Science Outreach: Centrifuges in Research and the Real World

March 21, 2018

Posted: March 21, 2018, 3:30pm

Last week, about 70 students from the Orthopaedic Medical Magnet High School stopped by the Laboratory for Living Systems Engineering to learn a little bit about centrifuges and how we use them in our daily research. Each mini group of students stopped by three different stations to learn about (1) the overview of tissue platforms and model systems for studying human diseases, (2) how we use centrifuges to separate different compounds in one solution, and (3) how we use centrifuges to mix materials together.

Because we wanted to highlight the fact that centrifuges are used in normal, real-life applications, we showed videos of centrifuges being used in blood tests, astronaut and fighter pilot training, and carnival rides. By presenting more common uses of centrifuges, we could hammer home the relevance of centrifuges in daily life.

We also talked a little bit about our own journeys into research and becoming Ph.D. and post-doctoral scholars. I hope that our passion for science and healthcare showed through our presentations and inspired a couple of the students to pursue degrees in STEM. I’m excited to keep this outreach going for future groups of high schoolers!

Published on March 21st, 2018

Last updated on April 1st, 2021


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