Note from the Directors

Jaime Abdilla and Susan Gold

We have been busy recruiting the BTI Class of 2028, enjoying reports from the juniors about their job shadows, celebrating the college admissions of our BTI seniors, and innovating and expanding our curriculum as discoveries and applications of biotechnology emerge.

Winter break has also allowed us to reflect on how fortunate the BTI program is to have so many generous individuals supporting our program.

We are grateful for the BTI graduates who organized who our tour of UC Davis and Mars Wrigley Cacao Greenhouse, the 50 volunteers who are mentoring our juniors, the 15 guest speakers who participated in our sophomore symposium, the companies who have donated supplies and equipment, and the many families who have dug deep into their pocketbooks to contribute to CAF and the BTI program.

We appreciate your contributions and hope for your continued generosity so we can continue to provide unique opportunities and state-of-the-art labs for all BTI students.

We look forward to what the rest of the 2024-2025 school year will bring and the memories and connections we continue to make with your students.

In this Issue:

• How BTI Students Are Celebrating the Program's 10th Birthday
• Parent/Guardian Volunteer Needed
• Sophomore Tour of UC Davis and the Mars Wrigley Cacao Greenhouse (Also see the BTI alumni who were involved in this exciting field trip!)
• The Sophomores & Juniors Shining at Open House
• Spotlight on BTI Counselor, Kim Miller
• What's Happening in Our Classes
• Cabin Fever: Lunchtime Bonding Event
• Share the Love: Lunchtime Bonding Event
• Upcoming Events
• Contact Information

Thank you, Noe Marcos, BTI Class of 2021, for inviting our sophomores to tour UC Davis!

The Sophomores & Juniors Shining at Open House

BTI sophomores and juniors showcased their projects to the community at Carlmont's Open House. Sophomore teams explored biotechnology applications through research in their English class, covering fascinating topics like lab-grown meat, CAR T-cell therapy, wax worm enzymes to break down plastic, and more.

Biotechnology 4 students took their learning a step further by developing an innovative, eco-friendly household cleaner. After mastering new lab techniques, they applied their creativity in English 3 to design marketing ad campaigns for their products. They had a great time presenting both their cleaners and ad campaigns at Open House!

Spotlight on BTI Counselor Kim Miller

We are incredibly fortunate to have BTI counselor Kim Miller as a guiding force for our students! Each semester, Mrs. Miller delivers insightful presentations to all BTI cohorts, ensuring they stay on track for success.

Recently, she met with sophomores to review graduation and A-G requirements, helping them understand their transcripts and GPAs. Later this spring, she will present to juniors on crafting compelling college essays and exploring top science programs.

Beyond group presentations, Mrs. Miller meets individually with students to assist with course registration and academic planning. She also provides invaluable support to those facing stress or mental health challenges, always offering a compassionate ear and thoughtful guidance.

Mrs. Miller’s dedication to our students makes a lasting impact, and we are so grateful to have her as part of the BTI community!

Sophomore Classes

Biotechnology 2 with Leslie Burndon

This unit we are focusing on DNA and its many uses in Biotechnology. We have extracted DNA from plants, animals, and bacteria and ran our first DNA Gel Electrophoresis before break. We are also beginning to connect these lab skills to social issues through a unit investigating how DNA gels and forensics can be used to exonerate people who have been wrongly imprisoned. We will then learn about the DNA techniques of PCR and CRISPR, and our final part of the DNA unit will be genetic engineering. Students will get to genetically modify organisms in the lab to give them new traits as a model for how many medications and vaccines are created.

World History with Connor Fenech

Sophomores have been wrapping up their unit on the World Wars. They have created fully playable board games that teach players about key events from WWI to WWII. Our units for the rest of the semester include topics such as nation-building, genocides, pandemics, and contemporary issues.

English II with Susan Gold

English II students spent a number of weeks working on their biotechnology team research projects, which they presented to families at Open House. Among the many topics were CAR T-cell therapy for cancer treatment, wax worm enzymes to break down plastic, bacteriophages as an alternative to antibiotics, mRNA vaccines, and biodegradable pacemakers. The presentations were outstanding! Students have just begun reading Rebecca Skloot's nonfiction book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and later this quarter they will exercise their creativity through narrative essay writing and poetry writing.

Junior Classes

Biotechnology 4 with Jaime Abdilla

This semester in Biotechnology 4, we will explore how biotechnology can address global challenges. Our hands-on work will include transforming bacteria, extracting horseradish peroxidase—a key enzyme in environmental remediation—conducting assays, and analyzing DNA and protein gels through electrophoresis. We will also use PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to determine whether certain foods have been genetically modified.

