It's the 20th year of the Ballard Biotechnology Academy! School has started and we are doing science!

This fall marks the 20th year of the Biotechnology Academy. The Academy began with the opening of the new building in 1999. This year we have two 9th grade classes that started in  the Biology/Biotechnology Cohort.  Students are learning about science habits of mind and doing science in real time.  In biology, students are reviewing the metric system and learning about the actual tools of the trade in the laboratory. In chemistry, students are also learning and reviewing basic scientific concepts of inquiry and experimentation. In genetics, students are refining their investigative skills to learn more about chemistry with a focus on biochemistry.  Curriculum night is on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 7-9.  Please come and learn what your offspring are learning!

Genetics students trying to make observations of an unknown substance.

Lab team exploring and investigating, reviewing lab techniques.

Genetics students spooling DNA after extracting it from plant cells.

Students spooling DNA that precipitated out of solution from their experiment.

DNA precipitated!

Adding unknown samples to test for presence of specific biomolecules.

Biology students learning how to use the microscope.

Creative Scientists Competed at the 19th Annual Student BioExpo

On Friday, May 17 the genetics biotech students competed at the Student BioExpo at Shoreline Community College. They did an excellent job presenting their work and received several accolades from the judges. The BioExpo is a science fair where students can enter in several different categories ranging from Drama/Dance and Lab Research to Creative Writing and Molecular Modeling.  All projects are judged for their scientific content and for creativity in each category.  Fifteen schools from the Puget Sound area participated. 

All of the students represented Ballard with poise and grace.  Our students created projects  in several categories.   In the following categories, our students received special recognition.

Multi-Media:  Honorable Mention-Ruby Siehl and Jessica Coacher for Life with Down Syndrome; Ainsley Perkins and Sarah Payne for Parkinson’s Disease: Loosing Control ;  Tied for 3^rd Place-Olivia Bernard and Abigail Frankel for Total Takeover: Polycystic Kidney Disease ; 1^st Place-Olivia Balaban for Aicardi Up Close.

Music:  Honorable Mention: Noah Tanner, Josh Barton, and Zev Carlyle for Huntington’s Disease Song; 3^rd  Place-Ethan Nishi and Peter Furia for Thummo

Web Design: 3^rd Place: Luke Heinen for Autism in Science and Society

Early morning breakfast before the Expo.

Excited students on the buses.

Offloading and getting ready to compete!

Looking good!

Shout out to Franny, Matea, and Nina for their project on achondroplasia.

Happy film makers!

Amazing art project on schizophrenia.

Tunnel vision. Another amazing art project.

Cystic fibrosis. Or 65 Roses.

The band who wrote a song about 65 Roses.

Video film makers enjoying a break.

Biotech Boy Band # 1.

Molecular modeling using Legos.

Creative writing about Marfan syndrome.

Thumboyz. Another biotech boy band.

Closing and parting shot at BHS.  It was a great day for all!

Spring Has Been Busy! Thermal Chemistry, Microbiology, and Team Work.

Biotech Chemistry students have been burning things learning about thermal chemistry.  They have also been learning about what limits a reaction.  Genetics students have wrapped up their microbial genetics units and they are now moving into immunology and oncology.  Biology students have completed their biotechnology unit and are now learning about organismic biology and anatomy and physiology.

Chemistry students prepping for H balloon lab.

Burning Cheetos!

H balloon lab

Prepping for H balloon lab.

Hmmm. What is going on here?

Biology students preparing DNA samples.

Genetics students setting up transformations.

Genetics students plating out bacteria for transformation lab.

Genetics Classes Went on a Tour of UW Medical Science Labs

On March 20, thirty genetics students had an opportunity to participate in the Health Sciences tours at the University of Washington.  It was a lovely spring day.  We took the Metro 44 from Ballard to the UW and spent time in four different labs.  One group went to the DNA sequencing and radiology labs and the other group went to the School of Dentistry and a lab that focuses on aging.  We started in the Husky Union Building and ended in the Husky Union Building for lunch. Students learned about new cutting edge research and they had the opportunity to participate in the actual research.

Attaching electrodes.

Attaching electrodes.

Learning about musculature features of the skull.

Looking at Ceanorhabitis elegans and aging.

Looking at C. elegans

Orientation around the Husky

Waiting for the 44 back to Ballard.

Go Ballard!

Go Huskies!

Walking thru Red Square to the bus stop.

Biotechnology Biology Students Presented at the Central Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair on March, 16.

Our first year students competed in the CSRSEF on Saturday, March, 16. It was a long day of presenting projects to judges and awaiting decisions.  Students entered their projects in a variety of subject areas from computational biology to mechanical engineering and from behavioral sciences to environmental sciences.  Several teams earned recognition and rewards at the event.  And all teams qualified to move on to the next level at the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair.

They created an app to monitor your daily health. Heart Smart.

They created an instrument that could help with the cleanup of plastics from our oceans. They earned an award of excellence and honorable mention in the category they entered.

Their project focused on designing a better, biodegradable bandage.

This project aimed at helping NOAA improve their data collection buoys.  They earned an award of excellence for their project.

Plant more trees!  Their project analyzed how trees can help with carbon sequestration-removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.

Making environmentally sustainable products to use on our skin. Creative project on minimizing the impact of our throw away culture whilst creating a natural product.

Registering for the day at Bellevue Community College.

Their project focused on surveying people's choices of organic vs. inorganic produce and how one might shift those choices.

How can we convince people to not pour grease down the drain?  Their project entailed designing an eco-friendly way to dispose of grease. They won first prize in the Mechanical Engineering category.

Using fruits to conduct electricity?  Oh yes you can. They won an award of excellence for their creative project.

Can we capture energy from flowing currents of water?  Yes we can!

Another project on reducing carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.  Clearly, a critical chemical problem that needs to be addressed and solved.

What is the sustainable way to grow plants without impacting the environment?  This team was searching to find a more sustainable fertilizer.

The following students took home awards and special recognition:

Lydia Rice and Betty Haas won an award of excellence for their project: Citrusy Circuits.

Abi Russell and Darby Moore won an award of excellence for their project: Improving Data Collection Buoy Design and Sustainability.

Alice Brasher and Elsa Rediger won an award of excellence for their project: Ocean Clean up Project.  They also won honorable mention in the Earth and Environmental Science category.

Thomas Bioren and Jaimie Richards won first place in the Mechanical Engineering category for their project: Grease Ceaser