TCC Holds Biotechnology Extravaganza

By Margaret Stokes & Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK-- Tulsa Community College wants to encourage high school students to consider a career in Science, and hopes the third annual Biotechnology Extravaganza will do that.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Biological technician is one of the fastest-growing jobs in Oklahoma.

Just three years ago TCC unveiled the Health and Sciences Biotechnology Learning Center, which was funded by Vision 2025. This new building allows for three Biotechnology degree programs, which now has more than 30 students and is growing every year. This spring the program will grant its first Associate in Biotechnology.

Now with these new facilities, TCC is pushing for more students to get involved in Science. Some one hundred students were selected from East Central, Union, Jenks, Sapulpa, and Glenpool high schools to participate in the third annual Biotechnology Extravaganza.

The Biotechnology Extravaganza is made possible by a National Science Foundation grant which TCC received in 2006. The grant focuses on introduction to biotechnology for middle and high school students. It also provides funding for four levels of summer academies for teachers and students.

During the Extravaganza students learned how to extract DNA from a strawberry, and identify viral DNA fragments. Students also got the chance to talk with a world renowned Forensics Specialist, among other key speakers.