{"691921":{"#nid":"691921","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Training Tomorrow\u0027s Scientists","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMost high school students spend their science classes learning established concepts and completing the occasional lab experiment. At Lambert High School in Forsyth County, Georgia, students on the school\u0027s International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) team operate more like a research lab, working together to investigate\u0026nbsp;ambitious real-world challenges in synthetic biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe iGEM students are led by Catherine \u0022Kate\u0022 Sharer (Chemistry\/Biochemistry 1996), who discovered a passion for research as an undergraduate at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s a joy to work with these students on real science; instead of teaching a class, it feels very much like we\u0027re running a research lab that also has this competitive aspect to it,\u201d says Sharer.\u0026nbsp;\u0022It\u0027s the perfect job I never knew I wanted.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Beginnings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESharer\u2019s path to the classroom began in Tech\u2019s chemistry labs. She initially enrolled as a chemical engineering major, before discovering she preferred chemistry and the lab work that went with it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI would listen in class and memorize my notes, but I learned the most when I could put chemical theories into practice in the lab,\u201d says Sharer. \u201dToday, I try to bring that same learning process to my students.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESummer research positions with Georgia Tech faculty gave her opportunities for hands-on scientific discovery. \u201cWorking in labs as a 19-year-old undergraduate made a huge impact on me,\u201d Sharer says. \u201cI absolutely fell in love with research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAfter graduation, she began a Ph.D. program in biochemistry and molecular biology at Emory University and spent about a decade in research labs. During those years, she mentored undergraduate scientists and found her enthusiasm for teaching matched her passion for research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ERealizing she wanted to make teaching a career, she earned a master\u0027s degree in secondary education and became a chemistry teacher. Just two years later, iGEM showed her that she didn\u0027t have to choose between the classroom and the lab.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGlobal Acclaim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe iGEM competition brings together students from more than 65 countries to conduct ambitious research aimed at solving real-world problems, culminating in the annual Global Jamboree in Paris.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe Lambert team is internationally recognized. Over the years, they\u2019ve been profiled on \u003Cem\u003E60 Minutes\u003C\/em\u003E and Georgia Public Broadcasting and earned several competition awards. The 2022 team won the Grand Prize with their project, CADlock, an accessible, early-diagnosis screening test for coronary artery disease that uses microRNA biomarkers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ENearly 100 students tried out for 10 openings on this year\u0027s team. According to Sharer, families move to the Lambert School District to participate. Despite the accolades, Sharer believes the team\u2019s greatest achievement is the growth she sees in her students.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThey gain a lot of soft skills, like being a good team member and an effective communicator,\u201d says Sharer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAddressing Challenges\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EEach year the students choose the global issue they\u2019d like to tackle.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe 2025 team developed a Lyme disease diagnostic platform using gene-editing technology, which led to an invitation for students to present their research at a Lyme disease symposium at Johns Hopkins University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0022This wasn\u2019t a competition, this wasn\u2019t on \u003Cem\u003E60 Minutes\u003C\/em\u003E, this wasn\u2019t for a gold medal. This was my students being part of an important conversation with Lyme disease researchers across the world,\u201d says Sharer. \u201cIt really showed them the power of science.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis year\u0027s team is focusing on deformed wing virus in honey bees. Students are exploring synthetic biology approaches that could help protect bee populations critical to agriculture.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMy students are passionate, competitive, and committed to making the world a better place through the research and outreach that they do,\u201d explains Sharer. \u201cThey\u2019re wildly creative and ambitious, without any preconceived notions of what they can\u2019t do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EBeyond the laboratory, Lambert\u2019s iGEM students host a synthetic biology summer camp for middle school students, conduct outreach in local schools, and even deliver virtual lessons to young women in Afghanistan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EAll of the iGEM experiences have reinforced Sharer\u0027s belief in what young scientists can achieve:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022High school students are capable of independent research, and the more opportunities we can give them for that, the better.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Georgia Tech Legacy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELike Sharer, the Lambert iGEM team shares strong ties with Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team traces its roots to School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EMark Styczynski,\u003C\/strong\u003E who introduced former Lambert teacher,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJanet Standeven\u003C\/strong\u003E, to the competition. Since then, Styczynski has remained a dedicated mentor, supporting Lambert students for more than a decade.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cHe treats my high school kids like grad students, asking them great questions that make them think about the research,\u0022 says Sharer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EOther Georgia Tech professors have also offered research guidance and laboratory space.