Twenty Saint Lucian students have completed two weeks of advanced genetics and molecular biology training through BioSci Series 2025, an initiative spearheaded by Saint Lucian biotechnology firm GenTech Analytica. The programme delivered hands-on genomics education rarely accessible to secondary school learners in the Caribbean.
Held July 7-18, the training introduced students aged 15-18 to laboratory techniques and concepts typically reserved for university-level science programmes. Participants practised real-world workflows used by genetic scientists, including DNA extraction, pipetting, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel electrophoresis, and CRISPR gene-editing simulations using MiniPCR technology.
“This kind of hands-on molecular biology training before university is unprecedented here,” said Gemmia Jn Pierre, general manager of GenTech Analytica. “It gives our students a global edge.”
Alongside the practical lab sessions, students attended lectures on infectious disease genomics, bioinformatics, pharmacogenetics, and polygenic risk. These topics, combined with the lab work, gave participants a comprehensive view of how genetic science is applied in healthcare, research and biotechnology.
GenTech Analytica’s founder, Devy Frederick, described the initiative as part of a wider vision for the region. “We are building a continuous pipeline of talent,” Frederick said. “In five to ten years, we want to look across the Caribbean and see a region that is not just participating in genomic innovation, but leading it.”
The BioSci Series 2025 was supported by CariGenetics Ltd., SOL EC Ltd., Bank of Saint Lucia, LUCELEC, and Massy Stores, with venue assistance from Saint Joseph’s Convent Secondary School. Organisers say plans are already being explored to expand the programme to other Caribbean nations.
