Wearing lab coats, gloves and hair and shoe covers, 14 area high school students swabbed different areas of Montco’s Advanced Technology Center building to see which microorganisms exist on different surfaces. As they placed the samples in petri dishes for growth and later analysis, they learned that this type of experiment is frequently used in biopharmaceutical companies.

This was only one of many laboratory activities the students performed throughout the four-day BIOMAN Academy—a program held June 25-28 for area high school students designed to introduce them to careers in bioscience, including biotechnology and biomanufacturing.

As part of the Northeast Biomanufacturing Center and Collaborative (NBC2), Montco received a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, which funds the program and allows students to participate for free. The grant also funds biotechnology curriculum development, as well as workshops for high school teachers and science faculty.

Montco Biotechnology Associate Professor Dr. Margaret Bryans with NBC2 Grant Program Manager Dr. Matt Marshall and Biotechnology Lab Manager Hetal Doshi conducted the program.

“The BIOMAN Academy gives students the opportunity to use high-tech equipment to perform biotechnology experiments and learn about careers in the field,” said Dr. Bryans. “We keep them engaged throughout the program with lots of hands-on activities, short lectures and guest speakers.”

Several students, including Maggie Yang from Upper Merion Area High School, enjoyed learning about the field of forensic science from speaker Arthur Young of Guardian Forensic Sciences.

“It was insightful to hear what he does behind the scenes on a day-to-day basis. I got to learn what he actually does,” Yang said.

Ella McCloskey from Spring Ford High School also enjoyed the section about forensic analyses and learning about DNA fingerprinting, the Polymerase Chain Reaction and Gel Electrophoresis.

“I learned new techniques through the experiments we did,” McCloskey said.

For Declan McCullough, who attends Cheltenham High School, his favorite part was using new technology and learning more about genetics.

At the end of the session, students shared their poster projects with their families. The topics included vaccines, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine, genetic extinction technology, monoclonal antibodies, forensics of the future and human genome and bioinformatics.

The participants - rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors - were Maggie Yang, Upper Merion Area High School; Lydia Caldwell, La Salle College High School; Erin Greer, J.R. Masterman; Ella McCloskey, Spring Ford; Emmalyn Wilson, Upper Dublin High School; India Brooks, Delaware County Christian School; Henry Vradelis, Central Bucks South; Mason Vargas, Abington High School; Jared Williams, Plymouth Whitemarsh High School; Jordan Mitchel, Abington High School; Declan McCullough, Cheltenham High School; and Satyam Patel, North Penn High School.