Contact About the Center

Free supplies to Iowa educators E-mail biotech@iastate.edu Lab protocols, tutorials on the web

Web Sites BiotechnologyOutreachEducationCenter

Mike Zeller is Iowa State University’s biotechnology outreach education coordinator.

Employed by the university’s Office of Biotechnology, he coordinates activities of-fered through the Biotechnology Outreach Education Center that help Iowans under-stand the science underlying 21st century biotechnology developments and theassociated economic, ethical, andsocial issues.

In addition to the training and educational experiences thatthat can be provided in the center, the coordinator facilitateseducation throughout the state by: • providing Iowa teachers and extension educators with free laboratory supplies and materials to conduct biotechnology science and ethics activities, • developing and conducting biotechnology and bioethics activities and teacher training on-site at schools or extension offices, • providing answers to questions and problems that students and teachers may encounter while doing biotechnology activities in the classroom, • assisting teachers in implementing biotechnology science and bioethics activities in the curriculum, • helping teachers establish benchmarks and standards as they relate to biotechnology and bioethics in their school/curriculum, and • speaking to community groups, organizations, and other public audiences about the general principles and current issues of biotechnology science and ethics.

Educators, students, the public, or industry can contact Mike Zeller at:

Office of Biotechnology1210 Molecular Biology Building

Ames, IA 50011-3260Ph. 515-294-9818 1-800-643-9504 in Iowa

E-mail mzeller@iastate.edu

The Biotechnology Outreach Education Center is located in the Molecular Biology Building on the Iowa State

University campus in Ames. The 2,300 square-foot center consists of two adjacent state-of-the-art laboratories with 40 lab stations and a preparation room.

The center is fully stocked with the laboratory supplies needed for a number of biotechnology experiments. Equip-ment in the center supports procedures as simple as extract-ing DNA from bananas or as complex as polymerase chain reactions and bioinformatics.

The center was funded by Iowa State University, private individuals, and:

Ajinomoto Food Ingredients, LLC/Ajinomoto Heartland, LLCBayer CropScienceCargillGenencor International, Inc.Golden Harvest ResearchGrowmarkThe Greater Cedar Rapids Foundation– Diamond V Mills Donor-Advised FundThe Iowa Biotechnology AssociationThe Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Agricultural Foundation The Iowa Soybean Promotion Board Kemin Americas A Center of theMBS Genetics, LLC Office of BiotechnologyPioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust Celebrating Five YearsSyngenta Seeds, Inc. of Service in 2005 West Central Cooperative

Many of the resources provided by the Biotechnology Outreach Education Center are available from the

educational resources section of the Office of Biotechnolo-gy’s site or the university’s bioethics web site.

www.biotech.iastate.edu/Educational_resources.html • Step-by-step tutorials for selected lab activities (PowerPoint® and HTML versions) • Classroom lab activities • Summer workshop information • How to get equipment and supplies • Resource people who can help • Biotechnology curriculum units • Links for current news in biotechnology • ISU Extension information • Biotechnology courses and workshops • Conferences and symposia • Educational funding opportunities • Publications • Web resources

www.bioethics.iastate.edu/outreach.html • Introduction to ethics • Bioethics workshops • Classroom resources and case studies • Events and courses • Research ethics • Bioethics news • Web resources

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3680 Beardshear Hall, 515-294-7612.

Mike Zeller

Educators Students Public Industry

K-12 teachers, extension professionals, and other educa-tors who want to teach about the science that leads to

new biotechnology developments and the issues surround-ing them can improve their skills at the Biotechnology Outreach Education Center.

At workshops, educators do the same experiments that they will be teaching. They learn where to find or make the equipment they need and practice the lab preparations for doing the experiments before trying them in their own classrooms.

With the help of Iowa State’s bioethics program, classroom teachers learn how to use case studies and other techniques to explore the social, economic, and ethical aspects of bio-technology with their students.

ISU has been training teachers in summer workshops since 1988. Workshops especially for educators include:

• Basic biotechnology for science teachers • Basic biotechnology for agriculture instructors • Basic biotechnology for family and consumer science educators • Advanced biotechnology for educators • Basic and advanced bioethics for educators • Customized workshops for your educational needs

After attending a workshop, Iowa educators may phone 800-643-9504 to order free laboratory materials and supplies.

The Biotechnology Outreach Education Center offers hands-on laboratory experiences and bioethics activi-

ties for students from elementary through college age and adults. Teachers and extension educators may consult with Iowa State’s outreach education coordinator to develop a unique educa-tional experience for their students, or select from the list of experiments and activities below.

Students can visit the center for an hour or two as part of a field trip or participate in multiple-day workshops. College instructors preparing students for teaching careers in agriculture, biol-ogy, or family and consumer sciences have made the center part of their pre-service programs.

Experiments and Activities • Bioethics golden rice case study • Bt corn - growing and observing resistance to corn borers - testing for Bt in leaf tissue and seed • Chymosin demonstration • DNA extraction - bacteria, banana, kiwi, onion, fruit cup - DNA in my food – making of a smoothie • DNA fingerprinting • DNA transformation of bacteria - ampicillin resistant - red colony - recombinant – dual antibiotic resistant genes • Plasmid DNA isolation and analysis – red colony • Polymerase chain reaction activity and simulations • Soy drink • Soybean flavor demonstration • Thin-layer chromatography or invertase to detect sucrose in soybeans

For the most recent experiments, see the web page at www.biotech.iastate.edu/Educational_resources.html.

Even if you’ve been out of school for years, it’s never too late to learn about biotechnology and how it affects

your life and occupation. Agricultural producers, consumer groups, farm organizations, and other adult learners can experience first-hand the science and ethical issues behind new products developed using biotechnology.

Groups of adult learners can do the same biotechnology laboratories and ethics activities that are offered to teachers and students, or customized educational events can be de-signed. Iowa State’s bioethics program can help educators tofacilitate discussions about the scientific, social, economic, and ethical issues associated with new biotech products. The university’s Office of Biotechnology will work with you to plan a learning experience tailored to your time and inter-ests. Possibilities include:

• Forensic science demonstration • Careers in biotechnology • Principles of Biotechnology presentation • DNA extraction start-to-finish from bacteria, banana, kiwi, or onion • Current issues in biotechnology • DNA fingerprinting • Ethical Issues in Biotechnology presentation • DNA to Product presentation • Any experiments listed in this brochure for students or for educators

The Biotechnology Outreach Education Center offers training to help employees update their molecular biol-

ogy and bioethics skills. Workshops from one to three days can be tailor-made for the educational needs of a company. A popular industry program is DNA to Product, a presenta-tion developed by the outreach education coordinator and Iowa State’s director of industrial relations and biotechnol-ogy liaison.

DNA to Product • DNA extraction • Gene discovery using the techniques of - Bioinformatics - Sequencing - Profiling - Mapping - Function • Plant transformation using Agrobacterium • Gene expression and detection • DNA fingerprinting - Micropipettors - Restriction analysis of DNA - Electrophoresis • Consumer issues in biotechnology - Definitions of genetic engineering - Different perspectives on the issues - International considerations

Toll-free in Iowa 1-800-643-9504 Outside Iowa call 515-294-9818 Serving 20,000 annually Internet www.biotech.iastate.edu