{"678347":{"#nid":"678347","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Frugal Science Academy Enhancing Science Education across Georgia","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELevi Phillips\u0027 path to enrollment as a first-year major in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) in fall 2024 included interning in the Frugal Science Academy, which a ChBE professor created to nurture the next generation of engineers, inventors, and change makers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhillips learned of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fsa.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrugal Science Academy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (FSA) as a student at Lambert High School through his biotechnology teacher Janet Standeven, who had developed a collaboration with FSA founder \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bhamla.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESaad Bhamla\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in ChBE.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Frugal Science Academy is building a world where synthetic biology is accessible to everyone who wishes to participate through the creation of affordable equipment,\u201d Bhamla said. \u201cWe help high school students build synthetic biology tools using everyday objects and share those technologies with others.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrugal innovations that have emerged from the Bhamla lab include an automated tracking microscope, a 3D-printed centrifuge, and an inexpensive cell lysis device for molecular biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring his senior year at Lambert in Suwanee, Georgia, Phillips worked remotely with Bhamla\u2019s FSA conducting an independent project on a PIO reactor, an affordable open-source bioreactor.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFSA Boot Camp and Teacher Training\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhillips\u2019 project continued in summer 2024 as he worked in campus labs at Georgia Tech as part of the two-week\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EFSA Boot Camp and Teacher Training, which involved, at various times, 15 high school interns and 20 other high school students working with undergraduate mentors on various projects from new hardware devices to innovative synthetic biology projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESix high school teachers also took part in the teacher development portion of the Boot Camp.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhillips, who said the overall experience with the FSA attracted him to apply and enroll at Georgia Tech, described the mentorship and lab experiences during the\u0026nbsp;Boot Camp as exceptional.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf I had to give a star rating, it would be six stars out of five, just fantastic,\u201d he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFormation and Funding of FSA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhillips\u2019 former biotechnology teacher at Lambert, Janet Standeven, organized the Boot Camp in her role as program manager of the FSA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe began partnering with ChBE\u2019s Professor Bhamla in 2017 when her Lambert students wanted to take part in the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition. Standeven reached out to Bhamla to see if her students could use an open-source centrifuge from his lab for a project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/478da80b-3e65-42f5-97e9-9b61a3c7c9e1%20%281%29.jpg?itok=mPcI84F8\u0022 alt=\u0022Teachers participating in the lab \u0022 width=\u00221024\u0022 height=\u0022768\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETeachers from across Georgia participated in the Frugal Science Academy Boot Camp and Teacher Training.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/461990296_10161002267828823_8459367522110830400_n.jpg?itok=NaeW34iV\u0022 alt=\u0022Undergraduate mentor in the lab\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u00221600\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EUndegraduate mentors assisted the 35 high school students participating the Summer Boot Camp and Teacher Training\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the years, their partnership continued and evolved into Standeven, a former Georgia Biotechnology Teacher of the Year, joining the FSA in ChBE full time in 2023. Earlier this year, Georgia Tech\u0027s Center for Teaching Learning recognized FSA with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ctl.gatech.edu\/faculty\/awards\/ed-partnership\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEducation Partnership Award\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA five-year Science Education Partnership Award from the National Institutes of Health has enabled Bhamla and Standeven to expand frugal science access beyond Lambert to high schools across Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to students, the grant focuses on training teachers on how to conduct academic-level research from anywhere using frugal equipment. Teachers in rural areas often do not have access to university research labs that those in Atlanta and other larger cities might.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe will grow a STEM-engaged workforce by enabling teachers to provide immersive research opportunities at their high schools.\u201d Standeven said. \u201cWe\u2019ve found teachers are the multiplier of shared resources.\u0026nbsp;When you train teachers in rapidly evolving technology, they can bring real-life examples into the classroom, enriching\u0026nbsp;their\u0026nbsp;teaching content and student understanding.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIGEM Competition Preparation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA major focus of the teacher and student training in the summer 2024 FSA Boot Camp included the frugal technologies of a Lambert High School project for the International Genetically Engineering Machine Competition (IGEM).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELambert is one of only eight high schools in the country to have a team competing in IGEM, which is typically intended for college students.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom 2018 -2023, Lambert IGEM teams won gold medals at the Grand Jamboree International Competition. In 2022, the Lambert team was awarded The Grand Prize for the best high school project in the world for their early diagnostic tool detecting micro RNA associated with Coronary Artery Disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELambert\u2019s current team, consisting of 24 students, will compete at the 2024 international competition in October in Paris, France.