Ploughing with a yoke of horned cattle in Ancient Egypt. Painting from the burial Chamber of Sennedjem, c. 1200 BC
Although the word biotechnology sounds new and contemporary, we’ve been tweaking genes–the stuff of life–for millennia:
“Early people began altering communities of flora and fauna for their own benefit through means such as fire-stick farming and forest gardening very early. Exact dates are hard to determine, as people collected and ate seeds before domesticating them, and plant characteristics may have changed during this period without human selection. An example is the semi-tough rachis and larger seeds of cereals from just after the Younger Dryas (about 9,500 BC) in the early Holocene in the Levant region of the Fertile Crescent. Monophyletic characteristics were attained without any human intervention, implying that apparent domestication of the cereal rachis could have occurred quite naturally.
Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa. At least 11 separate regions of the Old and New World were involved as independent centers of origin. Some of the earliest known domestications were of animals. Pigs were domesticated in Mesopotamia around 13,000 BC. Sheep were domesticated in Mesopotamia between 11,000 and 9,000 BC. Cattle were domesticated from the wild aurochs in the areas of modern Turkey and Pakistan around 8,500 BC. Camels were domesticated late, perhaps around 3,000 BC.”–Via
Nowadays, the stuff that we can do with genes would seem like wizardry to ancient Mesopotamians. We can use the immune system of bacteria to edit the human genome. With current techniques, insulin can be made by embedding human genetic code in the genome of Escherichia coli. In other words, if the plow, the scythe, and slashing and burning were the tools that made it possible for the ancients to manipulate genes, the micropipette, the electrophoresis chamber, and the agarose gel are new the hardware.
The Hypertextual Lounge 
I found this lab one of the most interesting we have done. First, the lab coats made it feel real sciency and since we worked with actual tools from a laboratory, it felt like the real thing. Also, taking it step by step and doing things one at a time to perfect the way we did them and in the last day to the actual experiment was great because that way we all did a good job once we got to do the real thing. Learning the ability one has in a lab and knowing how well you can do these type of experiments helps alot to think about the future, for example, doing the strawberry DNA sample I realized that although it was very interesting I am not a person to work in a lab. As much as in the dissections, speaking about the ones in 10th grade, i realized I wanted to work with animals and actual body parts. So these labs are not just about learning how scientist do stuff, but also help you determine what you want for your future.
LikeLike
As soon as you begin your college experience, look for ongoing research that requires undergraduate assistance. It is hard to imagine a contemporary Biology faculty without some kind of ongoing Biotech research.
LikeLike
This was an amazing and innovative experience. I learned a lot through the week filled with this labs. It is a perfect way to teach students and even teachers due to its first person interactions. From DNA extraction of a strawberry to micro pipetting and gel electrophoresis one can see an enzymes job breaking down the barriers holding DNA, to even observing the DNA interactions in the gel. In the end product we see the different sizes of DNA and how they are attracted to the positive charge. The different types of fluids and their color gave us a better idea and view of how the their DNA differentiated from each other. In my opinion, this is a better way to learn then just seeing it in a textbook. I recommend it to everyone. https://www.amgenbiotechexperience.com/introduction-biotechnology-micropipetting-and-gel-electrophoresis-0
LikeLike
Remember that what you guys did was but an introductory experience–basically, instrumentation. I really hope that you’ll be able to manipulate much more that dyes. There are many more modules of AMGEN Biotech Exp.: Protein purification, gene cloning, PCR & restriction enzymes. I you’re intrested in the field, there are many opportunities in college. You can work on many investigations.
LikeLike
The Biotech Experience was very interesitng and helped us understand beyond what we learn form books. We had the opportunity of a hands on experience of extracting DNA from a strawberry. This was done by squashing the strawberry and added dishwater in order to destroy any nuclear barriers so we cooul properly extract the DNA. Then, we inserted it in a test tube and added ethanol, which produced a layer of alcohol that allowed for the precipitation of DNA. Also, the micropipete allowed us to practice how to use it for futere references. At the same time, the micropipete was challenging because one had to have precision to insert the tint in the wells in order to see how each tint reacted to the negative and positive electrodes. All in all, this lab was very impressive and hopefully it will help us in future laboratory experiences.
