Ridgeview High School Students Show House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy Their Lab Expertise

Stepping away from his day job for a few hours, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy joined Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield on April 22nd to participate in the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) and truly see the power of hands-on learning.

During his visit to science teacher Kyle Webster’s AP Biology classroom, students exposed Leader McCarthy to ABE‘s curriculum, where students transform bacterial cells into factories to make red fluorescent protein (as a proxy for one of the human proteins we might need—such as insulin or human growth hormone) by performing some of the same techniques Amgen scientists do in their labs to make lifesaving medicines. Joined by Amgen’s Victoria Blatter, Senior Vice President, US Government Affairs, Jon Graham, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, and Eduardo Cetlin, President of the Amgen Foundation, the Majority Leader and Representative of California’s 23rd district appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the Amgen Foundation’s commitment to inspiring the next generation of scientists.

ABE is one of the Amgen Foundation’s longest-standing science education programs that provides professional grade lab equipment, supplies, advanced curriculum, and professional development (all free of charge) to high schools across the U.S., Ireland, and the U.K. More than 70,000 students and hundreds of science teachers participate in ABE each year, and have the opportunity to explore the methods scientists use to create biotechnology medicines. With the 2015 announcement of a two-year, more than $4 million grant, the Amgen Foundation is committed to further growing and strengthening this program to further spark the love of science and scientific experiences in students.

Want to learn more about this program? Watch ABE in action, visit amgenbiotechexperience.com to find out how to get involved and follow #BiotechExperience on Twitter for the latest updates.