b"Above: Agilent hosts summer interns from Frederick High School's biotech-focused P-TECH program, For the last five years, Agilent has been devel- executives hope they return as employees after finishing their educations. Below: Agilent Technologies relies oping material called Guide RNA (gRNA), aon deep scientific expertise found in Colorado to manufacture therapeutic nucleic acids, used by clients short sequence of RNA for clients to be usedincluding Alnylam and Lilly.with CRISPR therapeutics. CRISPR, which stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, allows scientists to edit precise positions on DNA using a bacterial enzyme. The tech is transforming treatments for cancer, preventing disease spread and addressing global famine. The CRISPR therapeutics has the potential to be huge, says Carothers. For Agilent, gRNA and CRISPR could mean medications that actually go into the source of genetic diseases and interfere with the defective proteins that cause them. Instead of trying to stop the defective protein, youre actually correcting the DNA to make the right protein in the future, Carothers says.To usher this technology into the world, Agilent is working to develop the next generation of workers.The company is offering Frederick High School students internships at its facility as part of St. Vrain Valley School Districts P-TECH program, a partnership among school districts, com-munity colleges and employers. Colorado BioScience Institute serves as the programs industry liaison. Students can come out ofWeld County and the Town of high school with a good feel for the science and an interest in the industry, as well asFrederick have been instrumental with an associates degree. They can either work at Agilent after high school or use thein helping us, as well as the state.experience as a stepping stone to go finishBRIAN CAROTHERS a bachelors degree. Hopefully theyll comeVICE PRESIDENT & GENERAL MANAGER, NUCLEIC ACID SOLUTIONS DIVISION back, says Carothers. AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES2024-2025 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 9"