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis year, the students have been working with\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EJennifer Leavey\u003C\/strong\u003E, principal academic professional, assistant dean for faculty mentoring, and director of the Georgia Tech Urban Honeybee Project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI\u2019ve been very impressed with the Lambert iGEM team members,\u201d says Leavey.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThey are approaching the problem of honey bee health from so many different angles\u0026nbsp;\u2014 using molecular biology, protein chemistry, technology, and even education. I hope they all become scientists, but even if they don\u0027t, I know they will go on to amazing things!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EComing Full-Circle\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESharer sees her own educational experience reflected in the opportunities her students have today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cEverything I was taught at Georgia Tech, my training at Emory, and all of the pieces of my education, I get to transfer into the classroom,\u201d says Sharer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EMany iGEM students leave Lambert and come to Georgia Tech.\u003Cstrong\u003E Esther Lee\u003C\/strong\u003E, a third-year biomedical engineering major, was a member of the Lambert iGEM team in 2022 and is now a volunteer mentor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cThe endurance built from reading papers, troubleshooting, and collaborating with team members to be creative and solve problems helped me push through challenging courses and team-based projects at Tech,\u201d says Lee. \u201cIt also encouraged me to join a research lab and continue experimenting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELee speaks highly of her former advisor:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cMs. Sharer expertly balances encouraging and pushing students to learn, explore, and ideate challenging topics while also keeping realities and timelines in check,\u201d says Lee.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ESharer\u2019s current iGEM students agree:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cShe\u2019s a great teacher,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBrandon Jimerson\u003C\/strong\u003E, a senior member of Lambert\u2019s iGEM team. \u201cShe\u2019s really shaped the way I look at science and how it can positively affect the world.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech alumna Kate Sharer is helping high school students move beyond textbooks to explore scientific challenges usually reserved for university and industry researchers.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech alumna Kate Sharer is helping high school students move beyond textbooks to explore scientific challenges usually reserved for university and industry researchers."}],"uid":"36607","created_gmt":"2026-08-24 18:39:34","changed_gmt":"2026-08-25 14:00:33","author":"ls67","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-08-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680966":{"id":"680966","type":"image","title":"Kate Sharer","body":"\u003Cp\u003EKate Sharer\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787596795","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 18:39:55","changed":"1787596795","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 18:39:55","alt":"Headshot of a woman in front of a periodic table","file":{"fid":"265306","name":"IMG_1023--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/IMG_1023--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/IMG_1023--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":828521,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/IMG_1023--1-.jpg?itok=ta41UujM"}},"680967":{"id":"680967","type":"image","title":"Lambert High School iGEM members visited the hives located on the roof of the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design and took part in a question and answer session with Director of the Georgia Tech Urban Honeybee Project Jennifer Leavey.","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELambert High School iGEM members visited the\u0026nbsp;hives located on the roof of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livingbuilding.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EKendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design\u003C\/a\u003E and took part in a question and answer session with\u0026nbsp;Director of the Georgia Tech Urban Honeybee Project\u0026nbsp;Jennifer Leavey.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787597087","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 18:44:47","changed":"1787597087","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 18:44:47","alt":"A group of people on the roof","file":{"fid":"265307","name":"khivesDSC05651.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/khivesDSC05651.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/khivesDSC05651.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":12546970,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/khivesDSC05651.JPG?itok=s4sJtWar"}},"680969":{"id":"680969","type":"image","title":"Lambert iGEM students and Leavey discuss different ideas to treat the mites that often spread deformed wing virus without harming the hive..","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELambert iGEM students and Leavey discuss different ideas to treat the mites that often spread deformed wing virus without harming the hive.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1787597893","gmt_created":"2026-08-24 18:58:13","changed":"1787597893","gmt_changed":"2026-08-24 18:58:13","alt":"Woman demonstrates parts of a bee hive.","file":{"fid":"265310","name":"hiveDSC05602.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/hiveDSC05602.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/08\/24\/hiveDSC05602.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":8506342,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/08\/24\/hiveDSC05602.JPG?itok=5a2OgTVD"}}},"media_ids":["680966","680967","680969"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"402381","name":"Urban Honey Bee Project"}],"categories":[{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"194631","name":"cos-georgia"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELaura S. Smith, writer\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}