Hauppauge Middle School Students Get Hands-On With WISE

HAUPPAUGE, NY — Seventh and eighth grade students in the Women in Science and Engineering program at Hauppauge Middle School recently participated in an experiment to explore the effectiveness of pill coatings, the district announced.

The hands-on lesson, guided by Stony Brook University biology graduate student Daniella Pereira, gave students the opportunity to delve into the science behind drug delivery systems, combining chemistry and biology in a fun and interactive way.

The WISE program, which serves students in grades six through eight, as well as grades 10 through 12, selects participants based on their interest in science, academic performance and teacher recommendations. Five girls from each participating grade are chosen to take part in the program, which provides a deeper understanding of STEAM concepts.

Each week, Pereira mentors the seventh and eighth grade group. For this experiment, the students were tasked with simulating the effects of a pill's coating using Skittles as the "pill." They created different coatings from a mix of vegetable oil, sugar, flour and cornstarch. The goal was to test how well each coating protected the Skittle when placed in a solution of soda or lemon juice, which served as the "stomach acid."

The students observed how long it took for the "pill" to dissolve in the simulated stomach acid, with the experiment aiming to teach them about the delicate balance required in pill coatings. If a pill dissolves too quickly, it may not reach its intended destination in the body. Though, if it takes too long, the pill may lose its effectiveness.