High School Teachers Learn Genomics, Molecular Biology

BLACKSBURG, Va., Aug. 1, 2002 -- Five high school teachers from across the state participated in an in-depth workshop at Virginia Tech to help them teach about genomics and molecular biology.

The intensive one-week workshop included not only hands-on laboratory training, but also discussions concerning ethical issues arising from advances in genetics, the emerging discipline of bioinformatics, and health-related research going on at the university.

"For my students, these are the most timely subjects we'll cover during the year," said Tharba Urben, a biology teacher at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge. "They're going to see the real value of it, and they'll get excited about it."

Also from C.D. Hylton is Brenda Noto, who sees benefits for her students who are college bound and those who are not.

"I want to do a better job of preparing students for college," she said. "When they walk into a biology class in college they will have a basic understanding of these issues, so they won't be lost. But even the kids who aren't going on to college will need to know about DNA, genetics, and the rest. That's they way the world is going. This workshop will help me get that across."

Ed Smith, associate professor in Virginia Tech's Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, said the depth of the program was designed to challenge the teachers.

"This was an experiential program," Smith said. "It was very intensive, which is why we limited the number of participants. Too many and it would have been too much for us."

Smith was the lead instructor during the workshop and was assisted by Elizabeth Long, a research specialist in his lab, and Virginia Tech students Tom Ohare and Erin Sturgill. Jake Tu, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Erin Dolan, outreach coordinator at the university's Fralin Biotechnology Center talked to the teachers about the importance of genome variation and the resources available to them from Virginia Tech.

The program was structured in such a way as to help the teachers cover the requirements in the state's Standards of Learning while teaching the concepts of genomics and molecular biology, Smith said.

"This is very much a hands-on workshop," said John Pettis, a biology teacher at Midlothian High School near Richmond. "We are doing the experiments the students will be doing. We're making mistakes now so we won't make them in the classroom. We're doing exactly what we do at our schools - we're setting up the experiments and running them."

Darlene Lascono, a biology teacher at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, said students are aware that issues concerning genetics are in the news alm

"They will be motivated because this is really cutting-edge stuff," she said. "They'll take off with it, and it will be an opportunity for them to become more informed."

She said they will especially become involved in an experiment where they extract their own DNA from cheek cells, saline mouth washes, or from hair samples.

Judy Cassani, a biology teacher at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, said that by becoming involved and excited about the subject, her students will also become responsible citizens.

"My goal is to enhance the knowledge of the students so they can share the information with their parents, especially the ethical issues, because we're talking about those at this workshop, too," she said. "These kids are going to end up being lawmakers, they're going to be the users of this information in the future."

Smith said a similar workshop is planned for next summer thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As the only member on the National Institutes of Health genome study section from a land-grant university, Smith has initiated discussions with NIH to pick up the program after USDA support ends in 2003.

He hopes that in the long run this program will help change the image many high school students currently have that animal science is the career path only to veterinary science and animal husbandry. They want to broaden the image of animal science as a path that also leads to basic and biomedical research.