ATE Project Talks: Developing Training for Inclusive Lab Environments and Developing Genome Editing Coursework

Welcome to the InnovATEBIO 2022 series of virtual ATE project talks.  This series features leaders in biotechnology workforce education from across the US sharing their work on exciting projects funded by the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program.  The ATE program supports the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.

In these talks, we'll learn about promoting more inclusive workplace practices and about working with industry to develop courses in genome editing.

Each talk will be 20 minutes, followed by 15 minutes for questions and discussion.

View the whole series of InnovATEBIO 2022 ATE project talks.

Talk 1:  Developing & Disseminating Trainings & Tools to build inclusive lab environments

Description:  Our CCSF-UCSF team developed training to promote more inclusive workplace practices for biotechnology community college students and mentor-managers working within an academic research setting.  We are currently enhancing those trainings to promote similar practices within industry workplaces. Along with this adaptation, we’ll be disseminating those trainings nationwide to community college students and biotech-bioscience mentor-managers through online platforms to foster the knowledge and skills needed to encourage more inclusivity and dismantle systemic barriers for community college students in the biotech-bioscience workplace.

Speakers:  James Lewis & Karen Leung, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

• Learn more about the A Collaborative Approach to Work-Based Learning in Biotechnology: Building Inclusive Lab Environments ATE project

Talk 2:  Development of Genome Editing Coursework: A collaboration with Industry

Description:  Our grant funding is supporting, with the input of our local area bioscience industry, the development of two genome editing courses to be implemented into our biotechnology program at St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley.  These courses will provide advanced coursework in the technologies and procedures used in the genome editing laboratories locally, while providing a great overview and understanding of the editing of a genome, and the ethics and concepts involved.  Students will learn the basic history and ideas behind each of the hands-on laboratory techniques they will actually do in the lab, guided by instructors well versed in the technology. Genome editing I is being offered for the second half of the spring semester 2022.

Speaker:  Elizabeth Boedecker PhD, District Director, Center for Plant and Life Sciences, St. Louis Community College Florissant Valley, St. Louis, MO

• Learn more about the Expanding the Bio-Bench - Targeted Genome Editing ATE project