Faculty of Education Education News Fall 2013 / Winter 2014 Page 15
Biotechnology Tool Kits : Raising Awareness of Careers in Agriculture
By Shuana Niessen
John MacDonald presenting a biotechnology tool kit
Jennifer Tupper watches for results
Perhaps a biotechnology tool about the role biotechnology kit doesn ’ t sound like fun , plays in agriculture and the but participants in a SIDRU possible careers in agriculture . seminar on October 23 rd , who John says , “ The cost of the had the opportunity to try them materials made doing these out , thought the experiments activities out of reach for fun and educational . The kits many schools .” Plus , there are packed with a colourful is a “ lack of activities that assortment of items : M & Ms , illustrate the science behind battery packs , syringes , wires , the biotechnology field that test tubes , solutions and the plays an important part in like . John MacDonald , sessional the agriculture industry in the instructor in science education province .” The kits give students for the Faculty of Education , opportunities to experiment University of Regina , developed with a number of cellular and the kits in response to a genetic topics such as food dye need he saw to “ support new electrophoresis , which involves provincial science curricula at batteries , paperclips , gel , the 20 and 30 levels ,” and to solution and a microcentrifugue , develop awareness in students for determining which food dyes
Fadila Boutouchent and Xia Ji extracting dye from M & Ms
have been used in a product ( such as cattle feed ), or DNA extraction to determine , for example , the amount of gluten in wheat germ .
The $ 38,250 of funding for these kits was received through the Agricultural Council of Saskatchewan from Agriculture and AgriFood Canada . Eight kits have been developed , four are in Saskatoon and four are in Regina . They will be lent out to schools for a small fee , which will be used to replenish the kits . The project is almost complete , with John currently editing the manual for the kits .
Photos by Shuana Niessen