LikeLike
It was interesting to learn and experience the basics of how lab scientists work everyday with genetic engineering. We worked with micropipettes, electrophorasis chambers, microcentrifusions, and more. It definitely takes a lot of practice to use the micropipettes efficiently when dropping the fluid in the petri dish, you need a steady grip and pulse to drop it in the wells without it spilling. Using surgery coats and lab equipment gave me a good insight of what working in a lab feels like and it is a very interesting field to investigate more on. Biotechnology has had a huge upgrade technologically in the past years, but who knows what other even better equipments will be developed in the next years? Genetic knowledge might be something fully explored and discovered for everyone to learn about.
LikeLike
A lot can be done with current Biotech techniques: Forensic work, genetic engineering, biomedicine, art, cooking, zoology, etc.
LikeLike
Honestly, I believe the best part of the lab was the part in which we had the oportunity to extract actual DNA from a strawberry. I always thought that one had to be a super scientist, study a lot about the topic and even have extremely advanced maxhines or tools in order to obtain DNA; yet this process showed/convinced me that it ia false. With simple “ingredients” and tools I was able to obtain DNA from a strawberry. The process was very exciting, to see how weird it was, yet obviously effective. Fortunately, I was able to document (take pictures/videos) the final outcome of this experiment and enjoy it again and again. Along with my partner Diego Suarez, we learned a lot of new things related to Amgen and their advancements which helped us extract DNA; most importantly, I learned a lot of things related to DNA. Now we both have an idea about how a bunch of DNA together grabbed out of the strawberry/dishwater fluid and ethanol solution. I will send a short video of us enjoying (especially Diego) DNA extracted of the strawberry.
LikeLike
The same type of method for DNA extraction can be performed with the kiwi fruit.
LikeLike
The Amgen Lab is definitely the most interesting and impressive lab we have done. It was an amazing opportunity to use these kind of instruments and learn a lot of things by doing the experiments throughout the week. We started the week extracting the DNA from a strawberry using ethanol and dishwater fluid to dissolve the cell wall and the phospholipid bilayer of the strawberry. Then we practiced micro pipetting for the final product the last day where we used a gel electrophoresis to observe DNA interactions with the positive and negative sides of the gel. This was an amazing experience that not everyone has. These type of activities should be more used in classroms as a teaching method.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 1 person
The electrophoresis experiment is a good opportunity to see that scientists apply knowledge–the overall charge of molecule–.
LikeLike
This lab was definitely one of my favorites of the many we’ve done this year. The fact that we were able to use professional equipment and to perform experiments with this equipment is what really made this experience stand out from the rest. Extracting the DNA from a strawberry was something that really baffled me, and learning to use the micropipette was a really fun experience for me, and the use of the electrophoresis chamber and the agarose gel was very exciting for me. This experiments left me amazed at just how far were gotten in the world of biotechnology and I’m happy to have gotten an opportunity to do something that not many people in high school get a chance to experience. All in all, it was an amazing experience. Personally, I believe that activities like this should be made available more often to students in high school, because this would provide them with useful knowledge and experience for when they go into college.
LikeLike
Remember that we can do much more than medicine with Biology. The purpose of this experience was to show students that we have Biotech careers as options. I would’ve studied a Biotech related career when I was in college 15 years ago.
LikeLike
This week we had the chance to experience one of the most rewarding activities, i believe, this course has to offer. During this week, firstly we extracted DNA from a strawberry by using dishwasher fluid and ethanol (alcohol) to help in the breaking of the barriers and cellulose of the strawberry and then actually extracting the DNA. It was really cool to me to see how DNA from the strawberry look like and how easy and fast it was to extract the DNA. In the next activity, we got the chance to use a micropipette for the first time and to learn its proper way of using and practice using the micropipette and handling it. It was really interesting to me to see how that tool can take an exact amount of liquid or substance you want and how it is very efficient and easy to use once you get the hang of it. Although at the beginning, I thought it was easier than it really was. it was fun to try and get the red dye perfectly into the wells although I did mess up a couple of times. Lastly, we used an electrophoresis chamber to separate the smallest and largest DNA molecules of the different types of dyes. Awe had to wait for 10 minutes to see the results of which dyes passed to the positive side and which didn’t. It was interesting how we actually used the instruments used in labs everyday by scientists. Here is a link to a video that I believe is very helpful. It is a video explaining how to use and handle a micropipette. I found it very helpful an useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Afh_0IAfrQ
LikeLike
Electrophoresis is a fundamental technique in Biotech. Scientists have to know what molecules they are dealing with. And this type of detective work is used in forensic work all around the world. The following link shows us a PCR reaction. Can you tell how many bases experiments 1,2,3 & 4 have? https://openi.nlm.nih.gov/imgs/512/43/3107793/PMC3107793_1757-4749-3-5-6.png What does the M track stands for?
