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Biotechnology students visit Smith College

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Foster Tech student, Logan Whitley scans a sample with the Smith College Transmission Electron Microscope. The sample is a bacteriophage virus found in North Jay, Maine.

FARMINGTON – On Friday Dec. 8, members of the Foster Career and Technical Education Center’s Biotechnology program travelled to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts to use a Transmission Electron Microscope. The students used the Smith College TEM to take a photo of a virus they discovered earlier this year in a duck pond in North Jay. The virus is of the type that attack bacteria and so are harmless to humans.

This opportunity was made possible by the generosity of Smith College and in particular Judith Wopereis, Technical Director and Instructor at the Center for Microscopy and Imaging. A few months ago, in July, Foster Tech Biotechnology Instructor David Nordstrom was visiting his daughter Anja, a Senior at Smith college and a graduate of Mt. Blue High School. She was working on an internship in the Center for Microscopy and Imaging. When her instructor, Ms. Wopereis, learned about the Biotechnology virus discovery project she immediately invited the class to use the electron microscope if they were able to find another virus this year.

At first Foster tech students were given a brief lecture on a wide range of microscopy techniques including electron microscopy. The students were then given demonstrations of each type of imaging technique, learning about the advantages of each system. The highlight of the trip, however, was the successful imaging of virus samples they had prepared from the virus they discovered in North Jay. With the guidance of former Mt. Blue student Anja Nordstrom students were able to take several images of their virus sample at 80,000x magnification.

Judith Wopereis, Technical Director and Instructor at the Center for Microscopy and Imaging.

After the session with the TEM, Ms. Nordstrom gave the group a tour of Smith College. Two of the students were also able to schedule interviews at the college for the same afternoon.

The following day the students also took a tour of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. A planned tour of Amherst College did not happen because of a gathering snow storm, and the group headed home early.

This trip was paid for entirely with grant money from MELMAC, Gear Up, and fund raising by the students.

“So many thing were accomplished with this trip.” said Mr. Nordstrom. “The students did some high level science with their own virus samples. They also developed an appreciation for the range of tools available in microscopy, and they got really psyched about their future and their plans for college.”

“Being able to see the virus in real life rather than picturing it in my mind helped me understand the process of viral infection,” student Zoe Huish said.

Several of the students on this trip have applied, or are planning to apply, to colleges in the Northampton/Amherst area as a result of this trip.

Foster Tech Biotechnology students on a tour of U Mass with the largest research library in the world in the background. (The library holds 3.3 million books.)

“I think it helped that the students got to see a former Mt. Blue student in a college setting on Friday, and then the tour guide we had at U Mass Amherst on Saturday was great. He made this huge school seem accessible, understandable, and even welcoming,” Nordstrom said.

Afterward Kayla White Said, “Going on this trip allowed me to see colleges that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise,” and Zoe Huish added, “Going on the trip made me realize I wanted to apply ‘Early Decision’ to Smith.”

Even if they intend to apply to different schools students felt the experience was helpful. As Andrea Jones put it, “I appreciated the opportunity to tour more colleges in different areas because even if you’re not thinking of going to the schools it’s still helpful to have the experience.”

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