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECombating Antimicrobial Resistance\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis team is developing a multi-faceted approach (called SHIELD) for combating the growing threats posed by antimicrobial resistance, which can be accelerated by the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne component of SHIELD is ThermoX, a portable device for diagnosing bacterial diseases quickly. Another is a CRISPR-interference (CRISPRi) system designed to target and suppress essential genes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria without using traditional antibiotics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo measure the effectiveness of CRISPRi in real-world scenarios, the team designed a biosensor called a \u0022toehold,\u0022 which helps quantify CRISPRi\u0027s impact by detecting changes in bacterial genes. Team members also investigated local water contamination caused by antibiotic runoff from livestock, highlighting how this practice fosters resistance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELambert senior Christiana Cho, a member of the IGEM team, said that the opportunity to use Georgia Tech\u2019s labs over the summer was a great experience and huge help in advancing their project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe didn\u2019t have to cram all of all experiments into the fall, so the boot camp was great in getting our project moving and ensuring that we have results,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re able to get everything set in time for the IGEM competition.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EValuable Lab Time\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKate Sharer, a biotechnology teacher and IGEM advisor at Lambert, reiterated the value of the lab time made possible by the generosity of the School of Biological Sciences\u2019 lab manager Alison Onstine, who provided space in the Boggs building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo have a solid eight hours a day in the lab is something we never get in high school,\u201d said Sharer, a Georgia Tech alum (CHEM 1996).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTo have that has been wonderful as well as the collaborations with the undergraduate mentors and access to the postdocs and faculty members who\u2019ve been generous with their time and expertise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnstine said: \u201cThe biology labs are delighted to support these valuable and impactful outreach programs. We are fortunate to have a set of newly renovated teaching labs in the Boggs building that can easily accommodate summer programs and special events. That this program is having such an outsized impact on science education in the local community is all the better.\u201d\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/462105081_10161002261333823_771834687092981532_n.jpg?itok=T1BZRYJL\u0022 alt=\u0022Poster competition\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022900\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHigh school students in the Frugal Science Academy presented their work in a poster showcase at the end of the two-week Boot Camp.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/d19516df-586f-4a97-9da8-7d8421bba364.jpg?itok=wNkJuyZy\u0022 alt=\u0022Poster Competition\u0022 width=\u00221024\u0022 height=\u0022768\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFrugal Science Academy Founder Saad Bhamla learns about a student\u0027s research project in the poster showcase.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EImage\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/a62c3911-5e1a-4e5e-b327-b9c76e54a086.jpg?itok=XGbtLWWX\u0022 alt=\u0022High school students in group setting\u0022 width=\u00221024\u0022 height=\u0022768\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThirty-five high school students participated in the Boot Camp.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003EImage\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/gtcoe_wide\/public\/2024-10\/16b28b04-2dd9-4827-ad17-99757ff3145b.jpg?itok=yKFh1_ft\u0022 alt=\u0022Teachers in lab\u0022 width=\u00221024\u0022 height=\u0022768\u0022\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Frugal Science Academy instructs teachers on how to conduct academic-level research from anywhere using frugal equipment.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMaking Impact Statewide\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMelissa Rowe, a teacher at Chattooga High School in Summerville, Georgia, attended the FSA boot camp in both 2023 and 2024.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s really increased the rigor of my classes and provided my students with new lab experiences, skills, and knowledge,\u201d she said. \u201cMy goal is to help my students understand the topics or concepts of science are not standalone but interconnected.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShe said that learning lab techniques and technology involved in the IGEM student project on preventing antimicrobial resistance (aggravated by the misuse of antibiotics in agriculture) was of particular interest to her because of personal background. She lives on her family\u2019s farm, and many of the people in her community grow some of their own crops.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFuture Farmers of America and 4-H are big in our area,\u201d Rowe said. \u201cI\u2019m planning to apply for grants to test soil from different areas for antibiotic resistance. That\u2019s important to us in the health of our crops and farm animals in our area.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERowe said she is grateful to be part of the growing impact that FSA is making on science education across Georgia. \u201cIt\u2019s been an amazing experience coming and working in the labs at Georgia Tech.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESharing FSA Resources\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFSA student projects are added to a website open-sources that other classrooms can access for their experiments. The formation of virtual networks of teachers and classrooms to test new designs and give critiques to the inventors will provide a feedback loop to improve the projects as well as data for possible publications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStudents at every high school need and deserve these opportunities,\u201d Standeven said. \u201cEventually, every high school will be able to support a\u0026nbsp;bio-engineering mindset and the opportunity to develop ideas into projects.\u0026nbsp; Eventually, communities will see that synthetic biology is doable,\u0026nbsp;achievable, and a way to solve major world problems.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBoot Camp Provided Campus Lab Experience to Students, Teachers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Boot Camp Provided Campus Lab Experience to Students, Teachers"}],"uid":"36454","created_gmt":"2024-11-12 15:00:55","changed_gmt":"2024-11-12 15:05:36","author":"swilliamson40","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675586":{"id":"675586","type":"image","title":"frugalscience.jpg","body":null,"created":"1731423919","gmt_created":"2024-11-12 15:05:19","changed":"1731423919","gmt_changed":"2024-11-12 15:05:19","alt":"frugal science","file":{"fid":"259226","name":"frugalscience.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/frugalscience.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/frugalscience.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":133575,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/12\/frugalscience.jpg?itok=vEbVO05b"}}},"media_ids":["675586"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/chbe.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/frugal-science-academy-enhancing-science-education-across-georgia?utm_source=newsletter\u0026utm_medium=email\u0026utm_content=Frugal%20Science%20Academy%20Enhancing%20Education%20in%20Georgia\u0026utm_campaign=The%20Whistle%20-%20Nov.%204%2C%202024","title":""}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBrad Dixon\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}