It is almost impossible to peruse a newspaper of scientific magazine without finding an article on some facet of biotechnology. This fiend is reaching into every aspect of our lives, and yet it is, at best, little understood and, at worst, misunderstood and even feared by the public. Those of us in education, research, and industry need to recognize and accept the challenge this presents. If we acknowledge a vital future for biotechnology, it is imperative that we combine our resources and energies to create an educated public.
I believe that the place to start is in the elementary schools, but my focus now is the secondary schools. At present, few high schools address biotechnology in any meaningful way. The reasons are multiple and include lack of teacher training, unwillingness to modify existing curricula and the expense of equipment and supplies. Each is understandable, but all are unacceptable. If we allow the status quo to continue, we lose the opportunity to guide students to employment opportunities in an exciting, rewarding and burgeoning field.
Important Ally
While industry and universities have been partnering for years, industry is overlooking its more important, unknown ally, the secondary school.
Having discussed the employment opportunities with a number of company presidents and CEOs, I learned of the lack of qualified Americans entering the field. Consequently, companies have had to go abroad to find qualified personnel. Unless secondary schools can motivate students to continue in science, the number of university graduates in the sciences will decrease and industry will lack the trained employees for the next generation.
Biotechnology programs sponsored by the NSF and the Howard Hughes Institute, as well as other organizations, have been giving many teachers the necessary background to teach such topics as genetic engineering, fermentation, plant tissue culture, bioremediation and bioethics. Unfortunately, the introduction of these programs into the high school curriculum requires a tremendous expenditure of funds. School districts do not have the capital necessary to introduce such programs on a sophisticated level. I am aware of some programs using inexpensive materials and equipment. My question, however, is: do we teach our students using dry lab simulations or do we use research-grade equipment in order to give our students a true sense of what research is and should be?
With the events that currently are taking place in this field, it is imperative that we present information and laboratory experience and also the background they will need as adults in this society in order to make important decisions about these emerging technologies.
Networking With Secondary Schools
Some companies have been very active in networking with secondary schools in their areas. Some examples of large firms that do this are Pfizer, Inc. in the Groton, CT area; Monsanto and Sigma Chemical in the St. Louis, MO area; and Schering-Plough and Hoffmann-La Roche in the New Jersey area. Few people may be aware of some of the smaller companies networking, such as Stratagene, Inc. (La Jolla, CA), Precision Scientific Inc. (Chicago, IL), Lab-Line Instruments, Inc. (Melrose Park, IL), Lifecodes Corp (Stamford, CT) and National Labnet (Woodbridge, NJ).
Some companies complain about our educational programs but pay little more than lip service to effective interactions with our schools.
Many firms have equipment that depreciates over a period of time and is eventually thrown out or relegated to a warehouse. Some of this equipment may be useful to school science programs. Other companies may have demonstration units that cannot be sold as new items. I have received a number of these, including: incubators, water purification systems, microcentrafuges, autoclaves, micropipettes, computers and printers, water baths, thermal cyclers, hot plants, gel electrophoresis units and power supplies. These were obtained simply by seeking out likely companies and asking for them.
The industry may not be aware of the needs we have or how to go about making contact with local schools to find out the schools' needs. I also have discovered that many companies have never been asked for equipment. In my case, the Biotechnology Center at North Rockland High School has amassed over $200,000 worth of donations of equipment, slides and other items. If teachers are willing to take the time to contact companies throughout the world, they can also obtain these materials.
Corporate Teacher Training
Some companies, such as Life Technologies, Inc. (Gaithersburg, MD), are involved in corporate training programs for researchers and technicians. While some programs may be too technical for untrained secondary school teachers, they may challenge other teachers to become more active participants and to better communicate to students what industry expects from them. My work at Life Technologies improved my own research techniques and gave me a firsthand view of the corporate research world for which I am preparing for my students.
To promote industry-secondary school liaisons, our government might consider offering tax incentives to those companies networking with education. This may make industry more willing to part equipment that otherwise will end up unused and neglected. IN addition to equipment, we need to be able to show our students, the practical advantages of studying science. Although companies may be willing to provide schools with speakers, students need more than a pep talk. Both teachers and students should tour facilities, and internships with modest stipends should be offered during summers for students and their teachers.
During the summer of 1991, one of my students was hired by Dr. Toby Rossman of the New York University Toxicology Unit in Sterling Forest, NY. Dr. Rossman was so impressed with this student's background and training that three additional students were hired this past summer. Other companies have also expressed similar interests for 1993.
All current research suggests that U.S. students are lagging behind in science. Here we have an opportunity to institute a cooperative and, hopefully, mutually beneficial endeavor. When industry and education come together, we make a powerful team.