The materials below were developed by researchers and educators associated with SynBERC and are freely available to high school teachers and science educators.

BioBuilder - A resource for hand-on activities and informative animations that explain fundamental content in synthetic biology, science, engineering and biology. Click here to enter BioBuilder and discover the potential for synthetic biology to change the world.

Berkeley Engineering Research Experiences for Teachers (BERET) - An 8-week summer program that engages teachers in hands-on research and guides them to develop lessons that translate their research into K-12 science lessons and classroom activities. Click here to explore teacher-created lessons in synthetic biology, chemistry, biology, molecular biology, microbiology and more!

iCLEM Biofuels Research Project - ICLEM engages high school juniors and seniors in an 8-week summer biofuels research project. The research focuses on deconstruction of cellulose, the most abundant organic material on earth. The overall goal of the project is to isolate novel cellulase enzymes that more efficiently deconstruct cellulose, which would ultimately help make renewable biofuels a viable alternative to non-renewable fossil fuels. During the program, students learn basic techniques in microbiology including aseptic technique, PCR, electrophoresis, DNA quantification, DNA sequencing, basic bioinformatics techniques, and isolation of genomic DNA. The iCLEM Lab Manual describes each lab protocol and explains the science behind it. The manual is available free of charge to teachers and science educators. Click here to request a copy.

SEED Synthetic Biology Course - An eight-unit molecular biology/synthetic biology course for high school seniors that identifies and focuses on the top three “must knows” of synthetic biology, connecting these ideas to labs. Detailed lesson plans teach students how to construct and conduct the experiments that lead to discovery, and opening their eyes to the possibility that they are capable of hatching the next big idea. Click here to view the SEED Synthetic Biology Lab Manual.

For additional information about these materials, please contact Kate Spohr, SynBERC Education Outreach Manager.