LikeLike
I could say that we had probably one of the most interesting lab weeks that we have ever had. We were very so fortunate to be able to use Amgens lab tools and instruments to conduct a certain series of experiments. Tools specified for our lab, which can help us if we were ever thinkig of studying biology and ever wound up in a lab. For me it was a pretty cool experience since i had seen most of the instruments before and always wondered what they were for and never got the chance to use them, but thanks to Mr. Adrover and Amgen labs i was able to achieve one of my childhood goals. I know that if i ever decided to study biology i would be prepared, even though our examples were not perfect they were our chance to experience firsthand lab work. If i could do it again i would, but next time in a real lab so i could get the full experience and really see how it is done, also i would like to meet the people who do this day in and day out so that they could teach me how their job came to be chosen and what they have learned that has helped throughout their career and also in their daily lives.
LikeLike
The lab experience you had was new for me as well. I did this for the first time during the summer of 2016. The following link shows many career possibilities that the biotech industry can offer: https://www.biotech-careers.org/
LikeLike
The AMGEN Biotech Experience gave us the chance to make experiments with tools scientist use. I could only attend to the first lab, but it was amazing. I was surprised in how easy the DNA of a fruit, for example, the strawberry could be extracted from it. At first, I thought that the process of obtaining the DNA was going to be somewhat complicated. Turned out that the process was fairly simple; the strawberry was smashed into a liquid state breaking the cell walls to make it easier when extracting the DNA. That liquid was then poured into a solution of dishwasher soap and ethanol to separate the DNA from the rest of the liquid. When the stick was inserted, the entire molecule of DNA could be extracted from the solution forming a phlegm like substance. I really liked this experiment because it was very impressive how easy it was to observe the DNA molecule just with these easy steps.
LikeLike
The following link shows a simple method for DNA extraction from human tissues. In this case, enzymes that perform lysis are required: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3792701/
LikeLike
The AMGEN biotech experience was an enriching experience that fulfilled my curiosity for working with actual genetic material. My favorite part was when we extracted the DNA of a strawberry, I would’ve never thought it would look that way! The DNA’s consistency was gooey like phlegm. The process was simple, fast and the materials were accessible. It was really an experience that I won’t forget and it was most definitely the best lab we have done so far. I do hope to have the opportunity to work with other things rather than fruits and dyes in the future and put to test what I have learned so far.
LikeLike
The AMGEN Biotech experience gave us the practice we need to fulfill more complex labs in our future. This lab gave us a step forward towards college. It was interesting extracting DNA from a strawberry and actually understanding the chemical substances put on the strawberry squashed such as dishwater to break the boundaries of the cells, and ethanol in the test tube for the attraction of the negative charge of DNA and the positive charge of ethanol. Another innovating experience was when we first used the micropipete. I learned that if applied practice your pulse can be perfected little by little. These experiments gave me and insight to what we will be learning in our futures and I loved the experience of it.
LikeLike
I found the AMGEN Biotech Experience very enriching. My favorite part was the whole mechanism of extracting DNA from a strawberry. It was mind-blowing how everything had its own purpose. The dishwasher was used to break the phospholipid bilayer since soap is hydrophobic. Also, when ethanol was added to the strawberry juice it attracted the DNA because ethanol is polar and DNA is highly electronegative. The fact that I touched DNA was super cool. In the lab, we also used micropipettes. At first it was nerve wracking, but then I got the hang of it. I also enjoyed the electrophoresis part, where according to the displacement of the tint, one could conclude that the heavier the molecule, less movement and the lighter, more movement through the gel. I look forward to more labs like this one in a nearby future.
