Roosevelt School Students Discover World of Microbiology with the Help of BioBus and Regeneron

BioBus visited Roosevelt School last month to share the passion for science with fifth-grade students. With experiments and lessons tailored made for fifth grade, BioBus gave students a glimpse at areas of science they will continue to study for the rest of their academic careers. Many students who participated in BioBus experiments during its visit will go on to pursue careers in related fields, becoming engineers, researchers and technicians, in medical settings, cutting-edge labs and technology companies.

BioBus scientists and Regeneron volunteers guided students in exploring ecosystems through hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Students made use of the mobile laboratory to collect and analyze samples. They also had the opportunity to work with samples from other ecosystems, seeing what microlife exists in compost and aquatic environments.

“We’ve been inspecting things with a microscope,” said Roosevelt student Luke, “like worms, grass, and other stuff too!”

The equipment on BioBus offered students a view into the world of microorganisms, letting them see creatures that they’ve never seen before but have been around for their entire lives. The sense of wonder among students as they used the tools of science to dissect the world around them was evident in wide smiles and excited conversation about tiny organisms and the patterns of cells on leaves.

“There was a little creature!” said student Mayte of a microorganism viewed through a microscope. “It was related to shrimp, we were taking guesses about what it was and what its different body parts were.”

BioBus is supported by Regeneron, whose contributions are helping develop the next generation of scientifically minded students who will one day change the world with their discoveries.

“It was awesome getting to watch the students be scientists,” said BioBus Community Scientist Stefan Valdez. “Thank you to Regeneron and to the Regeneron volunteers… We can’t wait to come back and have students be scientists with us again.”