Over the last few months, we’ve all had some tough transitions due to COVID-19. Many teachers have transitioned to online learning, and many parents have become homeschool teachers. Here at Edvotek, we’ve continued working on projects and creating resources for teachers, students, and parents to help make your lives easier. Below we’ve outlined everything we’ve been working on, as well as some exciting new projects to be released in the next few weeks!
Resources for teachers and parents
- YouTube Live Streaming Experiments
Were you planning on running electrophoresis this spring semester? Or are you looking for a way for your students to engage with science and scientific experts? We’re here for you! On Thursday May 14th at 1 PM EST, we’ll be debuting on YouTube Live with dye-based electrophoresis. Dr. Danielle Snowflack will be performing electrophoresis from her basement, talking about the science behind the technology, and answering questions LIVE! If you’ve got questions about electrophoresis or want your students to benefit from this amazing opportunity, be sure to tune in by subscribing to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/edvotekinc. “See” you there!
- MyLab Custom Kits for Distance Learning
We know parents have been struggling to find educational resources for their children and teachers have been looking for ways their students can perform hands-on science experiments at home. In response, we’ve created MyLab Custom Kits for Distance Learning. With MyLab, you choose kits to be sent directly to your home or school for students to perform themselves. The kits are engaging, educational, and have little prep work. For more information on MyLab Custom Kits, visit our website, or read more about it in our blog post.
- Edvotek at Home Digital Labs
Many teachers were planning on running labs this spring that then got cancelled. To help, we’ve transitioned our most popular labs to digital versions, so that students can still walk through the experiment without needing to go into the lab. Whether you’re looking for electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE, transformation, or ELISA, we’ve got you covered. Visit our website or blog post to learn more.
- Learning Centers
Many lab techniques can seem too overwhelming to adopt in your classroom; but they’re not! To help you and your students understand different laboratory techniques, we’ve created learning centers on our website. Here, you can find background on the technique, ways to implement it in your classroom and remotely, tailored presentations, and support about frequently asked questions. So far, we’ve developed learning centers on electrophoresis, PCR, ELISA, and transformation. Proteins, forensics, and visualizing DNA are coming soon! You can find more information on our website.
- Digital Bioinformatics Lab
Transitioning labs to a digital environment can be tough, so we’re developing labs that are meant to be done digitally! Bioinformatics is a fast-growing field that combines computer and biological science. Bioinformaticians use coding and programming to analyze genetic information quickly and output complex information in a digestible format. In our new lab, which will be released in just a few weeks, students will learn the basics of the coding language Python and use what they learn to detect a SNP in the gene coding for Hemoglobin beta globulin, the cause of sickle cell anemia. The entire lab can be done virtually, so keep an eye out for more information!
- Resources to teach about COVID-19
Over the past few weeks, you’ve probably been inundated with news regarding the current viral pandemic affecting over 100 countries worldwide. It’s a little scary, even to those of us who have seen similar outbreaks and understand the science. Your students have likely seen the same news reports and may be curious to learn more. That makes this the perfect time to teach your students about virology, epidemiology, and medical testing in the context of current events. In an effort to facilitate a continuing COVID-19 dialogue, we’ve compiled a comprehensive set of resources to help you talk to your students about the ongoing pandemic, available here.
New Equipment
- The EDGE All-in-One Electrophoresis Platform
We started working on this project almost a year ago, and we couldn’t let a pandemic stop us! We’re excited to announce the release of the EDGE, an integrated electrophoresis platform. With the EDGE you can run a full electrophoresis gel experiment, including visualization, in under 10 minutes. We’re super excited about this new piece of equipment, and we hope you are too! To learn more about the EDGE, see Introducing the EDGE and The Evolution of the EDGE blog posts.
- TruBlue2TM Blue/White Light Visualization System
The successor to the popular TruBlueTM has been improved with an enlarged viewing surface and novel white light mode! Blue light enables visualization of SYBR® Safe stained DNA gels, GFP transformation results, and more. Meanwhile, the white light enhances visualization of blue stained DNA gels, protein gels, and experimental results. The TruBlue2TM has enough surface area to simultaneously view up to eight 7×7 cm gels and combines the functions of two units into one! For more information visit our website.
That’s it for now, but be sure to stay up-to-date by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and subscribing to our YouTube channel! As always, we’re here to answer any of your questions. If you’re curious about any of the resources above, just email us at info@edvotek.com and we’ll be happy to help!
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