I found this link about making insulin and how it started:
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2013/jul/making-insulin.html
LikeLike
For me this was one of the most interesting labs we have done this year. It was amazing how easily we could extract and see before our own eyes the DNA of a strawberry simply using dishwasher liquid, a coffee filter, and a few beakers. Another thing I really enjoyed was learning how to use the micropipette and being able to practice with it. I think it is very beneficial for us to have learned how to use all these instruments and to learn how to prepare lab materials, such as preparing everything for the electrophoresis lab. I liked how complete this lab was, I think we all learned many basic things we should all know for our future labs in college.
LikeLike
The AMGEN BioTech Program introduced us to actual tools and situations we can encounter in a scientific lab. They provided micropipettes and an electrophoresis chamber in order to carry out different experiments such as, extracting DNA from a strawberry and examining the weight of the molecules in various tints. These experiments certainly gave us a sneak peek of what goes on in an actual scientific lab and all the procedures and tools that come with it. This experience will be very helpful for students who want to become lab technicians, doctors, pharmacists, or scientists in general. These procedures fulfilled my curiosity on what goes on in actual labs and what can be done with all these tools. Even though I will not pursue a career that requires lab work, I still believe that this was an amazing experience and I hope that AMGEN will continue to offer this awesome program so future students obtain this useful knowledge.
LikeLike
Amgen’s idea of the biotech experience is an amazing experience for students who are interested in studying in the field of science. It gives students a background and an idea of how to work on a laboratory with a simple experiment. It was very interesting to use the micropipettes and understand how they work. I liked this lab a lot because it was very different, it was all hands on experience. With programs amgen is enriching scientific lab knowledge to students and inspiring students to study biotech related careers.
https://www.amgenbiotechexperience.com/about
LikeLike
This was a very interesting and intriguing experience. It allowed me to visualize many of the things we have studied throughout the semester such as DNA itself, the use of a micropipette, and the different shades of color a specific tone of ink had. It also sparked an interest inside of me that wishes to keep learning about this branch of science. The use of a micropipette and its ability to transport such specific amounts of substances left me in awe as well as the fact that we were able to extract a strawberry’s DNA with the use of only our hands and other substances. In this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCu7T_1_WLo ,a similar method of how to extract the DNA is also presented.
LikeLike
Hi, tenth grade Honor here. I don’t really have any intention of studying medicine, but the labs we performed in class sparked an interest in biotechnology in me. We did two labs: in the first, we extracted the DNA out of a strawberry, and in the second, we worked with the micropipettes. At first, the people in my group were a little stressed when they were about to use them because we’d been told they were very expensive, and we didn’t want to break them. In the end, we managed to get the hang of it—if you looked at the laminated card we were placing the samples in, you could see how the samples grew progressively cleaner because our hands were steadier. In conclusion, I consider myself lucky to take part in the biotech experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s thinking about having a career in medicine.
LikeLike
Although not everyone is interested in studying biomedical careers, it is important for people to have a basic understanding of tech that will impact almost every aspect of their lives. Humans of the 21st century have to have an idea of what is binary code, the nature of the algorithm, artificial intelligence, and, most importantly, what is DNA, and what can be done with it. Thank you for commenting, Ariana
LikeLike
Throughout the week of March 6 to 10 we were given the amazing opportunity to have a small introduction to the world of Biotechnology. We did a total of two experiments where in the first one we extracted the DNA of a strawberry, and in the second we did a basic practice of how to use micropipettes. Before engaging in this experience, I had only heard the word “biotechnology” and hadn’t fully comprehended what and immense and interesting field it was. This experience was very eye opening and revealing to all the advances we have achieved in science that I had no clue about. I was impressed and overwhelmed with how much I managed to learn and do over the course of three days. For this I am eternally grateful to AMGEN and my teachers, and hope I will get to do it again.
LikeLike
My aim is to work with reactives that actually have DNA samples in them. This way we can purify proteins, perform PCR reactions, and manipulate the genetic code of E. coli bacteria — all done in the classroom. If you plan to take AP Bio during the 2018–2019 school year, you may be working with phosphorescent proteins.
