Some Horry County Schools students got a first-hand look at how a state-of-the-art genetics laboratory operates, courtesy of a genetics research facility that makes its home in South Carolina but treats people from all over the world.

The Gene Machine, a lab housed in a 41-foot custom bus, is the educational arm of the Greenwood Genetic Center, a nonprofit institute that provides clinical genetic services, diagnostic laboratory testing and research in medical genetics.

The bus made stops this week at the Academy for Technology and Academics, Myrtle Beach High School and Aynor High School with a mission to improve genetic literacy among high schools students using hands-on activities and to introduce them to careers in the fields of genetics and biotechnology.

Its awesome my students just love it, said Teresa Nirenstein, health science and pre-med instructor at ATA, as 25 of her pre-med juniors climbed into the mobile lab Tuesday. Its an impressive display of practical technology on wheels.

The students sat at tables outfitted with various tools of the genetics trade so they could learn how to test faux samples for the sickle cell anemia trait. Genetics instructors Jackie Cascio and Katie Henderson were on hand to guide the exercise step by step, answer questions and hopefully get them interested in science, Henderson said.

Students donned aprons and gloves before checking the tips on their micropipettes, instruments used to measure and dispense microscopic samples. Keeping their instruments vertical, they carefully loaded controlled samples into a gel substance.

Ive never known anything like this, so Im learning a lot, said Chelsea Billingsley, who is aiming to become a psychiatrist.

The gel was then loaded into an electrophoresis box that was put into a buffer liquid mostly made of water. Cascio sent an electric current, 275 volts, through the samples, which pushed them through the gel. The samples could then be identified and compared based on how far they traveled.

Its like jumping your car battery, Cascio said.

Robert Philius said he was already familiar with some things in the lab and was enjoying the exercise.

Read more:
Education notebook | Mobile genetics lab brings science to students

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