BioBuilder gives students the chance to integrate biology and engineering through hands-on lessons and club activities.
Synthetic biology is an emerging field where biology and engineering intersect. BioBuilder, founded by Dr. Natalie Kuldell, comprises a diverse group of professionals whose mission is to transform science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.
The BioBuilder team creates innovative STEM education with unique labs, connecting real-world questions in agriculture, medicine, biofuels, and environmental science. Its content not only exposes students to synthetic biology but also trains them to solve the problems of tomorrow using today’s teaching tools.
The BioBuilderClub
BioBuilder understands that science training continues beyond the classroom. Therefore, its BioBuilderClub engages high school teams around the world with online group meetings, newsletters, STEM mentors, and projects to be shared at conferences. Students use this platform to design, build, and test their own ideas using synthetic biology. Participants of the BioBuilderClub gain skills in presentation, research, collaboration, problem solving, and project management. All are valuable skills that can be applied to future careers.
Connecting the Classroom with Professional Skills
BioBuilder also engages students in preprofessional training opportunities, such as its High School Apprenticeship Challenge. This two-month apprenticeship helps students build technical knowledge, lab techniques, and research-based thinking in a professional environment–the type of training that leads to career opportunities. Over half the students who have completed their apprenticeship with BioBuilder jump-start their careers by accepting internships with biotechnology companies.
Case Study: Collaboration Brings Advanced STEM Labs to High Schoolers
This is the story of how one Tennessee high school brought advanced opportunities to its students by integrating synthetic biology labs into its science curricula.
In 2019, the Eastman Foundation of Kingsport, Tennessee, approached the Kingsport schools about adding BioBuilder biology content to their high school STEM classes. “We were changing our philosophy in how we approach teaching and learning, shifting to more of a project-based approach,” explains Dr. Brian Cinnamon, chief academic officer for Kingsport schools. “So the opportunity to include BioBuilder content was a perfect way to do that.”
Proud to Partner
Carolina Biological Supply Company is proud to partner with BioBuilder, an award-winning team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) creating innovative STEM education focused on synthetic biology. The BioBuilder team believes that authenticity generates engagement in STEM, and BioBuilder labs enhance existing science curricula.
Spark critical thinking among your students by carrying out authentic investigations using the natural world to engineer and learn science. Bring BioBuilder’s hands-on kits to your classroom, exclusively through Carolina, and help your students launch a future in synthetic biology.
Additional Reading: Biotechnology: An Essential Curriculum
