Three students from the Santamarca Secondary School will become familiar with the world of biomedical research in the laboratories of two IIBM researchers, Ángela Martínez Valverde and María Monsalve Pérez
4ºESO+Empresa is an educational program of the Autonomous Community of Madrid to bring the educational system closer to the professional world. It is aimed at all students in the 4th year of Secondary Education. Basically, this initiative consists of students volunteering to spend a few days at the facilities of a company or institution to observe and participate in the activities carried out in these environments. In this way, young people are better prepared to make decisions about their academic and professional future, motivating them and providing them with the necessary skills.
CSIC Institutes, Centers and Units located in the Community of Madrid, including the Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (IIBM), have been participating in this 4ºESO+Empresa program since its creation in the 2008-2009 academic year. The IIBM researchers, Ángela Martínez Valverde and María Monsalve Pérez are currently hosting three students from the Santamarca Secondary School in their laboratories. These students are: Ángela Ortiz Oliver, who will participate in the laboratory of Dr. Martínez Valverde, and Lucía Diez López and Sara Conde Boeck who will be located in the laboratory of Dr. Monsalve Pérez. These three students, who are highly motivated and very excited to participate in this program, will learn about how a biomedical research laboratory works, as well as basic techniques such as DNA extraction, cell genotyping, protein quantification, performing an acrylamide gel, western blotting, PCR, microscopy techniques, etc.
The IIBM has received more than 100 applications from IES in the Community of Madrid to participate in this training program and it has been disheartening to reject so many applications. We hope that next year the pandemic situation will be better and more IIBM laboratories will be able to accept more students.
In the image, at the front, we can see Ángela Ortiz Oliver on the left and Lucía Diez López on the right