(Click here to download pdf poster)

To inquire about registration, please contact Dr. David Ng at db@interchange.ubc.ca Note that all registration fees are put towards our lab’s numerous science outreach programs.

(1) ONE WEEK VERSION
Dates: June 10th to June 14th, 2013 (5 days: Monday to Friday)
Price: CAN$1400 (does not include room or board)

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. David Ng

DESCRIPTION:This intense 5 day workshop will focus on a myriad of different techniques used in the molecular manipulation of DNA, RNA and protein, as well as inclusion of lectures of high throughput genomic techniques. Primarily aimed at researchers who are new to the area, familiar but require a quick updating, or would like more practical bench training.

Hands on techniques covered include: Various nucleic acid purification methodologies (silica bead, organic, and/or pI based), restriction digests, ligations, dephosphorylation assays, agarose gel electrophoresis, transformation (including electroporation), PCR, reverse transcriptase assay, real time qPCR, SDS-PAGE,Western blot analysis, Isoelectric focusing strips, and 2D protein gels. Lectures on next-gen sequencing, SNPs, microarrays, bioinformatic tools.

To register or inquire about the workshop, please contact Dr. David Ng at db@mail.ubc.ca or 604-822-6264. More information can be found at bioteach.ubc.ca/mb-workshops/

REVIEWS FROM PREVIOUS SESSIONS:

“I don’t think this much info could be done any better in this timeframe!”

Keith Turner, Program Head, BCIT Biotechnology, British Columbia Institute of Technology

“Superb! Perfect combination of theory and hands-on practice. Level was just right. Clone Dave.”

Robert Ungar, MD, Los Angeles

“The workshop went far beyond my expectations. I now feel ready to introduce several new techniques to my lab, but beyond that, I will now be better able to teach my class in September. Dave is a fantastic teacher, and I can only hope that some of that will have rubbed off.”

Matt S. Ramer, Asoociate Professor Department of Zoology/Neuroscience, British Columbia Neurotrauma Fund Chair

More reviews can be found here

REGISTRATION IS NOW FULL and we have a waiting list. We will contact you if a space becomes available.

Looking for the program? You can find all the details here!

http://www.bioteach.ubc.ca/highschool-conference-2013/

This event showcases various scientific pursuits, including the opportunity for you to engage in hands-on activities, as well as interact with some of the most prominent scientists in the world. This year’s program is looking awesome! We’re going to explore a variety of SCIENCE themed pursuits.

You can download our 2013 Escapades Poster, if you want!

ESCAPADES IN SCIENCE – The HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES for the 2013 Conference.

I. ENTREPRENEURAL SCIENCE: Students learn about science and engineering with an entrepreneurial spin! They form companies that are asked to design self-propelled objects using a variety of materials for purchase. They must keep within their budget, build an effective product, and even try to market it to the class! (Host: Let’s Talk Science)

II. WATER FOR THE WORLD: This activity involves student teams competing to build an effective water filter using simple materials. The objectives are (1) to emphasize global issues associated with access to clean drinking water, and (2) to make students enthusiastic about technology & its role in human development.  Each group is assigned a country, based on countries around the world. They are given varying degrees of information and resources, based on their country. The students learn about global water issues, general water treatment, and present their prototypes. (Host: Pollution Control and Waste Management Group in the Department of Civil Engineering)

III. ON THE HUNT FOR MUONS: In which students will be shown how to make a DIY Cloud Chamber fully capable of detecting sub-atomic particles. (Host: AMBL lab)

Speaker Biographies:

Prof. Alison Lister, Department of Physics and Astronomy. UBC
Alison Lister is a particle physicist and assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, and has been chasing elusive fundamental particles and forces with the ATLAS experiment and the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.

Prof. Stephen McNeil, Department of Chemistry, UBC Okanagan
W. Stephen McNeil is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna, British Columbia.  To date, he has been interviewed on the radio four times: twice he was talking about chemistry, and twice he was talking about pirates.  His favourite element is the element of surprise.

Details:

Friday March 8th, 2013
9:00am – 3:30pm
Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC
2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC
maps, bus, parking,

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Joanne Fox
joanne@msl.ubc.ca
604-827-3911

Schedule:
8:30 am STUDENT Registration
9:15 AM WELCOME FROM Dr. Joanne Fox & Dr. David Ng
9:30 – 10:00 Prof. Alison Lister, Department of Physics and Astronomy. UBC
10:00 – 10:30 Prof. Stephen McNeil, Department of Chemistry, UBC Okanagan
10:30 – 11:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #1 – See descriptions of hand-on activities above.
11:30 – 12:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #2 – See descriptions of hand-on activities above.
12:30 – 1:30 LUNCH (on your own)
1:30 – 2:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #3 – See descriptions of hand-on activities above.
2:30 – 3:30 Sandy Wohl, Genomics in the News, Genome BC – Draw prizes at 3:15pm
3:30PM END

If you’re interested, you can check out last year’s program here.

