Biology Olympiad Club

As an ECA dedicated to the preparation of biological competitions (Class B), BOC mainly focuses on the teaching of extensive knowledge related to biology Olympiads such as BBO and USABO, and other relevant contents. We offer opportunities to SCIErs who want to improve their academic abilities and acquire higher achievements in later competitions. Furthermore, as the construction of the SCIE bio lab is ongoing, we will introduce more biological experiments in the next semester, to improve their practical skills and reach a better comprehension of this fascinating subject.

ECA introduction

Our ECA activities are divided into two categories: Biological Theory and Biological Practical. Different from the previous years, we aim to increase the proportion of biological practicals in the next semester. Detailed contents are listed below:

Theory: Basic Biochemistry, cell biology, and concepts of genetics are the fundamental part of our teaching in the first few ECA sessions. They act as crucial scaffolds for the further studying of this subject and pave the way for our bio practicals. Contents about evolution, biosystematics, plant physiology, animal physiology, and ecology will be arranged in the ECA periods later in the semester, to make the pupils better prepared for the bio-Olympiads in April. Additionally, modern biotech and genetic engineering will be our supplementary content, to make our ECA members better acquainted with experimental procedures, such as plasmid extraction, PCR, and restriction cloning.

 

Practical: Basic experiments such as E.coli Incubation, Centrifugation, and Gram-stain are first considered since their requirement in apparatus has already been met in the school laboratory. If the bio lab is functional in the next semester, we will consider simple molecular cloning experiments such as PCR, gel electrophoresis, and transformation of bacteria. Essential materials such as primers, enzymes, media, and reagents will be required.