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).
Urban Barcode Project (UBP) Teacher Training
Saturday, September 19, 2026 OR
Saturday, October 17, 2026
10:00 a.m.to 3:00 p.m. with a break for lunch
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 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 the workshop will learn:
- Introduction to DNA barcoding and biodiversity
- Sample collection and documentation
- DNA extraction
- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
- Gel electrophoresis
- Bioinformatics
- UBP project and proposal advice
All sessions will cover the same material, teachers need not attend more than one session.
In-person workshops:
- Saturday, September 19, 2026 OR
Saturday, October 17, 2026 - 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
- DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech
62 Tillary St, Brooklyn, NY 11201 - Directions
DNA Subway 2.0 Workshop
Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (In-person session)
Dolan DNA Learning Center
Cold Spring Harbor, NY
or
12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m. (Virtual session)
A Zoom link will be provided to participants after registration
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 3, 2026
- 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
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.