ABE Blog
The ABE blog covers biotech and biotech-education news and trends in and beyond the ABE community. Topical posts often include student activities.
Making Biology Real: How ABE Transformed One Tutor’s Path
February 23, 2026
As a biology tutor, Aya Barghachoun is constantly looking for ways to move beyond theory to create authentic scientific practice. While a physiotherapy student at the University of Sydney, she joined the ABE teacher training program, not realizing just how transformative that move would be.A year later, Barghachoun has not only expanded her…
An Escape with Purpose: Creating a Flexible Classroom Experience
December 8, 2020
On a Zoom call in November, Maria Niño-Soto held up her lab schedule, and it looked more like a complex conference scheme than a classroom set-up. It…
Bioinformatics BLAST-off!
December 7, 2020
Bioinformatics, the emerging field that uses software to analyze vast amounts of biological data, is also accessible in the classroom. Bioinformatics…
Barriers to Teacher Success
December 2, 2020
In past ABE all-staff meetings, we have discussed barriers to teacher success. Below are some suggestions from various ABE site staff on how to make…
30 Years of ABE: In Gratitude for Our Teachers
November 23, 2020
When Hugh Nelson began work as the first teacher ever for the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE), he had a crash course in cutting-edge biotechnology.…
Using Flowcharts with ABE Labs
November 14, 2020
What are “flowcharts”?Flowcharts are a common type of graphic organizer; they can help students to organize their thinking and their ideas in a…
Lab Technicians Look Forward in October Virtual Meeting
November 12, 2020
Connection and problem-solving were the hallmarks of October’s quarterly virtual Lab Technician Meeting in October. Meeting officially for the first…
30 Years of ABE: A Global Expansion
November 6, 2020
In 1990, the Amgen Biotech Experience made its debut at Newbury High School in Hugh Nelson’s classroom, just down the road from Amgen headquarters in…
30 Years of ABE: From Humble Origins
October 30, 2020
In 1989, during the early days of biotechnology, Southern California high school teacher Hugh Nelson had a summer internship at Amgen to learn more…