Program Details

Find solutions for a better world at the NSLC on Biotechnology.

A career in biotechnology can take you to university laboratories, small technology start-ups or some of the biggest pharmaceutical or energy companies in the world. At the NSLC on Biotechnology, you will go behind-the-scenes at some of our country’s most advanced research labs and discover what it takes to have a successful career on the cutting-edge of science and technology.

Program Highlights

Visit research labs
Learn from scientists, doctors and engineers working in advanced research labs during exclusive hands-on tours.

Hands-on experiments
Learn the basics of DNA manipulation during intensive biotech experiments.

Explore cutting-edge technologies
used in the fields of medicine, energy production, agriculture, and bioengineering.

Dates & Locations

Note: Space is limited. Please login to the online application to see up-to-date session availability.

American University

Washington, DC

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • June 11 - June 19
  • June 23 - July 1

Duke University

Durham, NC

Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • July 6 - July 14
  • July 18 - July 26
The NSLC is not sponsored by Duke University.

University of California, Berkeley

San Francisco, CA

Sample Schedule
Trips & Tours
Explore Location
  • July 18 - July 26
  • July 30 - August 7

Hands-on Simulations

While at the NSLC, you will have the opportunity to step into the lab and learn hands-on the skills used in the field of biotechnology to manipulate DNA and create products like better medicines and cleaner fuels.

Lab experiences will include:

  • Cut DNA with restriction enzymes
  • Ligate or paste DNA fragments back together
  • Run agarose gel electrophoresis
  • Use the Nobel Prize-winning PCR technique
  • Experiment with ELISA and Flow

Meet Biotechnology Professionals

While at the NSLC on Biotechnology program, you will meet with and learn from leaders in the biotechnology field.

Examples of past guest speakers include:

Dr. Francis S. Collins
Director, National Institutes of Health

Dr. Ben Busby
Computational Biology Branch, National Center for Biotechnology Information

Dr. Eric D. Green
Director, National Human Genome Research Institute (NIH)

Dean Stephen Carr
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Engineering, Northwestern University

Dr. Jon R. Lorsch
Director, National Insitute of General Medical Sciences

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH)

Mr. Terry Johnson
Associate Teaching Professor, UC Berkeley Department of Bioengineering

Dr. Hayley Lam
Lecturer, UC Berkeley Departement of Bioengineering

Mr. Ron Shigeta
Chief Science Officer, Indie Bio

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

An important part of the NSLC’s Biotechnology youth leadership program is seeing the sites around some of our nation’s greatest cities. These trips are designed as both sightseeing tours and exclusive educational trips specifically tailored to the area of Biotechnology:

These trips may include:

American University

UMD/NIST Institute for Bioscience & Biotechnology Research | National Institutes of Health (NIH) | Sanaria, Inc. | Food & Drug Administration | George Washington University Biomedical Engineering Department | GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Pharmaceuticals | Capitol Hill & The Smithsonian | Historic D.C. Monuments at Night

Duke University

School of Engineering Tour | Industry Visit | Chapel Hill & Franklin Street | Downtown Durham

University of California, Berkeley

Joint BioEnergy Institute | Gladstone Institutes at University of California, San Francisco | Fisherman’s Wharf | Ghiradelli Square | Pier 39

Leadership Training

At the heart of each of our youth leadership programs is a curriculum designed to build concrete leadership skills that will help you succeed. Interactive lectures and small-group workshops will give you an opportunity to build upon your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

Leadership topics tailored to the Biotechnology program include:

  • Personality Styles and Group Dynamics
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Negotiation
  • Public Speaking
  • Intrapersonal Communication

College Credit Option

American University (AU) and NSLC have a unique partnership that enables you to earn college credit by enrolling in a supplemental online course designed to correlate with your NSLC program’s area of study. By enrolling in this credit course, you will enjoy a stimulating, innovative, and personalized college-level learning experience that builds on your NSLC accomplishments. The course is for one credit and is taught in a self-paced, asynchronous format across six weeks, allowing ample time to complete assignments. The course is designed to work within the framework of NSLC; students are not expected to complete coursework while on campus. Students may register for college credit via their personal student portal (myNSLC) once they have enrolled in an NSLC session.

Click here to learn more about this opportunity.

Tuition

Program tuition includes housing, all on-campus meals, course materials, academic expenses, and activities. Tuition also includes chartered, air-conditioned motor coaches for off-campus briefings and tours. Note: Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from the program as well as individual spending money for souvenirs, laundry, and a few off-campus meals during fields trips and tours.

Click here to view our cancellation and refund policy.

LocationTuition
Durham, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.$3,595
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