(BOSTON, Mass.) — NEWS: As a world-recognized program that trains the next generation of innovators and skilled workers in synthetic biology, the BioBuilder Educational Foundation announced new work with K2 Scientific to make high quality tools and equipment for life science research widely accessible. BioBuilder has partnered with K2 Scientific, who will donate industry-grade refrigeration units to four high-need high schools participating in the BioBuilderClub this academic year.
Consistent refrigeration of laboratory reagents is essential for a wide variety of biotechnology experiments and applications. Without precise temperature control and storage, materials and supplies for life science research degrade. Yet many high school educators, especially those in under-resourced school districts, rely on limited and unreliable cold-storage units. Many teachers forgo hands-on laboratory experiments without the appropriate cold storage equipment.
Recognizing that many high schools face financial constraints that limit classroom opportunities in the field of synthetic biology, BioBuilder annually runs the BioBuilderClub program. Since its inception in 2015, more than 1850 students from demographically and geographically diverse schools in 24 states and 7 countries have participated in a total of 202 BioBuilderClubs at low or no cost to the schools themselves. The BioBuilderClub supports real and meaningful student research, enabling high school students to take their ideas from concept to prototype to publication.
On November 9, 2022, staff and leadership from K2 Scientific and BioBuilder identified the first of four BioBuilderClubs to receive a freezer this academic year. The first recipient is the BioBuilderClub team from the Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School (MCNDHS), a public school in New York City that serves students in grades 10-12.
Alfred Lwin, the MCNDHS BioBuilderClub lead teacher, said, “Our refrigerator is 20 years old, and sometimes we have difficulties using its freezer for cold storage. Thanks to the generous donation of a lab grade refrigerator by K2 Scientific, we will be able to use cold storage for our BioBuilder and other biotechnology labs.”
Dee Jetton, COO from K2 Scientific, shared, “We could not be prouder to support this program. I am always so excited to see the great things the BioBuilder Program and its participants are accomplishing. We are thrilled to contribute to BioBuilder programs around the country. K2 Scientific is committed to equity and inclusion, so bringing medical and laboratory grade equipment to high-need schools is a perfect mission fit. It’s nice for our team to learn about students’ aha moments and accomplishments resulting from K2’s support of young scientists in the field.”
Founder and Executive Director of BioBuilder, Dr. Natalie Kuldell noted, “Our BioBuilderClubs are often the first – and sometimes the only – time high school students can engage in authentic research before they launch into college or careers. By making that research experience more accessible and more meaningful, we can effectively engage the next generation of scientific innovators and productively prepare our future citizens.”
About BioBuilder:
Created by an award-winning team from MIT, BioBuilder empowers teachers and schools to better serve students and employers by elevating the skills that students are taught. Founded in 2011, BioBuilder has grown to partner with schools in almost every state and around the world. BioBuilder builds confidence in teachers to learn and apply the synthetic biology curricula, and provides laboratory kits and an openly accessible textbook that enable experiential learning.
BioBuilder also works directly with district and community leaders to identify potential roadblocks to narrow the gap between science innovation and science education – at least for biology – across the U.S., and better match the skill of our nation’s workforce to the needs of the synthetic biology industry. Learn more by visiting https://biobuilder.org/.
About K2 Scientific:
K2 Scientific provides high-performance, medical, cold storage solutions at value prices, offering an extensive line serving US Life Science corporations and North and South American distributors. All K2 orders ship from the North Carolina basecamp. For more information, visit https://k2sci.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram @K2_Scientific
Related link: https://biobuilder.org/
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