Sarah Kaneko partnered with faculty and staff from NC State University’ Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) to study the integration of methods to accelerate process development, reduce time for regulatory approval, and implement lean biomanufacturing. The team explored the utilization of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’ Quality by Design and Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiatives within this framework. Kaneko designed laboratory modules to educate high school students on these advanced science and engineering topics.
Lesson 1: Design of Experiment: Optimizing Diets for Drosophila
This lesson will focus on the design of an experiment (DOE) which is an essential component of developing young scientists. Fruit flies and their diets have been selected specifically in order to use the developed diets to study macromolecules and to breed the flies for study of ecological relationships, population growth curves and genetics. Data can be collected during this lesson and then used in subsequent lessons about different objectives.
Lesson 2: Applying the Results: Understanding Population Dynamics
Students will use the growth of fruit flies in a small, contained space to understand population dynamics in drosophila populations. They will grow a colony of flies in a limited area providing the population with “new food” in a constant amount on a regular schedule. They will record the number of fruit flies in the containers over a series of 4 weeks. This may be done in conjunction with the Design of Experiment – Growth of Fruit Flies Lesson.
Lesson 3: Diet Analysis: Identifying Organic Macromolecules in Drosophila Diets
Students will test different prepared diet samples for concentrations of a specific protein using optical density. This lesson may be used in combination with lessons on macromolecule analysis as outlined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for recognizing organic macromolecules such as protein, carbohydrates and lipids. Specific instruction for this additional analysis has been integrated into this lesson.
Lesson 4: Biotechnology Applications: Freeze Drying to Limit Organism Growth in Samples
Students will dry freeze food samples to understand the advantages of removing water from samples for preservation purposes. While using simplistic techniques during class, students will also learn about how industrial dry freezers work and learn about the advantages for using this technology with food as well as other industrial products such as medicines. Students will familiarize themselves with the history and development of dry freezing products. Water is essential for substances to incubate life – the goal is for students to connect that removing water from different substances, whether it is food or medicines, to begin growing microorganisms which cause spoiling.
Author: Sarah Kaneko
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