Ferris State University Summer: Biotechnology

The CityLab Biotechnology SummerLab provides students with a hands-on experience and the freedom to design and plan their own experiments, while providing the support to help them learn from their mistakes.

All campers will spend the week learning laboratory techniques and performing experiments related to the human genome project, forensic biology, microbiology, and biotechnology. The experience takes campers beyond the traditional classroom experience to learn in a more lab intensive manner, no lectures!

As part of the laboratory exercises, all campers will sequence and analyze a portion of their own DNA for genes related to athletic ability, sleep patterns, taste preferences and caffeine tolerance.

Campers will also learn how to work with bacteria and how to investigate crime scenes using basic forensic techniques. In addition campers will receive information about Ferris' Biotechnology program and scholarship opportunities available for incoming students.

This will be a lab-intensive experience and will include time to work on individual and group laboratory projects. Much of what is learned could form the foundation for a future science fair project.