LikeLike
I learned a lot about genetic engineering with the AMGEN Biotech Experience. I never thought that tools as advanced as the ones we used in the lab could be so accessible and easy to use once you get the hang of them. The most exciting part of the lab was extracting the strawberry’s DNA. The process is a lot simpler than I would’ve thought. I also enjoyed using the micropipette’s precise measurements and watching the dyes separate in the electrophoresis chamber. It was an amazing opportunity and I’m excited to see what other instruments arise in the future and how they will change the way that editing the human genome works.
https://ibb.co/hojdaa
https://ibb.co/fnMPFa
LikeLike
This was a fun lab and showed me a glimpse into the world of biology. My favorite one was the strawberry lab, especially when we mixed the crushed strawberry with dishwashing soap to destroy the cell membrane and nuclear membrane. Then we applied ethanol to the mixture which attracted the dna that was in the nucleus to a single solid point.
LikeLike
On March 6-10, we were introduced to the fascinating field of biotechnology via two experiments that we were assigned during our biology class. Although I’d heard the word before and I had a general idea of what it was, I was pleased to find out just how interesting and fun it was. Some of the things we did were downright mind blowing, like something out of a sci-fi movie. The feat of extracting that DNA from the strawberry with the simple materials we had was extraordinary to say the least. Working with the micropipettes was also an interesting and unique experience. Biotechnology is, without a doubt, among the subjects that fascinates me the most, and I owe that to this experience. It was a most enjoyable experience, and one that I’d like to see more of.
LikeLike
I found the AMGEN Biotech experience very interesting and different from what I’ve done before. My favorite lab was the extraction of DNA from the strawberry because I had no idea it could be done with materials that I can easily find. I liked using the micropipettes because it challenged me to use a new instrument that seemed easy to handle but could be tricky. When I finally got the hang of it I didn’t want to stop using it. It was a nice change to try something different in my biology class because it served as an informative but fun way to learn new things. I enjoyed that we used lab coats and worked in groups. Although science is not my favorite subject, I found this to be a great experience.
LikeLike
When they first told me that we were going to do a lab about Biotechnology, I did not know what that word meant. Now, after that introduction that the teacher gave us and the two labs with the strawberry and the micropipettes, I have the idea about what it means. The labs were pretty interesting, especially the one with extracting the DNA from the strawberry, but it wasn’t quite as exciting as I would’ve hoped. This was an unforgettable experience that 10th grade was able to be a part of, but I’m really looking forward for the dissections of the animals coming soon, since I’m interested in that area of science. In conclusion, the Biotech experiments were amazing and different from what I’ve done, but it is not for me.
LikeLike
This lab was an incredible and fascinating experience I wont forget. It introduced me to a new different plain in science, that is Biotechnology. We got the chance to use new instruments like the micropipette. At first it was a little tricky to understand, but at the end me and the rest of my group got the hang of it. In this lab we learned how to extract the DNA of a strawberry. I found it super interesting and educational, even though science isn’t my favorite or strongest subject. I hope we get the chance to conduct an experiment like this again.
LikeLike
This was an extremely entertaining yet educational lab. I learned so many things throughout the process, including how to properly use the micropipette. And, yes while it was sometimes frustrating, the final product was very satisfying. The tools were surprisingly a lot simpler than I thought they would be to use. It’s exciting to think about what the future holds in terms of new tools for biology/science experiments and tests. Below is a link of what a micropipette is and it’s function, for anybody who wasn’t able to do the lab. http://solutions.pipette.com/micropipette/
LikeLike
I knew Biotechnology existed, but I never really learned about it until now. The AMGEN Biotech experience was very interesting and educational, and it impressed me in many ways. I would have never believed you could extract DNA from a strawberry using simple and easily accessible materials such as dish washer soap, but I have been enlightened. Using the micropipette was both exciting and terrifying, since they were really expensive, but once I got the hang of it, I just wanted to keep using it. These labs really were an amazing opportunity to learn more about Biotechnology and it was really fun. It is especially useful for students who want to study this field in science.
