The South O’Brien Ag Biotechnology Team of Austin Negus, BreeLee Rasmussen, Gabe Moermond, and Will Stout competed at the Iowa FFA State Convention in the Ag Biotechnology Career Development Event! Participants in this competition engage in a series of written tests, practical applications that show an understanding of how multi-generation breeding and genetic engineering work, and scientific tool and materials identification activities to demonstrate their understanding of how biotechnology impacts agriculture.
Sophomore BreeLee Rasmussen shared what it took to prepare for the contest, saying, “We prepared for the biotech contest by reviewing ID cards of tools, genes, and other materials that might appear in the identification portion of the contest. We also used Quizlet to study these items. Additionally, we practiced doing genetic crosses with Punnett squares and used online resources to learn more about gene editing.”
Will Stout also shared what he enjoyed about the contest, stating, “The contest was a great opportunity to try something new.”
The team earned a bronze rating at the state competition this year and hopes to expand their knowledge and return even stronger next year.