A dozen teens will learn about stem cell research, tissue engineering and preclinical evaluation from biotechnology professionals
NEW ORLEANS, LA (April 29, 2021) – STEM NOLA is proud to partner with Obatala Sciences and CellSpring to engage at least a dozen high school students from the greater New Orleans area in a series of courses that will expose teens to careers in biotechnology startup companies. This extraordinary program focuses on providing high school students with exposure-rich, hands-on opportunities to engage deeply in work in the realm of STEM.
Over the course of three Saturday sessions on May 8, 15 and 22, students will receive comprehensive lab exposure to the work that the teams at both companies engage in involving tissue engineering, stem cell research (stem cells isolated from adult fat tissue), and preclinical evaluation of potential therapeutics. Students will learn the route that new medicines and treatments take to the clinic and the steps that ensure they are safe. Further, students will learn the role that tissue engineering plays in improving the testing of new drugs at the preclinical stage.
“We are exceedingly grateful and incredibly proud to partner with both Obatala Sciences and CellSpring to expose our future innovators to the advancements being made in biotechnology research,” said STEM NOLA CEO Calvin Mackie. “This type of engagement with professionals who do this work on a daily basis is life changing. It will continue building on the interest and promise these students have already shown in STEM fields.”
Dr. Mackie, a New Orleans native and former tenured Tulane Engineering professor, founded STEM NOLA in 2014 to expose, inspire and engage communities in learning opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The award-winning programming designs and delivers activities, programs and events, with a focus on underserved communities. The non-profit organization is dedicated to developing future Innovators, Creators and Entrepreneurs through the exposure to 21st Century skills of Communication, Collaboration and Critical Thinking. Since 2014, STEM NOLA has engaged more than 65,000 students – mostly under-served students of color – in hands-on STEM project-based learning.
“Obatala welcomes this opportunity to advance STEM NOLA’s core mission and promote STEM education in our community. We are excited to have a chance to instruct and learn from the next generation of home grown scientists recruited from our local high schools,” said Obatala Sciences Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Jeffrey Gimble. “By investing in their future, we are guaranteeing that biotech companies like ours will have a pipeline of talent to draw on in years to come.”
Obatala Sciences’ CEO, Dr. Trivia Frazier, echoed these sentiments, “We are proud to work with STEM NOLA on this project and are excited to see Dr. Mackie’s continued progress building this organization.”
Obatala Sciences, founded in 2017, is a biotechnology company that offers research products and services to scientists in medical industries and academia with the goal of advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Obatala prides itself in making high-quality products that researchers use to discover better therapies for diseases like obesity and diabetes that significantly impact the human population.
“We are so proud of the work that STEM NOLA does to bring exposure, access, and opportunity to young innovators in New Orleans,” said Dr. Christopher Millan, CellSpring CEO and Nola native. “I am thrilled to have this chance to contribute to that work, and to do so collaborating with good friends at Obatala.”
“I’m very excited to share with NOLA high school students our passion for science and introduce them to the fascinating world of biomaterials and stem cells,” said Dr. Queralt Vallmajó-Martín, Postdoctoral Researcher. “Our goal is to spark inspiration in these students to want to discover the unknown and see that the scientific world has a great deal to offer for personal and professional development. Looking forward to our Saturdays together!”
CellSpring develops blood tests to screen at-risk patients for cancer with the goal of significantly shifting the timing of a diagnosis to earlier stages. Diagnosing cancer early increases the therapeutic options available to patients, which in turn has a major impact on how well they respond to treatment. CellSpring’s tests are based on a proprietary technology that effectively ‘tricks’ cancer cells into revealing the molecular makeup of small particles, called exosomes, they secrete into the blood. The initial pipeline of cancer types for which tests are under development includes ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancers.
EVENT SCHEDULE
May 8, 2021
Students will get an overview of the different types of jobs available in Biotech and a deeper dive into tissue engineering. In a lab setting, they will learn pipetting (non-sterile) and be able to make three types of hydrogels. Finally, the students will learn to do cell culture, which will involve checking cell morphology at the microscope, trypsinizing, counting, and passaging cells.
May 15, 2021
The focus will be on seeding adipose-derived stem cells into hydrogels. Students will compare gel stiffness and different reagents for differentiating the stem cells into either bone or fat cells.
May 22, 2021
The final lesson will be about histology, microscopy, and comparing conditions quantitatively via image analysis. Students will learn about drawing conclusions from their experiments and using data to make decisions that could potentially impact R&D at a biotech company.
FOR MEDIA PLANNING
Media planning to cover this event, please call ahead to get access to the campus of the University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148. When arriving, enter UNO from Elysian Fields, turn right on Milneburg, then follow the road as it curves left and becomes Levee Rd. Continue on Levee Rd until it curves left to become Founders Rd. The first parking lot past the Biennial Education Center is a paid visitor lot. The office and lab space is in the Science Building, which is the middle building on the south side of the parking lot. The office is on the second floor on the east side of the building, Rm 2015. To interview Calvin Mackie, contact Michael K. Frisby, mike@frisbyassociates.com or 202-625-4328