FYSci Camp
A Hands-on Health Science Camp
for Grade 11 students
Brought to you by Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions
The FYSci Health Science Camp is designed to provide hands-on biomedical and health research experience to students in Grade 11. Application to this program is by teacher recommendation only. Students will attend either the University of Calgary or University of Alberta program for one week, at no cost.
The FYSci camp will introduce students to different educational and career options in health sciences. Students will conduct experiments, tour research labs, and attend presentations by university scientists. The camp will run from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Tuesday, July 3 to Friday, July 6 with an hour for lunch. All participants are in charge of bringing their own lunches. Participants coming from outside of Edmonton and Calgary are responsible for their own accommodation and the associated costs.
Application forms will be sent to schools in February 2012. Applicants require at least a 75% standing in each of pure math 20, biology 20, and one other grade 11 science class. We require submission of marks (photocopy of progress report or official transcript) to verify the student has at least a 75 percent in these courses. Admission into the program will be based upon recommendations from two teachers (one science and one other).
In order to be included in the competition, all teachers should forward their recommendations along with the students' marks by May 1, 2012. Applicants will be informed of the selection committee's decision by the end of May.
Dates and Tentative Schedule: (subject to change)
Camps will run concurrently at the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.
July 3, 2012- Welcome and Introductions
- Talk on Biotechnology: DNA Cloning and PCR
- Lab on DNA cloning
- Restriction enzyme digest
- PCR desired gene
- Ligation of plasmid with desired piece of DNA
July 4, 2012
- Talk on Biotechnology: Ligation (revisited), transformation and sequencing
- Lab on transformation
- Tour of DNA sequencing and DNA primer synthesis facility
- Tour of research lab: microbiology
July 5, 2012
- Talk on Biotechnology: Protein expression
- Lab on Protein expression
- purify protein over-expressed in bacteria
- run protein on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis)
- Tour of research lab
July 6, 2012
- Talk on Lab Careers and educational requirements
- Tour of a diagnostic laboratory
- Tour of gross anatomy laboratory
- Movie (GATTACA) and ethics discussion
- Conclusion
Apply
FYSci Application Form
Additional Information
Selection of students
FYSci camp staff will go through all applications to ensure they have met all the eligibility requirements. All eligible applicants will be placed in a lottery. Twenty students will be selected for the University of Alberta camp, and twenty students will be selected for the University of Calgary camp. Only one student will be selected per school.
Cost
There is no cost to participate in the FYSci camp, and students will not be paid for participating. Students are responsible for bringing their own lunches.
Out of town students
No accommodation is available for students from outside Edmonton and Calgary. Out-of-town students will have to live with friends or family during the camp.
For more information, please contact Zenobia Ali, zenobia.ali@albertainnovates.ca