(Click here to download pdf poster)

To inquire about registration, please contact Dr. David Ng at db@interchange.ubc.ca

(1) ONE WEEK VERSION
Dates: February 18th to February 22nd, 2012 (5 days: Monday to Friday)
Price: CAN$1400 (does not include room or board)

Reviews and Testimonies can be found here.

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. David Ng

DESCRIPTION:This intense 5 day workshop will focus on a myriad of different techniques used in the molecular manipulation of DNA, RNA and protein, as well as inclusion of lectures of high throughput genomic techniques. Primarily aimed at researchers who are new to the area, familiar but require a quick updating, or would like more practical bench training.

Hands on techniques covered include: Various nucleic acid purification methodologies (silica bead, organic, and/or pI based), restriction digests, ligations, dephosphorylation assays, agarose gel electrophoresis, transformation (including electroporation), PCR, reverse transcriptase assay, real time qPCR, SDS-PAGE,Western blot analysis, Isoelectric focusing strips, and 2D protein gels. Lectures on next-gen sequencing, SNPs, microarrays, bioinformatic tools.

To register or inquire about the workshop, please contact Dr. David Ng at db@mail.ubc.ca or 604-822-6264. More information can be found at bioteach.ubc.ca/mb-workshops/

REVIEWS FROM PREVIOUS SESSIONS:

“I don’t think this much info could be done any better in this timeframe!”

Keith Turner, Program Head, BCIT Biotechnology, British Columbia Institute of Technology

“Superb! Perfect combination of theory and hands-on practice. Level was just right. Clone Dave.”

Robert Ungar, MD, Los Angeles

“The workshop went far beyond my expectations. I now feel ready to introduce several new techniques to my lab, but beyond that, I will now be better able to teach my class in September. Dave is a fantastic teacher, and I can only hope that some of that will have rubbed off.”

Matt S. Ramer, Asoociate Professor Department of Zoology/Neuroscience, British Columbia Neurotrauma Fund Chair

In a paper published this week in PLoS Computational Biology, UBC researchers document their work on the Genomics Field Trip Program hosted at the Michael Smith Laboratories (MSL). Joanne Fox, Jennifer McQueen and Jody Wright outline the benefits of research-based field trips, offering a blueprint for designing science outreach programs.

“Genomics is important because students will deal with challenging questions and they need to be informed and science-literate,” says Fox, a faculty member at the Michael Smith Laboratories. “For example, they may have their personal genome sequence and they may have to decide who has access to that information.”

The Genomics Field Trip program encourages exploration of the sciences through a full day genomics experience which takes place at the MSL laboratories. Program instructors are typically UBC graduate students who benefit from the experience by developing their ability to communicate scientific ideas to the general public. They also develop skills in lesson design and delivery, allowing them to enhance their instructional skills, something that does not always occur in teaching assistant positions.

Fox hopes the success of the Genomics Field Trip Program will inspire other institutions to develop similar programs. The recommendations included in her paper can be used as a blueprint for science programs and an online genomics toolkit provides valuable information for lesson plans.

“This type of program helps graduate students remember why science is so exciting, and in turn inspires the next generation of scientists,” Fox explains.

The Genomics Field Trip Program has received funding from the PromoScience Program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

To access the Genomics Field Trip toolkit or to book a field trip, click here: http://www.bioteach.ubc.ca/genetics-fieldtrips/genomics-field-trips-for-secondary-students-grade-9-resource-page/

May 28th: “Going Public: Into the great wide open” CTLT Institute, 1:15PM – 3:45PM, Vancouver, UBC Campus, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre – Seminar Room 2.22A/B – link (free but registration required)

June 2nd: “How Biodiversity Became a Game.” World Science Festival. 2:15 PM – 2:45 PM, New York, Brooklyn, NYU Polytechnic Institute, MetroTech Plaza. link (free public talk – the line up looks awesome)

June 3rd: “The Ultimate Science Street Fair.” World Science Festival. 10AM – 6PM, New York, Washington Square Park. There will be a PHYLO tent, so pop by to visit, and check out the game with your kids. I’ll be giving the odd biodiversity talk every now and then too. link (free)

June 12th: “The Art of Science.” UBC Pathology Arts’ Gala, Vancouver, UBC Medical Student and Alumini Centre. link. I’ll be doing a spoken word performance here, a little along the lines of something like this. (tickets required)

June 15th: “Lessons Learnt in the Fine but Unpredictable Art of Crowdsourcing” Northern Voice. 1:00PM – 2:00PM, Vancouver, W2, SFU Cinema. link (conference registration required)

- – -

Finally, I’m hoping to make the NYCscitweetup on the evening of June 2nd. Check out this facebook event page for more info.

