CLS ABE Program Phase I Completion Event and Phase IV Opening Event Successfully Conducted

Ms. Jiang Yi hosted the event
Ms. Jiang Yi hosted the event

The Tsinghua University-Peking University Joint Center for Life Sciences ("CLS") has partnered with Amgen Biotech Experience ("ABE"), a world-renowned science education program for middle school students, to invite middle school students into the lab and introduce them to the latest biotechnology/scientific discoveries. It aims to nurture the next generation of scientists and innovators by inviting high school students into the lab and introducing them to the latest biotechnology/scientific discoveries.CLS as the host of the ABE in mainland China, is bringing this innovative science education program to China in 2021.

CLS and Tsinghua High School have a long-standing partnership and conduct regular ABE program teaching activities during the semester. The students come from Tsinghua High School 's Life Science Lab, which was started in 2015, and the main development direction of the lab was finalized through in-depth cooperation and exchange with Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology in the United States, as well as combining the research background of the school's biology teachers. Tsinghua High School Life Science Lab aims to cultivate students with a sense of innovation and scientific inquiry, to exercise their ability to identify problems and solve them independently, and to align with the learning and training model at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The establishment of the Biology Advanced Research Lab will enhance students' ability to use their existing knowledge to discover problems and solve them through the concrete implementation and promotion of a series of scientific research projects, and to have the necessary innovative thinking for high-tech talents in the new era.

From October 2021 to April 2022, 46 students from the first phase attended and completed the experimental experience course; 35 students from the fourth phase of the Advanced Research Lab are expected to attend the experimental course in 2022. 36 students from the first phase and 35 students from the fourth phase held the closing activity of the first phase and the opening activity of the fourth phase in the evening of September 16 in the new Biology Hall 143 of Tsinghua University. Prof. Liu Dong, Vice Dean of School of Life Sciences、Dr. Li Peng, Director of Modern Life Science Experimental Teaching Center、Ms. Jiang Yi, Director of CLS Office、 Dr. Cui yingzi, School of Life Science、 and Ms. Liang Shu ting , Tsinghua High School ,attended this event.

Dr. Jiang Yi, head of the ABE program in mainland China and director of the CLS office, hosted the event and explained the program is closely related to daily learning and life from various aspects, such as what is the ABE program, why do the ABE program and what can be learned by participating in the ABE Experimental Experience Course.

Amgen's Vice President and General Manager of China, Irene Xu, gave a video message, saying that the ABE program is a way to bring the laboratory into the school and let students experience the scientists' exploration journey in advance, hoping that the experience can stimulate students' interest in life science and strengthen their ambition to join biotechnology research in the future.

Then, Dr. Peng Li, the lecturer of the first course, awarded the certificate of completion to the students of the first course and made a review and summary of the course. Dr. Li said that due to the epidemic and the course schedule, the whole course was very long, and many students might have forgotten the specific experimental operations, but he believe the students will remember the excitement when they extracted the plasmids and ran the gels to produce the bands, and he hope this feeling and memory will be useful in daily study.

After that, Dr. Yingzi Cui, the lecturer of the fourth course, introduced herself on the stage and hoped that she would work with Shuting Liang, the teacher of Tsinghua High School, to create a good learning atmosphere for the students and lead them to make progress together in the next course.

Finally, Mr. Liu Dong, the vice dean of the School of Life Sciences, gave a lecture on "Modern Life Science Development Talk" to the students. Mr. Liu, who has rich teaching experience, combined with his own practical experience, made the best use of the topic of this lecture, from the five major discoveries of modern science, to the discovery and significance of the double helix structure of DNA, to the development of microscope and the analysis of protein structure, to the development of biological science to change the world, the development of vaccines, the research of insect and disease resistant genes, etc. He elaborated on the mystery of the survival of different organisms to benefit mankind through understanding them. And along with the words of academician Chen Ning Yang sent a message to the students in the audience, in the twenty-first practical life sciences will have a great role to play, and hope that students seize the opportunity, for the future, not to foresee, but to make it a reality. After the lecture, there was also a question and answer session with the students.

 

Prof. Liu Dong's lecture