Educator Training-CSHL DNA Learning Center
15 educators collaborating and using laptops in the DNALC computer laboratory during training

Educator Training

We offer up-to-date teacher training through biology workshops and professional development for teachers in genetics and biotechnology. With federal and private foundation funding, we offer these free workshops to middle school, high school, and college educators, especially those in the areas of genetics, biology, genomics, and bioinformatics.

The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center is an approved Sponsor of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE).

Teacher Professional Development in Genetics and Biotechnology

Lactose Intolerance Series

Build your base to teach about the genetics of lactose intolerance. Workshops will cover heredity, protein production, enzyme function, and DNA mutations through a set of hands-on labs. Sessions can be taken as a series or independently.

Session 1: Genes, Mutations, and Inheritance
Make the connection between DNA and traits, and understand basic principles of heredity.

Session 2: Lactase Enzymes in Action
Observe the action of lactase, and demonstrate how it can be manufactured in a lab.

Session 3: Our Genes and Lactose Intolerance
Use your own DNA to analyze the most common genetic variations that lead to lactase persistence.

Election Day Professional Development

DIY your PCR: Purifying Taq Polymerase to Detect a Jumping Gene
Learn how to purify the Taq polymerase enzyme from engineered E.coli, and then use it to carry out an interesting human DNA analysis.

Lactose Intolerance Series Session 1
Genes, Mutations, and Inheritance

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Saturday, October 11, 2025 
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
Brooklyn, NY

circular icon with drawing of the Regeneron DNA Learning Center

Saturday, October 11, 2025
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Regeneron DNA Learning Center
Sleepy Hollow, NY

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Saturday, October 25, 2025
9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dolan DNA Learning Center

Make the connection between DNA and traits, and understand basic principles of heredity.

Build a model to show how the genetic code is used to make proteins that give us traits like eye color and lactase persistence. Next, examine Gregor Mendel’s laws of heredity and use Punnet squares to show how genes are passed down from biological parents to offspring. Apply Mendel’s laws to create fictitious creatures, predict the genotypes and phenotypes of the next generation, and learn how corn can be used as a model to predict genotypes within a “population.” Explore how these concepts can be used to understand the connection between genetic variation and human health, focusing on mutations that promote lactase expression later in life.

In-person free workshops:

  • Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  • DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
    62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Directions

  • Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  • Regeneron DNALC
    1 Rockwood Road Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
  • Directions

  • Saturday, October 25, 2025
  • 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Dolan DNA Learning Center
    334 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
  • Directions

Register

Lactose Intolerance Series Session 2
Lactase Enzymes in Action

circular icon with drawing of the Regeneron DNA Learning Center

Tuesday, November 4, 2025
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Regeneron DNA Learning Center
Sleepy Hollow, NY

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Tuesday, November 4 OR Saturday, November 22, 2025
9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dolan DNA Learning Center

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Saturday, November 8, 2025 
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
Brooklyn, NY

Observe the action of lactase, and demonstrate how it can be manufactured in a lab.

Build a “bioreactor” where lactase enzyme is used to remove lactose from milk, replicating the industry process used to produce some lactose-free products. Test the milk’s glucose levels as the reaction progresses, demonstrating that enzymes continue to convert reactants into products over time.

Genetically engineer lactose intolerant bacteria with the lactase gene, and observe enzyme activity as the bacteria grow. This experiment illustrates the direct link between an organism's genotype and phenotype, and demonstrates how genetic engineering can be used for industrial enzyme production or gene therapy. Following overnight incubation, transformed bacteria can be compared to control bacteria for their ability to digest lactose, as seen by a color change.

In-person free workshops:

  • Tuesday, November 4, 2025
  • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  • Regeneron DNALC
    1 Rockwood Road Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591
  • Directions

  • Tuesday, November 4 OR Saturday, November 22, 2025
  • 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Dolan DNA Learning Center
    334 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
  • Directions

  • Saturday, November 8, 2025
  • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  • DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
    62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Directions

Register

Lactose Intolerance Series Session 3
Our Genes and Lactose Intolerance

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Saturday, December 13, 2025
9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dolan DNA Learning Center

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Saturday, December 13, 2025 
10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
Brooklyn, NY

Use your own DNA to analyze the most common genetic variations that lead to lactase persistence.

Most individuals who are able to digest lactose into adulthood—often called “lactase persisters”—have a mutation in the MCM6 enhancer region, located upstream of the lactase gene. The enhancer region controls expression of the lactase gene. In mammals, it is usually coded to stop expression after the nursing phase of life. There are at least five separate MCM6 mutations that have evolved independently in different parts of the world, but they all have the same effect—lactase production persists later in life.

Extract your own DNA from cheek cells and amplify the MCM6 enhancer region by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), then learn how to use bioinformatic tools to determine if you have an allele for lactase persistence*. Explore how the combination of culture and natural selection has caused a genetic shift in certain human populations.

*Sequence results for this lab and written instructions for analysis will be sent to educators within one week of completion of this training.