LikeLike
The AMGEN Biotech experience was truly fascinating and fun. It invited the students to learn by practice and real life experiments and finally change the regular theoretical way of learning. In an experiment we got to extract the DNA of a strawberry, and this was very amazing for me because i have never seen what DNA looks life in real life. Thanks to this experiment i could see how it is. And it also prepared me to use correctly a pipette, the pipette experience will truly help me in the future if i am to study medicine, pipettes will be a common tool for me and this lab gave me a head start. Besides that, i found it very exciting to work in a lab, to be able to see results with my own eyes instead of just trusting a book. ( not to take away credibility to books of course) but what i mean is that it was reassuring that i could make experiments and get good results. In the end every lab was very well done, organized and fun to do. It sparked my interest in the field of biotech and i would totally recommend it to anyone or any school. I further researched on how to extract DNA from organic matter and found out that it can also be done with a banana, kiwi, onion, cheek cells, saliva and many more things. Here’s a link of a video of the extraction of DNA from a tomato like the one done with the strawberry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5L4itvNOLo
LikeLike
Throughout the week of March 6-10 we did two Biotech labs. When I first entered the room during the day of the first lab, I didn’t know what to expect from it, and what ended up happening was that I learned how to extract the DNA from a strawberry with simple, everyday materials and had a blast doing so. During the second lab we got to use the micropipettes to put certain measurements of liquid on laminated paper which at first was challenging, but soon I got the hang of it. It is an experience that I will never forget. The only thing that disappointed me is that our group never got to do the third lab with the gel. Either way I hope we get to do this again.
LikeLike
When I first found out that we were going to be doing biotech labs, I didn’t know what to expect, or what exactly it was. However, after doing the lab, I have a different outlook on biotech, because I didn’t know about all the things that research in biotech had discovered. I found particularly interesting that lab where we saw the DNA of the strawberry. I never would have guessed that you can find the genetic blueprint of a strawberry using common household items.
LikeLike
The labs were a really fun experience and one I wasn’t expecting. My sister studied biotechnology and I didn’t know what that was and this lab helped me understand what she does. We got to extract the DNA from a strawberry and that was my favorite part I didn’t know DNA looked like that. We also got to work with the micropipettes which was a really tricky experience but me and my group managed to get the hang of it sort of by the end of the class. I found this experience fun and educational and I hope I get a chance to do it again someday.
LikeLike
I found this lab very enjoyable. In my group, we did two labs. First, we extracted the DNA from a strawberry. To do this we crushed a strawberry and extracted the juices. Next, we put dishwasher fluid to break the cell wall, the phospholipid bilayer, and the nuclear membrane. Finally we added ethanol to this strawberry and Dishwasher fluid mixture so that the DNA would clumped into a more solid state. In the second lab we used the micropipette. We used the micropipette to transfer small amounts of food coloring onto a laminated piece of paper. Overall this lab was very fun and if we are given the option to do something like this again I would.
LikeLike
I really liked the activities that were done during the labs. I never thought that you could extract DNA from a strawberry using simple tools and materials. The micropipettes were interesting to use too. At first it was hard to keep my hand steady, but after the second drop you got the hang of it. I didn’t know much about Biotechnology and there is still much for me to learn, but it seems to be interesting so i’ll definitely look more information about it.The labs were fun and educative and i hope that I may participate the next time they take place.
LikeLike
This lab is definitely my favorite one. Although, it was something different than everything we’ve done, this experience made me realize how tecnology has evolve and how will it keep evolving into bigger things. With experiments like these one can see how far scientists and tecnology itself has come. With a single instrument, called a pipette, one can extract the DNA of a strawberry. If someone were to ask how that is done, the person would rapidly think is some complex process, like I did, but little did I know that the steps are simple and the pipette is user friendly. This lab actually felt as if we were in the real thing working as professionals in the laboratory with our lab coats and the instruments etc… It helped me learn how to work my way in a real laboratory and it also openned my appetite into wanting to do more of these labs and discovering more about the AMGEN experience. It is a great lab that requires patience and it also helps you understand that practice makes perfect.
LikeLike
I found this experience interesting. We got the chance to do two labs that week. The first one was with the strawberry’s DNA. It is incredible how with some quick steps you can extract the DNA. First we took the strawberry and put it in a ziplock bag we added some soap and crushed the strawberry. After we were done we passed the mixture through a coffee filter to get the liquid out. We added some ethanol and stirred until we could “fish” out the DNA. It was really weird and impressive how easy it was to do that and the amazing result we got. The second lab we did was practicing how to use the micropipette. It took us a while to figure out but i loved it in the end.
