Girl Scouts learn about Biotech at VGCC
Henderson-area Girl Scouts visited Vance-Granville Community College’s main campus on June 17 to learn about the college’s Bioprocess Technology program. Girl Scout Troop 473 visited VGCC’s state-of-the-art Biotechnology lab, where cadettes Brielle Barrow, Jessica Foster, Iris Henderson, Tiffany Mitchell, Deja Overby and Imani Pinkney participated in three experiments and learned about education and employment opportunities from Joseph Tyler, who heads the Bioprocess Technology program. Upon arriving, each cadette extracted DNA from her own cheek cells. The scouts were able to see their own DNA after extraction. They then participated in a mock “crime scene investigation” scenario. The girls used electrophoresis of simulated DNA from two “suspects” to see which one matched band patterns seen in the “DNA evidence” provided. Tyler also demonstrated different pieces of equipment in the lab for the girls, including a particle counter that measures the amount of solid matter in the air. Although the air in the lab was much cleaner than the air outside the building, the air inside a cabinet used for germ-free experiments was thousands of times cleaner than the air in the lab.
Tyler provided information on the two-year Bioprocess Technology degree program, which is offered on the main campus and is designed to prepare individuals to work as Process Operators in biological products manufacturing facilities. He also described the one-semester BioWork course based at VGCC’s Franklin County Campus. Tyler said that graduates of the degree program could transfer to four-year universities or find good job opportunities in the state.
VGCC Adult Basic Skills instructor Brenda Gant arranged the visit for the girls, under the direction of troop leader Dorothy Mitchell. Parents and friends of the troop Edna Harris, Linda Foster, Beverly Overby and Shameka Cheek also accompanied the scouts. Gant has attended several workshops at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, which provided consumable materials for the experiments. In addition, some of the equipment used was provided to VGCC by the Golden LEAF Foundation to promote workforce development.
The girl scouts reacted positively to the visit, with some inspired to study medicine and biological research.
For more information on Bioprocess Technology , call Joseph Tyler at (252) 738-3350.
Above: VGCC Bioprocess Technology program head Joseph Tyler (standing, right) assists girl scouts in performing DNA extraction as part of a mock “crime scene investigation” demonstration. (VGCC photo)
