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Bio-Rad Hosts Local 7th Graders for “Genes in a Bottle” Experiment  

July 2, 2024

Bio-Rad's Diversity & Inclusion Program and our Science Ambassadors Program recently invited local 7th graders to visit our corporate headquarters in Hercules, California. The students, who attend nearby St. Patrick's School, toured different areas of the campus, learned about science careers, and conducted Bio-Rad's popular "Genes in a Bottle" experiment. 

Events like this one provide opportunities for local youth to learn about science and engineering at an early age, which the National Science Teachers Association says can help create an increased interest and aptitude for learning about these subjects later in life. For one employee who was involved in the event, this is what it’s all about.   

“Exposing our local youth to careers in science and opportunities to learn science not only opens their eyes to the world of scientific discovery and innovation, but it also lays the groundwork for a skilled and diverse workforce in the future,” says Victoria Escalada, a legal operations analyst and member of Bio-Rad's D&I Community Involvement Task Force. 

“By engaging these students, we can ignite a passion that may lead them to pursue careers in fields that are critical to our global community.” 

After touring a production area and a research lab, students learned about Bio-Rad's history and then listened to different employees speak about their career journeys. The students finished the day with Bio-Rad's Genes in a Bottle activity, where they extracted DNA from their cheek cells with a real-world method and then bottled it in a keepsake necklace.  

Local Connection 

Prior to joining Bio-Rad, Victoria worked at St. Patrick School and says she has kept in touch with many of the teachers and students she interacted with there. “A science teacher from St. Patrick School recently approached me to discuss potential on-site science learning opportunities at Bio-Rad for her students—many of whom live close to Bio-Rad and come from diverse backgrounds,” she says.  

“The first time I heard about Bio-Rad was when I worked at St. Patrick School, and a scientist from Bio-Rad came to my classroom and did the Genes in a Bottle Experiment,” Victoria says. “What is amazing about that experience was that many of my former students in that class currently cite that same Bio-Rad experience being one of the reasons they are currently pursuing their college studies in STEM! It also sparked my interest in applying to Bio-Rad when I decided it was my time to leave the education industry.” 

Victoria’s story highlights the essence and importance of Bio-Rad's continued efforts to expose our local youth to careers in STEM, regardless of what area of study they choose to pursue. Through events like this one and our annual college scholarship programs, Bio-Rad is proud to play a role in helping our future workforce discover the many career paths available to them.  

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