LikeLike
When I first heard that we would be doing lab activities I didn’t know what to expect or what we were going to do, but once we put on the lab coats and started I got very excited and felt like a real scientist. This activity was very interesting and provided me with new information about how scientists work in labs. Working with the micropipettes and extracting the dna of a strawberry was interesting. It was also intriguing how you could extract the dna with common products. These labs gave me new insight into how scientist work and of the research done in Biotechnology. Eventhough I’m not planning on being a scientist it was a very fun and amazing experience that i would like to enjoy again.
LikeLike
I found the Biotech Labs to be very intriguing. It was fun to see how such simple biotech tools are more complicated than they look. At first when we watched the instructional videos on the micropippet I thought it was going to be very easy to use, but it took me a couple of times to get the hang of it. It was interesting to see how such an important tool for Biotech can be quite complex. The DNA lab was alap very interesting before the lab I believed that the makeup of an organism could be seen only looking through a microscope at the organism as is. Now I know that to find the DNA we have to separate it from the organism’s protective barrier. Overall I liked the labs and am interested on reading a bit more on biotechnology.
LikeLike
Having the opportunity to do do these labs was a very interesting and great experience. It definitely sparked my interest in biotech. Watching the video of how the micropipette is used and getting to test it out was a very different experience. It was much harder than the lady in the video made it seem. We learned how to properly grab the tip and dispose of it. Also, which measurements should be used for the tool without damaging it. My favorite lab was getting to extract the DNA of the strawberry. It was very interesting seeing that the clear, gooey substance was the strawberries’ DNA. Overall, getting the chance to do these labs were a fun way of learning about new things and testing them instead of just reading about them. This helps us experience of how it feels to work in a lab just like scientists.
LikeLike
With the AMGEN Biotech Experience I learned more about the scientific branch of biotechnology. In the first lab about the extraction of DNA I learned how to extract DNA from strawberry juice with simple tools, and I also improved my observation skills to be able to make the conclusion about the lab. In the second lab, the one where we used the micropipette, I learned about the tool and how to use it in the correct way, like how to adjust the measurements, how to insert and take away the tips, how to correctly release the whole substance from the inside, etc. In conclusion, I really liked the lab because it was a new and different experience, and because I got to learn more about biotechnology.
LikeLike
The AMGEN biotech Experience lab for me was one of the most interesting and enhancing labs we have done through this school year. I found it very interesting how by just smashing a strawberry in a plastic bag that contained dish water I was able to for the first time actually extract and see a considerable amount of DNA. I also enjoyed learning how to use the micropipette. It was at this point that I realized that I have really shaky hands but I still managed to complete my part of the lab in an almost successful way. I really liked this lab and I’m looking forward to manipulate no just dyes but many other things. Here is a link to shows the steps to extract DNA from not just strawberries but anything living.http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/extraction/howto/
LikeLike
The Biotech Experience to my surprise was truly eye opening. The labs that we participated in widened my interest in biotechnology significantly. I found it mind blowing how everything connects perfectly to reach the results needed, for example when we extracted the strawberry’s DNA. After the lab I was talking with one of my classmates about how perfectly every material connected and made the extraction of the DNA possible, like the effect that the dishwater had upon the phospholipid bilayers and also ethanol’s polarity, which attracted DNA because of its electronegativity. Also, the part of electrophoresis was really interesting on how, with just a few materials, we could measure the heaviness of tints. It is quite interesting that with those same materials scientist can measure the lengths of DNA strands and organize them size wise just by identifying which ones move further or stat close to the place where they began. These labs and extra research I’ve done has opened up another window of opportunities of professions I could pursue after completing biology. http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/labs/gel/
LikeLike
I liked this particular lab because it gave us the opportunity to experience the daily work of a lab technician. We had the opportunity to extract DNA from a strawberry and to perform electrophoresis using different dyes. These two procedures is very helpful, especially in the separation and the extraction of DNA. Genetic engineering has made this possible and along with the medical field, it can bring many advances in terms of correcting DNA for mutations. Below, there’s a link to a video to have a better understanding of how electrophoresis works. I chose this video because the electrophoresis performed at school was only done with dyes and this video shows how the process works and what can be said about the resulting displacement.
LikeLike
The AMGEN Biotech Experience is such an innovative and effective science education program that empowers students to incorporate and apply biotechnology in the classroom. This allows future scientists or med students to encourage professional development by providing a hands-on molecular biology curriculum in order to see DNA through a different perspective.
