Community Lab Cambridge, which opened in 2002, is a 1,100-square-foot dedicated laboratory classroom located at Biogen Idec headquarters. Students engage in hands-on lab activities, developed in close collaboration with the Cambridge and Somerville public school systems.
Community Lab Cambridge offers:
Class Visits
Class Visits are designed to create excitement about science among middle and high school students. They can undertake hands-on projects, such as amplifying and examining their own DNA...or determining if a mock patient can take a particular medicine based on their genetic profile...or transforming bacteria to produce green fluorescent protein. For example, a group of Cambridge 8th graders were able to conduct hemoglobin gel electrophoresis to diagnose a mock patient with sickle-cell anemia.
Summer Sessions
The Community Lab offers several intensive multi-day programs. In a one-week program (Adventures in Biotechnology), students discover key biotech techniques and concepts through hands-on lab work, such as engineering DNA to code for green fluorescent protein. An advanced two-week session allows students to delve even deeper into the science and advanced technologies of biotechnology. Students might create a chimeric antibody or work with pluripotent cells, which become either cardiac or neuronal cells. An integral part of both programs is the opportunity for students to meet scientists and other biotech professionals over lunch or hear about their research. Both programs culminate in a poster session for family, friends and employees of Biogen Idec.
Science Fair Project Mentoring
To further promote a passion for science, the Community Lab runs a science fair mentoring program for select area high school students. Students are matched with Biogen Idec employees to serve as mentors for their biotech-related science projects. A number of students in this program have been selected to participate in the International Science Fair.
Professional Development
Teachers can help kids learn to love science every day. Biogen Idec offers a number of custom-designed teacher workshops, helping teachers to learn about cutting-edge science and to widen their understanding of the biotech industry.
