Course Listing
Grade – 9th to 12th
Course Information
| Age | 15-18 |
| Format/ Schedule | Vacation / Winter |
| Location | Torrance, CA |
| 2020 Dates | Winter: Dec 27th, Dec 28th, Dec 29th, Dec 30th. |
| Duration | 4 x 3 Hour Sessions |
| Times | 10am – 1pm |
| 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 | Methods in Stem Cell Engineering is a four-session afterschool/vacation program exploring the science of gene modulation in stem cells. Participating students learn basic hands-on lab skills, using RNA interference (RNAi) to silence the expression of an oncogene in human cancer stem cells. RNAi is a sophisticated technique that scientists use to inhibit the expression of specific genes in order to study their function. During Methods in Stem Cell Engineering, students use bioinformatical approaches to designing an RNAi experiment and measure the effect of inhibiting the gene oct-4 in stem cells derived from testicular cancers. They also explore the real-world applications of RNAi technology, hearing from experts in the field of stem cell engineering. |
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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.