Course Listing
Grade – 9th to 12th
Course Information
| Age | 15-18 |
| Format/ Schedule | Vacation / Winter |
| Location | Torrance, CA |
| 2021 Dates | Winter: Dec 27th, Dec 28th, Dec 29th, Dec 30th. |
| Duration | 4 x 3.5 Hour Sessions |
| Times | 10am – 1.30pm |
| Class size | 6 |
| Eligibility | Methods in Stem Cell Engineering is an introductory hands-on program, open to both residential and international students. It is suited to science enthusiasts with a basic understanding of cell and molecular biology. No prior laboratory experience is required to take this course. Applicants must have passed high-school Math, English and Biology or equivalent courses with a grade C or above. Students are required to arrange their own transportation to and from the program. |
| Admission | Eligible students are accepted on a first-come-first-served rolling basis up to 1 week before the course start date. Additional questions? Click here to learn more about our general admissions policy or call us at 310-483-3651. |
Course Details
| Description | During Methods in Stem Cell Engineering participating students learn to inhibit an oncogene in testicular cancer stem cells using a Nobel Prize winning technique called RNA interference (RNAi). They also explore the real-world applications of RNAi technology in research, biotechnology, and medicine. The four-session program is taught in a professional biotech research laboratory by industry scientists and features hands-on classes, bioinformatics computer labs and lecture discussions. It is the only program in the world that enables high school students to design, implement and analyze an RNAi experiment. Join today and learn first-hand how researchers engineer stem cells to study cancer-causing genes! |
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| Curriculum | Each session of the course focuses on the following topics in stem cell engineering and gene silencing: Session 1: Intro to cells, stem cells and RNAi gene silencing |
| Features | – College-level lectures *Intro to stem cell systems provides practical training in: BSL-2 lab safety procedures, aseptic technique, electroporation, RNAi mediated gene knockdown, antibody labeling and microscopy (phase contrast and fluorescent). |
Colette Lee –
Pathways to Stem Cell Science has been a very enjoyable learning experience. For the first time, I was able to become familiar with laboratory equipment and techniques that was not provided for me in school. On top of learning much more about RNAi and gene silencing, I realized that I genuinely enjoy working in the lab; this experienced has greatly contributed to my newfound interest in biomedical engineering.