LikeLike
The AMGEN Biotech Experience was a fun and innovative way of showing a new perspective into the field of science. It was a fun week of labs that let us use tools that I hadn’t used before. And it let me learn new things I didn’t know before. My favorite lab was the one where we used dish washing soap to break the cells membrane and at the end we separated the DNA from the rest of the fluid.
LikeLike
During this AP Biology course, I had the opportunity of working with equipment brought in by AMGEN. It was an enriching experience that will definitely help me when I begin studying biology at university. AMGEN brought in micropipettes, which are tools to transfer small amounts of liquid, and our class learned how to use them. One of the things I learned during this week was how to break down a cell’s wall in order to extract DNA. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the research laboratories in the Centro Comprensivo de Cancer de PR, where a young lady gave me the tour of the equipment. I encountered many of the things brought into the class by AMGEN, such as the micropipettes and centrifuges. These tools are being used every day to find cures for terminal diseases all around the world, which made me realize that I would love to pursue research biology as a career.
LikeLike
This AMGEN Biotech Experience was by far the most intriguing lab we’ve done. The first lab we did was extracting the DNA from a strawberry; I couldn’t believe how easy it actually was to extract DNA from a strawberry with very simple tools. This lab helped me enrich my knowledge about chemical substances by using dishwasher fluid to break the cell wall and ethanol for the attraction of the positive charge and negative charge from DNA. In the second lab we did we got the chance to work with micropipettes. At first it was kind of tricky but later on our group got the hang of it, and it turned out to be very simple. In conclusion this was a great experience and I hope we have the chance to do this kind of labs again.
LikeLike
So far this was the best lab. It is not the same reading the chapter than experiencing how DNA differ one to another. During the week I was able to familiarize with the instruments real biotechnologist use. The strawberry’s DNA extraction was very impressive, I had no idea it was so easy to extract it from the nucleus with such simple steps.Here are the simple steps to follow.https://www.amgenbiotechexperience.com/curriculum/curriculum-resources
LikeLike
The AMGEN biotech experinments were an amazing learning experience. It also felt like a small glimpse to what awaits us in AP biology in 12th grade. It felt very professional to use a micropipette just like real biochemists. And for those who wish to major in biochemistry or chemistry or any other science for that matter it was a like an introduction to what they will do in their near future. Personally my favorite part of the experiment was the part where we extracted DNA from a strawberry. To be honest I thought that the DNA of anything really would be different. I was impressed when I saw that the DNA was a weird white almost clear substance. I don’t know if the color depends on the alcohol you use to separate the DNA from the strawberry but I thought thr color would be red to be honest. I would have enjoyed it even more if we had done more with the DNA. Maybe looked at the DNA under a microscope to see it at an even closer level. But it all was very entertaining and enlightening.
LikeLike
This particular lab really puts things into perspective and breaks many of the stereotypes one has of scientists. One always imagines that lab technicians must be geniuses capable of doing extremely complicated processes, but one never imagines the simplicity behind certain processes that literally anyone can perform. Who would’ve thought that extracting DNA would’ve so easy as crushing a strawberry, mixing it with dishwasher fluid, then filtering the mixture to then add ethanol, and voila DNA was extracted. I believe this lab sure proves that to be a biologist one must be educated on the field so that one can make processes as simple as they can possibly be, and avoid unnecessary complications.
LikeLike
This lab really was an amazing experience. The fact that we got to use actual professional equipment used in labs was mind blowing and really helped me better understand what it’s like to work in a professional environment. My favorite experiment was when we extracted DNA from the strawberry. I was amazed at how simple it was and at the materials used to extract it. I also really liked learning and practicing how to use the micropipette, and the gel electrophoresis was a very interesting experience. All in all, I really liked this lab and would like to experience it again.
http://sciencing.com/difference-genomic-dna-extraction-between-animal-plant-2551.html
LikeLike
I had a lot of fun doing this lab. i learned a lot too. The professional equipment was awesome.I had never seen DNA before and now i had that experience. I would had loved to do something with the DNA, because all we did was throw it to the trash. I was still impressed with all we did.The equipment was very fun to use, but again I felt like we could have done more. Still it was an amazing experience. I hope I could do it again. I would like to learn more about biotechnology and all the experiments and labs that they do.
LikeLike