Academy Instructors Bring ‘STEM on the Road’

Gloucester Biotechnology Academy instructors have taken ‘STEM on the Road’ with recent stops at Gloucester’s O’Maley Innovation Middle School and Salem Academy.

Over two weeks, groups of 8th graders at O’Maley learned the ins and outs of gel electrophoresis (a laboratory method used to separate out DNA, RNA, and proteins based on size). Students learned how to correctly pipette using food coloring as a demonstration. Goldfish DNA was used to do a DNA extraction, running it on the gel students made the week before.

Our instructors visited Salem Academy as well, speaking with students about the Academy program and what career opportunities exist in biotech and the life sciences. Their visit also included a short laboratory experience where students were able to extract their own DNA using household items.

Academy staff are passionate about bringing STEM on the road and exposing school-aged children to its possibilities and opportunities.