(Click here to download pdf poster)

To inquire about registration, please contact Dr. David Ng at db@interchange.ubc.ca

(1) ONE WEEK VERSION
Dates: July 23rd to July 27th, 2012 (5 days: Monday to Friday)
Price: CAN$1400 (does not include room or board)

Reviews and Testimonies can be found here.

INSTRUCTOR: Dr. David Ng

DESCRIPTION: Updated for 2012: This intense 5 day workshop will focus on a myriad of different techniques used in the molecular manipulation of DNA (general cloning, transformation, silica kits, pI kits, PCR, qPCR), RNA (isolation, reverse transcription) and protein (SDS-PAGE, 2D gels), as well as inclusion of exercises in some basic bioinformatics tools. Primarily aimed at researchers who are new to the area, familiar but require a quick updating, or would like more practical bench training.

For full details, please see here.

Looking for the program? You can find all the details here!

http://www.bioteach.ubc.ca/highschool-conference-2012/

This event showcases various scientific pursuits, including the opportunity for you to engage in hands-on activities, as well as the opportunity to interact with scientists. This year’s program is going to be awesome – and we’ll post more details here closer to the day!

You can download our 2012 Escapades Poster, if you want!

ESCAPADES IN SCIENCE – The HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES for the 2012 Conference.

I. DNA, GENOMES, + MORE
(Dr. Joanne Fox + Agatha Jassem)
In this activity you’ll step into a real reasearch laboratory at UBC and isolate your own DNA!

II. BIODIVERSITY GAME: THE PHYLO PROJECT
(Dr. David Ng)
Studies show kids know more about Pokemon creatures than real creatures. David Ng is out to change that.

III. MICHAEL SMITH LAB TOURS
(Volunteers from the very talented graduate students and post-doctoral fellows at the Michael Smith Labs)
In this activity, students will get a chance to tour Michael Smith Laboratories. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows will share their stories about research and what it’s like to be a scientist.

Speaker Biographies:

Jody Wright is a PhD student in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on understanding the structure and function of microbial communities in the low oxygen regions of the Subarctic Pacific Ocean. She is specifically interested in describing the metabolic capacities of these communities, how this capacity varies from the coast to the open ocean, and how this metabolism impacts the cycling of climatologically active gases such as methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and dimethylsulfide. The results of her research could have major implications for global climate modeling and for coastal resource management decisions in Canada and other coastal regions of the world.

Dr. David Ng is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory, the educational arm of the Michael Smith Labs. Dave is a geneticist, science advocate, and occasional writer. Dave claims that his Dad beat up Bruce Lee once.

Dr. Joanne Fox is an Instructor at UBC. She’s the director of a new first-year program that involves debates, discussions and other activities to get students thinking and talking about what science is, how it is done, and how it impacts their daily lives. She’s got a really fun creative job that combines education, outreach and science. She lives with her family, which includes their singing dog, Penney, in a historic fishing village just outside of Vancouver.

Details:

Friday March 9th, 2012
9:00am – 3:30pm
Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC
2185 East Mall, Vancouver, BC
maps, bus, parking,

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Joanne Fox
joanne@msl.ubc.ca
604-827-3911

Schedule:
8:30 am STUDENT Registration
9:15 AM WELCOME FROM Dr. Joanne Fox & Dr. David Ng
9:30 – 10:00 Jody Wright, Life of a Microbiologist
10:00 – 10:30 David Ng, Biodiversity and Pokemon
10:30 – 11:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #1 – DNA, Genomes, + More
11:30 – 12:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #2 – Phylomon Biodiversity Game
12:30 – 1:30 LUNCH (on your own)
1:30 – 2:30 EXCEPTIONAL ESCAPADE IN SCIENCE
Rotation #3 – Michael Smith Lab Tours
2:30 – 3:30 NETWORKING GAME – Draw prizes at 3:15pm
3:30PM END

If you’re interested, you can check out last year’s program here.