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Gene Editing Institute Travels to Salem for ‘Innovation Days’ Workshop

Nov 10, 2022

3 min

Eric Kmiec, Ph.DBrett Sansbury, Ph.D

Education sessions bring CRISPR gene editing to high school students from diverse backgrounds


Scientist-educators from ChristianaCare’s Gene Editing Institute held a workshop using CRISPR in a BoxTM at Salem Academy during Innovation Days in October at the school, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. These sessions followed a previous gene editing education workshop with Salem Academy students in January 2022.


CRISPR in a BoxTM is a revolutionary toolkit that allows students to carry out a hands-on gene editing experiment while learning and analyzing the steps involved in a typical gene editing reaction. Scientists from the Gene Editing Institute also taught a condensed lesson about CRISPR gene editing’s utility in medicine and fielded questions from students about jobs in biotechnology, bioethics and sustainability in the lab.


“It’s a really special opportunity that I know I wouldn’t get anywhere else,” said Mathilda Willenborg, a sophomore boarding student from Germany. “And I do feel like I’m learning a lot about gene editing that I definitely didn’t know before. The team makes it really easy and walks us through all the steps.”



Last winter, Salem Academy became the first school in North Carolina to offer CRISPR in a Box as it pivoted its academic focus to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math). That first innovative workshop originated as a result of an idea from a ChristianaCare board member who attended Salem Academy.


Gene Editing Institute Founder and Lead Scientist Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., made a virtual appearance as part of the latest sessions to encourage the students to pursue careers and pathways in biotechnology.


“We’re so appreciative of our partnership with Salem Academy,” said Kmiec. “We want to take every chance we get to encourage more women to pursue careers in STEM. Women around the nation, and around the world, should have access to this groundbreaking technology, which will ultimately drastically change the way we treat and cure diseases. If we don’t have young women in that discussion, we’re missing out on valuable experiences and perspectives.”


Salem Academy is the only all-female boarding and day high school on a college campus in the U.S. with a STEM focus. Women are achieving significant progress in STEM fields, representing 45% of students majoring in STEM, according to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. However, women only represent 27% of STEM workers, with wide disparities in income in post-graduation employment. As of 2019, less than 30% of the world’s researchers were women, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. The Gene Editing Institute commits to a mission of diversity and equity in its approach. This workshop reached 10 women, two of whom are international students.


“Our ongoing partnership with the ChristianaCare Gene Editing Institute will help position our aspiring women scientists for future careers in biotechnology, science and medicine,” said Summer McGee, Ph.D., president of Salem Academy and College. “This is the type of experience that sets Salem Academy apart as a national leader in building the next generation of women leaders in STEAM.”


The Gene Editing Institute itself is a national leader in female researchers. Women make up over 80% of scientists within the Institute and fill 75% of the principal investigator roles. The Institute pushes to address the gender gap and promote inclusivity through local outreach and state-spanning programs, like CRISPR in a Box.


“We’re not here to do lip service,” said Brett Sansbury, Ph.D., principal investigator of the Discovery Branch of the Gene Editing Institute. “Too many companies make a plan or promise without any actionable steps. We’re taking those steps and bringing in opportunities for students who otherwise wouldn’t have had them.”


To learn more about how to bring CRISPR in a Box to your school, visit https://geneeditinginstitute.com/products/education.


About CRISPR in a BoxTM

CRISPR in a BoxTM is the leading educational toolkit to teach gene editing. The exercise features a hands-on gene editing experiment, including a live readout within non-infectious E. coli bacteria. These experiments follow a gene editing reaction from beginning to end while teaching students the techniques scientists use to perform these reactions in real laboratory environments. CRISPR in a Box is distributed by Carolina Biological. To learn more, visit https://geneeditinginstitute.com/products/education.

Connect with:
Eric Kmiec, Ph.D

Eric Kmiec, Ph.D

Executive Director and Chief Scientific Officer, The Gene Editing Institute

Dr. Kmiec, a pioneer in the field, has achieved several ground-breaking firsts in CRISPR gene editing.

Gene EditingBiomedical ResearchMolecular Medicine
Brett Sansbury, Ph.D

Brett Sansbury, Ph.D

Principal Investigator and Leader of the Discovery Research Group

Brett Sansbury, Ph.D., is a Principal Investigator and Leader of the Discovery Research Group at the Gene Editing Institute.

Gene EditingMolecular GeneticsCRISPR-Cas SystemsHuman Gene EditingDNA Damage Repair

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2 min

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5 min

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These interventions are designed not only to improve the quality of care but also to close the gap in terms of health care disparities. That’s important, because when we improve care and outcomes for the most vulnerable populations, we tend to get things right for everyone. One type of intervention is about doing exactly the right things for a patient based on the evidence of what will help—and doing nothing extra that will cause harm or generate additional costs without providing additional benefit. An example of this might be ensuring that every patient who has a heart attack gets a certain drug called a beta blocker right after their heart attack, and they receive clear guidance and support on the actions they must take to reduce their risk of a second heart attack, such as regular exercise and good nutrition. The second type of intervention is for the highest-risk populations. These are patients who live in poor communities where there are no gyms and no grocery stores, and people commonly have challenges with transportation and lack of access to resources that makes it difficult—sometimes impossible—to follow their plan for follow-up care. They lack access to high-nutrient food that reduces their risk of a second heart attack. They also live in areas where there are fewer health care providers compared to more affluent areas. These interventions tend to be very intensive and do not generate income for health systems; in fact, they require significant non-reimbursed investment, but they are necessary to keep our most vulnerable patients healthy. The medical community has developed interventions for these populations that are proven to work. A local example is the Delaware Food Pharmacy program, which connects at-risk patients with healthy food and supports their ability to prepare it. 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LeRoi Hicks, M.D., is the campus executive director for ChristianaCare, Wilmington Campus.

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