups did an excellent job presenting their ideas about how to "Pursue Sustainability Non-stop."  For more information about the upcoming event. Check out the Imagine Tomorrow website at WSU. http://imagine.wsu.edu/

Can a playground generate electricity?

Can a game (there's an app for that) teach kids about energy conservation?

Can coffee ground be recycled into biofuels?

They clean up nice!  Can a turbine installed in downspots generate electricity to light up a house?

How can we improve insulation to eliminate noise from airports?

Can we convert kinetic energy into electricity?

Can we make packaging material out of coffee grounds and newspaper?

Genetics Students Visit the UW Medical Center

Group photo of the genetics students who attended the UW Medical Center fieldtrip.

In April, genetics students visited several labs at the UW Medical Center.  The fieldtrip included a Metro bus ride from Ballard to the UW on a beautiful sunny spring day.  The students toured several labs, talked with researchers, and learned about ongoing studies in aging, oncology, microbiology, and DNA sequencing.

Caenorhabditis elegans worms with GFP protein expressed in muscle tissue.

Ballard Biotech student sorting worms in the lab at the UW

Waiting for the Metro bus home to BHS

Applied Biotechnology Units in Biology and Genetics

This semester, biology students are learning how to use some of the tools of the trade of biotechnology: micropipets and gel electrophoresis. Students are learning how to manipulate small volumes, precisely so that they can apply their skills in upcoming labs that entail DNA analysis.  In genetics, students are learning microbial genetics by studying bacteria and using plasmids to transform bacteria and learning about recombinant DNA techniques.  

Students loading a gel to determine properties of molecules.

Biology student loading gel with care.

Genetics students pipetting transformed cells onto plates.

Genetics students sterilizing spreader for spreading transformed cells.

January 2016! First Semester is Winding Down

After a late start to the school year, we're finally in a groove!  Finals start the first week of February and will continue over the course of three days, February 3, 4, & 5.  The first day are finals for periods 1 and 4; the second day are finals for periods 2 & 5; the third day are finals 3 & 6.

In the Biotechnology Academy this semester, we've had several ongoing projects.  As the projects wind down, we're getting ready for next semester.  Here is a brief recap of the three cohorts.

Biology students recently completed their analysis of their own consumption during a 7-day period. After collecting data in their biology class, they analyzed data in their math classes.

Chemistry students recently completed their Really? essays that asked them to challenge a scientific or pseudoscientific claim.

Genetics students have been learning about genetic disorders and recently submitted their final papers,  then presented major findings from their research.

Biology students observing chemical reactions for color change.

Genetics students modeling protein folding.

Biology students weighing and sorting garbage for consumption project.

Genetic students loading gel for DNA analysis.