Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

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Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

BioBuilder Educational Foundation

42 episodes

1 week ago

What happens when a pharma trainer, academic workshop lead, and high school teacher are all the same person? You get a blueprint for science education that actually prepares students for real biotech work. We sit down with Maria Bennes, a biotech instructor at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational High School, to unpack how tailored communication, hands-on practice, and community support turn nervous ninth graders into lab-ready talent. Maria traces the throughline of her career—education a...

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What happens when a pharma trainer, academic workshop lead, and high school teacher are all the same person? You get a blueprint for science education that actually prepares students for real biotech work. We sit down with Maria Bennes, a biotech instructor at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational High School, to unpack how tailored communication, hands-on practice, and community support turn nervous ninth graders into lab-ready talent. Maria traces the throughline of her career—education a...

Show more...

Episodes (20/42)

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Maria Bennes: A Veteran Educator Changing Lives with Hands-On Science

What happens when a pharma trainer, academic workshop lead, and high school teacher are all the same person? You get a blueprint for science education that actually prepares students for real biotech work. We sit down with Maria Bennes, a biotech instructor at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational High School, to unpack how tailored communication, hands-on practice, and community support turn nervous ninth graders into lab-ready talent. Maria traces the throughline of her career—education a...

1 week ago

30 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

From Classroom to Career: Edwin Gonzalez and his Biotech Journey

Edwin Gonzalez shares his journey from a BioBuilder apprentice to becoming a lead scientific support specialist at Thermo Fisher by age 23, highlighting how hands-on experiences and mentorship shaped his career path. • Middle school science teacher sparked Edwin's interest in science through engaging projects and supportive environment • First in his family to pursue science, without STEM role models at home • Joined BioBuilder apprenticeship program in 2019 after learning about it from a cl...

2 months ago

27 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Curiosity, Teamwork, and Synthetic Biology: Building Solutions for Real-World Problems

In this inspiring episode of the BioBuilder Podcast, Dev and Joshua, co-founders of the startup AIVON, take listeners through their personal journeys of curiosity, innovation, and social impact. The conversation weaves through their formative experiences with science and technology, their time in the BioBuilderClub, and their ambitious venture into the world of AI-powered healthcare. Origins of Scientific CuriosityDev recounts how growing up in a science-loving household, with parents a...

4 months ago

30 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Nicole Mumbi: scientific curiosity meets life-changing opportunity

What happens when scientific curiosity meets life-changing opportunity? Nicole Mumbi shares her remarkable journey and provides a powerful answer to this question. Moving from Nairobi, Kenya to Boston in 2019, Nicole faced the challenge of cultural transition while nurturing her budding interest in science. Though initially experiencing culture shock and language barriers, her determination never wavered. A simple middle school experiment on atmospheric pressure had already planted the seed ...

6 months ago

27 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Cultivating Curiosity: Greg Wu's Journey in Synthetic Biology

Greg Wu shares his transformative journey from high school in China to becoming an aspiring pioneer in synthetic biology. His story highlights critical educational opportunities at BioBuilder that shaped his passion for science and his future ambitions. • Greg's initial interest in natural sciences during high school • Discovering BioBuilder and its influence on his academic career • Experience in synthetic biology and engineering bacteria for unique projects • Transitioni...

8 months ago

17 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Transforming High School Science Education: an interview with Daniel Kemp

Daniel Kemp shares his transformative journey in integrating synthetic biology into high school education. Listeners will gain insights into practical applications in the classroom, the establishment of the BioBuilderClub, and the significance of bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world skills.• Introduction to Daniel Kemp and his experience with synthetic biology• Overview of the BioBuilder Professional Development Workshop and its relevance to teaching• Importance of hands-on learning...

10 months ago

19 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Finding Synthetic Biology: Nicolas Rojas Taborda Transformative Journey

In this episode of Life-Changing Science, we sit down with Nicolas Rojas Taborda, a senior at Revere High School. Nico's interests shifted dramatically thanks to his involvement in the BioBuilder Apprenticeship Challenge. Nico describes his discovery of synthetic biology and his team's project idea, the K Detective, an innovative at-home kit for cavity detection. This project not only sharpened his technical prowess with tools like PCR and gel electrophoresis but also positioned him to succe...

1 year ago

21 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Unlocking Nathan Kirokwa's Path to Bioengineering

In this episode of Life-Changing Science, we sit down with Nathan Kirokwa, a rising senior at Pioneer Charter School of Science, who guides us through his journey from a curious child captivated by the human body's healing magic to a dedicated bioengineer. Nathan recounts how his mother's insights and his own early experiments fueled his passion for science. He also shares how his interests evolved from a broad fascination with medicine to a focused pursuit of bioengineering through problem-s...

1 year ago

28 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

From Books to Biotech: Vanessa Murati and BioTechBuilder

Ever wondered how a love for reading can shape your career path? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Vanessa Murati, an ambitious junior at Pioneer Charter High School of Science. Vanessa's childhood obsession with character development led her to explore human behavior and neuroscience, seamlessly blending her passion for both STEM and the humanities. She shares the vital lab skills she picked up through the BioTechBuilder curriculum and how her Albanian parents' appreciation for t...

1 year ago

25 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Hana Shinzawa: A Journey Beyond the Textbook with a Budding Biologist

Meet Hana Shinzawa, a beacon of inspiration from the BioBuilderClub who joins us to recount her experience as she discovered her passion to do and communicate science. Her AP Bio class captured her imagination leading her to relaunch the BioBuilderClub at her school. In this podcast she reviews her experience embarking on a project that converts scientific curiosity to a real-world application, culminating in the design of a yeast-based sensor for Salmonella detection.Hana's voice carries the...

