Loveland Seniors Brandon Bishop, Sophia Sperry and Zach Garner celebrated after successfully completing their capstone project
Senior capstone captures college-level results
Loveland, Ohio – It’s called Biotech, and at Loveland High School (LHS) it is a two-year course commitment that all students have the option to apply for. The pinnacle for coursework in this class is the biotechnology capstone – a student-selected research project that Biotech students complete their senior year.
“Every year I’m captivated by the advances to high school science our students have the ability to make – they just never cease to amaze me,” said LHS Biotech Teacher Jamie Allison.
“Every year I’m captivated by the advances to high school science our students have the ability to make – they just never cease to amaze me,” said LHS Biotech Teacher Jamie Allison.
This year, three students used high school research to achieve college-level results. LHS seniors Sophia Sperry, Zach Garner and Brandon Bishop conducted an experiment which successfully proved the ability for solid lipid nanoparticles to be used as vehicles for medicine, reducing side effects that are typical as pharmaceutical drugs travel through the body.
“It was just kind of a surreal moment for me,” said LHS Senior Brandon Bishop. “None of us really thought it worked at first – we were skeptical, but Mr. Allison confirmed what we were seeing.”
The successful experiment – conducted in March 2018, which confirmed studies they had seen produced by college-level students, was the final chapter in a research project the trio had been working on since September 2017. The students selected the capstone project based on a motivation to conduct research that could help others.
“We just wanted to find something that could really change the world and help give people better chances of surviving disease,” said LHS Senior Zach Garner.
“We just wanted to find something that could really change the world and help give people better chances of surviving disease,” said LHS Senior Zach Garner.
“This is our Tiger Innovation goal at its finest,” said Loveland Director of Technology and Innovation David Knapp. “What our LHS Biotech class allowed Sophia, Zach and Brandon to experience in the lab is part of our strategic plan for innovative learning for all of our students – to allow them to work collaboratively with peers, teachers and professionals in the field to tackle real-world problems. We are very proud of what they achieved.”
“Many students sadly don’t have the chance to get involved in this type of research,” said LHS Senior Sophia Sperry. “This class really opens up the opportunity for students to get a taste of what happens in the real research world.”
Accounting Plus LLC
