ASCC Land Grant Hosts Molecular Biology Workshop

ASCC Press Release Monday, May 23, 2011

ASCC Land Grant Hosts Molecular Biology Workshop for High School Science Teachers

In recent decades, new technologies for studying the genetic foundations of life have transformed the biomedical sciences, resulting in numerous breakthroughs that have improved people’s lives worldwide. Local high school students with an interest in science will now have a chance to try out some of these technologies through a program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). On May 12, ten high school science teachers completed a five-day workshop on molecular biology techniques hosted by the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) Land Grant Program.

Conducted by Dr. George Hui and Ms. Kae Myriam Pusic of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine, the workshop was sponsored by the NIH’s Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP) in conjunction with the American Samoa Department of Education, ASCC, and the University of Hawaii. The STEP-UP program seeks to increase the number of Pacific Islanders and other underrepresented minorities entering careers in biomedical research by providing opportunities for outstanding high school and college students to participate in scientific research.

The molecular biology workshop aimed to increase the capacity of local educators to mentor these students. Trainings took place on weekday evenings and all day on Saturday to avoid conflicts with the participants’ teaching duties. Despite the long hours, all those involved remained enthusiastic and eager to learn. The teacher-mentors got hands-on experience with techniques such as DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction, protein and DNA gel electrophoresis, and Western blots. Future workshops will build on this basic foundation. More information about the program is available at http://stepup.niddk.nih.gov.

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