On March 8th and 9th, 190 Massachusetts high school students participated in Biotech Futures. Biotech Futures is a day-long college and career exploration event that exposes high school students to the educational opportunities and diverse fields of study in the life sciences at the college level through hands-on laboratory experiences and a campus tour.
The event was organized by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd). Faculty and staff of Northeastern’s College of Science were excited to hear they had been chosen as a partner institution. “Biotech Futures Day is a win-win–not only is it an ideal way for high school students to learn about options for undergraduate study and the various career paths available to them in the biotechnology industry, but it is also very rewarding for us, the faculty of Northeastern’s College of Science, to share our own research and life experiences with the students,” said Jared Auclair, Director of the Biotechnology Programs for the College of Science.
Students began their day in the auditorium of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) hearing personal reflections from Dean Ken Henderson and Chemistry Chair Mike Pollastri about both traditional and non-traditional career paths. They also learned about the university’s signature co-op program from Biotechnology Co-op Coordinator Vanecia Harrison-Sanders. Students were then broken up into 8 small groups to continue with the day’s activities: a hands-on lab experience purifying and analyzing green fluorescent protein in one of ISEC’s state-of-the-art laboratories, an insight lecture by a Biotechnology or Chemical and Chemical Biology faculty member, an investigative lab about algae photosynthesis and respiration, and a tour of the Northeastern campus.
Each group was led by graduate students in the Professional Science Master’s in Biotechnology and PhD in Chemistry programs allowing for several spontaneous Q&A sessions throughout the day. High school students were able to find out firsthand what it is like to attend classes on a large urban university campus and to perform a co-op work experience.