As we enter the fourth quarter, students will begin their final exam project. Using the skills acquired throughout the year, they will be tasked with growing an edible plant from both a seed and a clone, applying their knowledge of biotechnology in a real-world context.

Chemistry for Biotechnology with Josh Engberg or Alyssa Lu

Students will become experts in Stoichiometry this semester, stoichiometry is calculations based on the proportions from balanced chemical reactions. As we like to say in class, “Can’t stop the Stioch!” Students completed a partner soap projects and soap and posters were displayed at open house night. This project involved analyzing the soap and comparing its properties to store-bought soap. Making soap allows students to learn more about concentration, calculations, and reactions. Going forward students will be designing and carrying out experiments to learn more about chemical reactions.

U.S. History with Lindsey Moynihan

We have recently ended our WWII unit and are moving on to the post-war years of the Atomic Age and the early Cold War. Students are engaging in a group project where they explore the early events of the Cold War in order to explain the tensions that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union. We will then look into Cold War fears at home, such as McCarthyism, and post-war prosperity, like the expansion of the service sector and the information industry. These events will explore the tensions that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the latter half of the 20th century and explore the impact of those tensions on populations around the world and the impact to technological advancement. Later this semester we will also take a dive into the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and impacts domestically, and the modern presidential administrations from Nixon forward.

Juniors have also been participating in their job shadows this quarter. Many students have been reporting back that they’ve had a great time on the job shadow! Later this semester, students will create elevator pitches about themselves to present to their peers. They will solicit feedback from their mentors and maybe even engage in mock-interviews with their mentors for some real-world practice. Students also created SMART goals the first week back to school from winter break. You should ask them how their progress toward meeting their goals are going! Keep them accountable!

English III with Susan Gold

BTI English III students began the semester working on resumes, which their mentors reviewed, and they are currently reading Margaret Atwood’s post-apocalyptic novel, Oryx and Crake. Years ago, we selected this book to be a part of the BTI English curriculum because it is, in part, a cautionary tale about what could go wrong if biotechnology were to get into the wrong hands. Later in the spring, students will be writing fiction of their own. Students have also learned about marketing and advertising and created an ad campaign for the environmentally friendly cleaner they made in Ms. Abdilla’s Biotechnology 3 class. They presented these cross-curricular projects at Carlmont's Open House.

Senior Classes

Biomanufacturing with Leslie Burndon

This semester, students are researching, developing, and manufacturing their own capstone Biotech products. The next phase is R&D to refine their own product ideas and make a test batch, before manufacturing, testing, and packaging their products. As we wait for our purchase orders for our final supplies to be processed, we have been working on a side project manufacturing and testing Taq DNA Polymerase for use in PCR and will be moving into a unit on Bioinformatics.

Economics with Lindsey Moynihan

Our survey course in economics started in January. In our intro to economics, students participated in a simulation of the circular flow of economic activity (called “Econoland”) where they either took on the role of a business or a household and had to make decisions regarding productive resources and finished products to best help themselves. Currently, we’re looking at business organizations and analyzing the film, “Monsters Inc.” as it relates to ethical business practices. We will eventually do a segment on personal finances. Hopefully, we won’t all forget our personal finance tips after college! Our course will cover mostly microeconomics, but we will look into macroeconomics a little to better understand the world around us and how everything is interconnected, even our basest of choices!

English IV with Oscar Fabic

We concluded our Bad Blood unit with an informative essay on fraud. We’ll explore Jurassic Park & the Power of Language (part of the ERWC LGC unit) next, with a reading of 1984 and focus on Argumentative writing to follow. Seniors will cap off the year exploring topics in George Orwell’s work such as fake news, privacy, security, surveillance, totalitarianism, censorship, and gaslighting.

Cabin Fever: Lunchtime Bonding Event

The best cure for cabin fever caused by rain and unseasonably cold weather? Spending lunch playing Jenga and cards, making lanyards and bracelets, and, of course, enjoying plenty of snacks. This beloved BTI tradition brings students together, creates lasting memories, and offers the perfect escape from the chilly, dreary weather.

Share the Love: Lunchtime Bonding Event

Our Valentine's Day lunchtime social was filled with love, laughter, and plenty of sweet treats! Students crafted felt hearts and Valentine’s Day cards while enjoying cookies and other delicious goodies—warming both their hearts and their bellies.