The Boston University School of Medicine's MobileLab is putting college-level science equipment on wheels - allowing local public schools' science departments to learn about and participate in advanced biotechnological experiments.
The MED MobileLab has been packing up their equipment, curricula and staff into a bus bound for public high schools throughout the city and state since 1998. Students come on board the MobileLab and conduct various experiments that they would not be able to conduct in their schools' facilities, MobileLab director Donald DeRosa.
"The BUSM MobileLab was the first of its kind and has been the model for similar programs throughout the nation," he said. "The program has been extremely well-received among science educators."
The MobileLab program, founded by MED Graduate Medical Sciences Associate Dean Carl Franzblau, is an extension of the MED CityLab program, a biotechnology learning laboratory for teachers and students at MED.
DeRosa said the program aims to break down barriers in academia.
"One of its attributes is that it provides the same educational opportunity for all students and teachers who participate regardless of the socio-economic status of the school district," he said.
MobileLab has recently worked on biotechnology experiments at Wilmington High School.
"We have been going down to CityLab for several years with a small group of students and wanted the opportunity for the bus to come here," Wilmington High science teacher Richard Fardy said. "The relationship goes back a long way."
Wilmington High has a science curriculum with a great emphasis on biology and biotechnology and it is through those programs that the school became involved with CityLab.
"The majority of the students working in CityLab worked on 'Mystery of the Crooked Cell,' which involved researching sickle cell anemia," Fardy said. "The AP Biology class worked on bacteria transformation, a required AP lab, and the honors class worked on ELISA tests, which are tests used to determine the presence of HIV."
Fardy said the equipment and technology is state-of-the-art.
"I know nothing comparable to CityLab," Fardy said. "We've gone to hospitals and seen nothing on the same level that CityLab provides."
Some of the staff that works on MobileLab is full-time, but MED graduate students and School of Education students supplement the permanent workers.
"I like CityLab and how it reaches out to local area schools," MED graduate student and MobileLab worker Jemin Kim said. "It promotes science and biotechnology awareness, which is good because we need more scientists in the field."
The MobileLab also benefits BU by drawing more attention to the university's science programs as well as other features within the school. "MobileLab is good for public relations," Kim said. "It goes to neighborhood schools and promotes science, which is good for BU. It attracts a lot more people, especially incoming college freshmen, to BU."
In addition to the experience, MobileLab gives students a taste of the professional medical field.
"It gives students direction, whether they like science or not," Kim said. "If they like it, they come out of lab thinking of options for their future. If they come out and don't like it, then they can find something they are more interested in."
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