Eighth-grade science teacher Martin Efird hopes to show his students that if they like science, they do not necessarily have to become a doctor.
He plans to illustrate how much is out there when he shares his experience of attending the “Introductory Biotechnology for High School Teachers” workshop, which took place at UNC Charlotte earlier this month.
Efird, who will teach eighth-grade science at the new Harold E. Winkler Middle School when it opens in the fall, was one of about 20 teachers who attended the workshop, which was put on by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
“When I think about my students, there are going to be a lot of jobs in biotechnology in North Carolina, and these are high paying jobs,” Efird said. “It’s really neat because all of our universities, just about, have biotechnology jobs.”
Efird attended one of the workshops the North Carolina Biotechnology Center put on last year and wanted to attend this one because his favorite topics to teach are genetics and DNA.
“Biotechnology is talking about DNA and (its) practical uses,” Efird said. “If you watch (a show like) ‘CSI,’ that’s centered around this type of biotechnology.”
Efird spent his time at the workshop hearing lectures and working on labs related to topics such as gene cloning; diagnosing Lyme disease, HIV, and West Nile virus; and regenerative medicine.
He said he learned about a lot of new things, like genetically modified organisms, and how it is used to grow crops so they taste better and have a better quality.
Efird said he was also fascinated by the Wake Forrest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which has been using patients’ own tissue to grow parts like arteries for those patients’ transplants.
“They’re on the cutting edge,” Efird said. “It’s neat to know all this is happening in North Carolina.”
Besides sharing these stories and photos he took during the workshop, Efird said he will likely rent some of the equipment from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center so his students can perform some of the labs. He said he may also apply for a grant to purchase some of the equipment.
“Just about everything (we did), I could do in my classroom,” Efird said. “You could do a lot of the labs without sophisticated equipment. We extracted DNA from our mouths and (examined) strands of DNA. All of the stuff you need for that, you can buy in the grocery store.”
Efird also learned some of the health benefits of honey. He said he will use that to cure a sore throat in the future and share what he learned.
“I think all of these things will be interesting for students,” Efird said. “I think it will get them excited to see us do it and do it (themselves)…I could see the kids getting inspired about science through being able to do stuff like this in the classroom.”
Marjorie Benbow, executive director of the greater Charlotte office for the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, said getting the students excited is a plus for the biotechnology groups in the state, as well.
“Companies and corporations feel confident there is a pipeline of talented students that want to study biotechnology (and later) fill companies,” Benbow said.
Contact reporter Jessica Groover: 704-789-9152
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