Image: Across three days (February 13 – 15), the UGA Griffin Campus hosted 270 seventh-graders from Pike County Middle School, who had the opportunity to hear from a number of researchers and also take a tour of the microbiology teaching lab. During the tour for the teaching lab, Dr. Oliver Shey Njila, Lecturer in Microbiology, introduced students to microbiology as a discipline and its applications in public health, the food industry, agriculture, biotechnology, and other areas. He also highlighted various career opportunities available to graduates of our microbiology program. Following this overview, one of our outstanding MIBO 3510L students, Ion Marshall, led the middle school students on a tour of the lab and prep room. Ion demonstrated the use of major equipment in the lab and shared how he, as a student, has quickly acquired laboratory skills though he is in just his second semester at UGA - Griffin. The visiting students observed our processes for culturing bacteria, harvesting cells, lysing cells, extracting DNA, and analyzing DNA. They also learned about the management of biohazard waste generated during lab activities and the importance of using the autoclave for waste treatment. When shown how we store reagents and biological materials under different conditions, students were particularly intrigued by our -80 degree freezer, especially when they realized that some of our bacteria freezer stocks are older than they are. Dr. Shey and Ion were especially pleased with the high level of engagement and curiosity the students showed during their visit to the teaching lab.