These workshops are appropriate for Life Science, Genetics, and Biology teachers. The experiments can be connected to the new Life Science Regents investigation on lactose intolerance, and many of the concepts are also applicable to other areas of biology learning. Guided by a DNALC educator, training will focus on lab skills and conceptual connections.

In-person free workshops:

  • Saturday, December 13, 2025
  • 9:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Dolan DNA Learning Center
    334 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
  • Directions

  • Saturday, December 13, 2025
  • 10:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
  • DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
    62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Directions

Register

Election Day PD
DIY your PCR: Purifying Taq Polymerase to Detect a Jumping Gene

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 
9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
Brooklyn, NY

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Tuesday, November 4, 2025
9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
Dolan DNA Learning Center

Learn how to purify the Taq polymerase enzyme from engineered E.coli, and then use it to carry out an interesting human DNA analysis.

Our genome is largely made of non-coding DNA, nearly half of which consists of inserted elements called transposons, or jumping genes. These small DNA sequences can “jump” around in our genome using transposase enzymes that copy and paste the transposons at random. One jumping gene sequence called Alu has over a million insertions in our DNA. This lab focuses on one locus of chromosome 16, where a recent Alu insertion event created a variable region where some individuals have the insertion, but others do not.

In this lab, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis will be used to visualize participant genotypes. PCR is a technique used to produce billions of copies of a target DNA sequence. Because the process requires high heat, it uses a heat-stable enzyme from the thermophilic bacterium Thermus aquaticus, called Taq polymerase. Participants will first extract and purify Taq polymerase from engineered E.coli, then use the “homemade” enzyme to amplify DNA obtained by cheek swab to determine the presence or absence of the chromosome 16 Alu insertion.

Participant data will act as a jumping-off point to discuss the bottleneck effect of genetic drift, which will be visualized with both hands-on and digital simulation activities. This will guide a subsequent discussion on genetic markers acting as molecular clocks, the global distribution of Alu, and how the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium can be applied to class data.

Teachers of Life Science, Biology, AP Biology and related courses are welcome to join this workshop. Guided by a DNALC educator, training will focus on lab skills and conceptual connections. There is no charge to attend.

In-person free workshops:

  • Tuesday, November 4, 2025
  • 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
  • Lunch break 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
  • DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
    62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Directions

  • Tuesday, November 4, 2025
  • 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
  • Lunch break 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
  • Dolan DNA Learning Center
    334 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
  • Directions

Register

DNA Barcoding Workshop
Urban Barcode Project (UBP) Educator Training

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

September 22, 24, October 4, 7, 9, or 15, 2025
Weekdays: 4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
or Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech, Brooklyn, NY

Participants will be introduced to the DNA barcoding laboratory investigation and bioinformatics infrastructure. Teachers are eligible to attend the training workshop if they teach a high school science class or a science research program in the New York metropolitan area. Teachers who complete this workshop are invited to organize student teams and propose Urban Barcode Project (UBP) projects.

Once trained, teachers register on the barcoding portal on this site to enter student research teams in grades 9 to 12. Teams will develop an original research proposal and receive feedback from UBP staff. Teams with accepted proposals will receive supplies, equipment, and scientific support needed to conduct experiments. Results will be shared at an annual symposium.

Participants in this workshop will learn:

  • Introduction to DNA barcoding and biodiversity
  • Sample collection and documentation
  • DNA extraction
  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
  • Gel electrophoresis
  • UBP project and proposal advice

All sessions will cover the same material, teachers need not attend more than one session.

  • In-person free workshop
  • Monday, September 22, 2025
    4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, September 24, 2025
    4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
    (Canceled)
  • Saturday, October 4, 2025
    9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, October 7, 2025
    4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, October 9 2025
    4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, October 15, 2025
    4:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
  • DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
    62 Tillary Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
  • Directions

Register

Urban Barcode Project logo

DNA Subway 2.0 Workshop

icon with drawing of the DNA Learning Center

Election Day
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
(In-person) 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
Dolan DNA Learning Center
Cold Spring Harbor, NY

or

(Virtual) 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
A Zoom link will be provided to participants after registration

DNA Subway is an educational platform that leverages research-grade bioinformatics tools and high-performance computing to create an intuitive experience for both students and educators. This workshop will provide participants with a walkthrough of the new version of the Blue line, featuring a more modern and interactive interface with enhanced workflow tracking and data visualization.

Attendance is open to individuals who have completed BLI training and to all CDBN collaborators.

For more details about our barcoding programs, visit DNA Barcoding 101.

  • Tuesday, November 4, 2025
  • In-person 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
  • Virtual 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
  • In-person at Dolan DNA Learning Center
    334 Main St, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724
  • Directions

Register

DNA Subway 2.0 logo desktop and mobile

Sites of Major DNALC Faculty Workshops, 1985-2014

This map shows the locations of the DNALC's faculty workshops taught over more than thirty years.

Open the map key map key to show/hide the years in groups of three. Click the check boxes to show or hide the years. Click the dots for information on host institution, year, and instructional level of participating faculty. Map can be opened full screen in a separate browser window by clicking the full screen icon at the upper-right.