1 year ago

23 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Where Life Sciences Meet Tech Training in High School Curriculum

Are you ready to have your mind expanded by the ingenuity of STEM education? Prepare to be inspired as Zeeshan talks with the dynamic Billy Carrier from Volunteer High School, a public school located in Church Hill, TN serving about 1000 students in grades 9-12. There Billy is trailblazing the "BioSTEM" program. This isn't your average biology class; it's a revolutionary approach that combines the intricacies of freshman biology with career exploration through hands-on technical trainin...

1 year ago

28 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

From High School Fascination to Cutting-Edge Biotech: Susana Donkor's Journey in Science

Ever wondered how a high school fascination can ignite a lifelong passion for science and medicine? Zeeshan's conversation with Susana Donkor explores her early days, marked by influential encounters and pivotal experiences, to her current cutting-edge work at Aurion Biotech. Susana shares her journey with heartfelt candor, reflecting on the profound early influence of educational shows and the empowering story of Ben Carson's "Gifted Hands," which sowed the seeds for her aspirations in neuro...

1 year ago

28 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Tara Peterson: One High Schooler's Journey from BioBuilder into a Biotech Career

Ever wondered how high school curiosity can evolve into a successful career in biotechnology? In this podcast, our guest Tara Peterson shares her unique story of how her high school apprenticeship program at BioBuilder shaped her career. Listen as she reveals the differences between her high school classroom and the BioBuilder program, and the program played a crucial role in kick-starting her journey into a college STEM major and now a career in science.Tara reveals how her work with BioBuil...

2 years ago

27 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Inside the Lab: Yesenia Collins' Adventures in Synthetic Biology

Get ready to be inspired by our extraordinary guest, Yesenia Collins. A pivotal figure in her school's BioBuilderClub, Yesenia takes us along on her captivating journey, from her initial introduction to synthetic biology to her innovative projects at Tyngsborough High School. Can you imagine the thrill of manipulating organisms to produce novel scents or even creating a world of vibrant microbial colors? Yesenia did just that in the Smell Lab and What a Colorful World Lab. Yet, it wasn't all ...

2 years ago

26 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 3 Episode 3: Igniting Passion for Biology with Amanda Blackburn and Evie Lafollette

Imagine transforming high school biology education by integrating synthetic biology into the curriculum, igniting students' passion for learning and preparing them for future success. How do you make this possible? This BioBuilder podcast focuses on two extraordinary biology teachers, Amanda Blackburn and Evie Lafollette, who share their inspiring journey of bringing synthetic biology to Dobbins Bennett High School in Tennessee.Amanda and Evie discuss their BioBuilder training experience in B...

2 years ago

28 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 3 Episode 2: Meet BioBuilder Rachael Smyers

Rachael Smyers was part of the 2019 BioBuilder High School Apprenticeship Challenge that was held at LabCentral. The program’s “learning by doing” approach attracted her to it, especially since she got what she felt was a late start in the Vocational Technical Program at Medford High School. Starting there in her junior year, she spent mornings taking 3 or 4 traditional high school classes (English, History…) and the afternoons in Biotech Shop, learning lab skills like pipetting, prepping buf...

2 years ago

23 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 3 Episode 1: Meet BioBuilder Lyle Musesengwa

Lyle Musesengwa is a high school sophomore at Dobyns-Bennet HS, a rural school in Kingsport, TN, near the Appalachian Mountains. His school has strong STEM offerings, including the MATE Underwater Robotics competition, as well as nationally recognized Marching Band program. Lyle was born in Cape Town, South Africa and came to the US as a 4 year old. In this podcast Lyle notes that he can’t remember a time he wasn’t asking questions. His interest in synthetic biology began in 5th grade – ...

2 years ago

22 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 2 Episode 12: Meet BioBuilder Jacob Lei

Jacob Lei was a rising Junior in High School when he participated in one of BioBuilder's online programs in the summer of 2020, waking up at 5AM Pacific time to participate synchronously three times a week for a month. BioBuilder’s online program introduced Jacob to the idea that biology and engineering could be combined to help people, using genetic parts that could be reconnected to address global issues. His biodesign team focused on medical treatments with a design that addressed insulin ...

2 years ago

24 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 2 Episode 11: Meet BioBuilder Presley Simelus

In this interview, Presley notes how they haven’t seen a single program or organization that is similar to BioBuilder. Presley would know, given the range of programs that they have engaged in.Presley is currently an 11th grade student at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge, MA. The first BioBuilder experience for Presley came as an 8th grader through an exploratory program BioBuilder ran in the Learning Lab @ LabCentral. After a 9th grade “zoom only” year that included a virtua...

2 years ago

21 minutes

Life-Changing Science: The BioBuilder Podcast

Season 2 Episode 10: Meet BioBuilder Jo-Anne Purdy

Jo has been a biology teacher for 26 years and a BioBuilder from the very start, having attended the very first Professional Development workshop at MIT in 2011. Since then, she has integrated BioBuilder into her classroom (Newton North and Westborough High Schools in MA), supporting a BioBuilderClub that was led by Viggy (Season 1 Episode 6), and leading teacher professional development workshops. In this conversation she digs into what it takes to run BioBuilder labs and programs, as well a...

3 years ago

30 minutes