Biotechnology Teaching Laboratories

 

The Program

A hands-on learning experience in a modern molecular biology is available for your students through The Biotechnology Teaching Center.  Your students will apply their classroom knowledge of biology to problem solving in molecular biology, biotechnology and forensics

Our faculty will guide your students through discussions of recent scientific breakthroughs and the social implications of molecular biology research.  Our classes are taught by teams of instructors including University faculty and students in the Master of Science Education program.  All lessons are aligned with the New York State Department of Education standards.

The Facilities

The University is readily accessible in its mid-Suffolk location. Parking for school buses is available. Students may bring lunch or purchase it at a cafeteria on campus.  The Biotechnology Teaching Center consists of three laboratories; each laboratory has 12 workstations, accommodating 24 students. This allows us to schedule up to four school groups each day (depending on staffing). Each workstation is equipped with micropipettors, gel apparatus, and power supply. Other laboratory equipment includes microcentrifuges, incubators, water-baths, and thermalcyclers.

The Experiments

Restriction Enzyme Analysis – Varying Enzymatic Conditions
AP Biology and Research classes only (Students must have completed Living Environment)
Students will test and analyze four factors that can affect the function of restriction enzymes.  Students will present their results to their classmates.  Procedures used include:  agarose gel electrophoresis and restriction enzymes (EcoRI, HinDIII, and BamHI) digestion of DNA. This activity requires 4.5 hours at Stony Brook University including lunch.

Bacterial Transformation
AP Biology and Research classes only (Students must have completed Living Environment)
Students genetically engineer bacteria through transformation with plasmid DNA.  Students are directly involved in experimental design and the designation of controls. This laboratory can be adjusted to suit the academic level of the class. This activity requires 3 hours at Stony Brook University (no lunch break during lab).

*NEW * Plasmid Engineering and Bacterial Transformation
Highly Motivated AP Biology and Research classes only (students must have completed Living Environment)
This is a rigorous laboratory experience suitable for highly motivated students in AP Biology or a research class with strong, independent laboratory skills. Students will manipulate the pGLO plasmid with various restriction enzymes and DNA ligase with the goal of deleting the GFP gene. Efficacy of the deletion will be determined through bacterial transformation. Procedures used include: gel electrophoresis, restriction enzyme digest, ligation, and bacterial transformation. This activity requires 5.5 hours at Stony Brook University including lunch.

Polymerase Chain Reaction
Students analyze DNA in food using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis.  Classroom discussion links these techniques with applications in forensics, genetic testing and genetic engineering.  This laboratory can be adjusted to suit the academic level of the class. This activity requires 4.5 hours at Stony Brook University including lunch.

Forensics Laboratory
Students apply problem solving skills as they solve a crime using restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP) and agarose gel electrophoresis.  In addition to pattern analysis, students use the scientific method to evaluate evidence, formulate a hypothesis, plan and perform an experiment, and analyze the results.  This laboratory can be adjusted to suit the academic level of the class.  This activity requires 4.5 hours at Stony Brook University including lunch. 
An abbreviated version of the activity is also available.  The agarose gel preparation will be done before the students arrive and the activity requires 3.5 hours including lunch.

Scheduling a Science Teaching Program for Your School

Please book labs for your classes as early as possible as we reach our maximum capacity each year.  We have one to three labs available each day to accommodate multiple classes daily.

Start times are somewhat flexible.

Cost:  Plasmid Engineering lab costs $42.00 per student.
               All other labs cost $30.00 per student per lab  (minimum charge will be for 12 students).

To schedule your class please call (631-632-9750) or e-mail istem@stonybrook.edu

STAFF
Daniel Moloney, Co-Director 
Kristen Vadasz, Co- Director