March 29, 2019 – The Department of Sciences at Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences (FNAS) at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) held a workshop on cell biology for forty school students from grades 11 and 12 with an interest in Biology. The workshop was organized by BIO610 students and held under the supervision of Dr. Esther Ghanem, Assistant Professor at the NDU Department of Sciences-FNAS.
The first part of the workshop entailed seminars delivered by the BIO 610 Master’s students about the overall structure of animal cells, protein trafficking, gene expression, and cancer development. Students also attended presentations where guest speaker, Dr. Johnny Nakhle, a Postdoc researcher from Dr. Mike Osta’s lab at the American University of Beirut, shared his research interests and findings.
The second part of the workshop was conducted in the biology laboratory and included various experiments, namely using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) – a technique desgined to detect substances in the body – cell stain and microscopic observation, DNA extraction, and gel electrophoresis – a method used to separate charged molecules liked DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Speaking on the success of the workshop, Dr. Esther Ghanem wanted to thank educational consulting firm, MediLab for sponsoring the workshop, and sciences coordinator at College de Notre Dame Louaize, Rania Berberi, for helping to organize the schools.
“It was an immense pleasure and benefit for both my students and myself to participate in the 1st Cell Biology Workshop at NDU,” said Berberi. “The seminars were short and straightforward allowing students to concentrate preventing distraction normally caused by long discussions.”
Reflecting on the student’s performance, Dr. Ghanem also said: “Usually, conducting experiments in the lab for the first time results in errors and requires troubleshooting. However, based on the participants’ active performance, experimental results, and feedback, the first Cell Biology workshop was a success. The biology laboratory at NDU was able to connect school students with actual biology applications, and narrow the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical learning. Such experiences emphasize NDU’s role as a catalyst to increase the exposure of school students to biology.”