ABE-LA Career Corner Interview (Jesus R.)

To Humble Beginnings to Being the Leading Technician for a Preclinical Drug Discovery for Cancer

By: Samantha Leano

Meet Jesus Rodriguez, one of our outstanding Saturday Workday mentors at the ABE-LA PBC site!

Jesus has taught countless high school and college students how to run gel electrophoresis and practice strong pipetting technique to ensure our Solution 1, 2, and 3 dyes are ready for classrooms. Outside of ABE, he’s a Lead Technician at BCN Biosciences, a startup focused on preclinical drug discovery and early cancer detection. His work includes maintaining cancer cells, analyzing data, delegating tasks to interns, and contributing to ongoing research.

Jesus first learned about ABE through his twin brother Frank, who participated in the curriculum in high school. “I knew of it from high school, my brother’s AP biology class participated in the curriculum. I didn’t officially get connected till 2024, when I met the PBC site coordinator.”

In 2024, Jesus completed a 100-hour internship supporting teacher orders, performing plasmid QC, making competent E. coli cells, and mentoring during Saturday Workdays. Reflecting on that time, he shared:
“I like the fact that the program strives to reach the greatest number of teachers and students. I have the pleasure of seeing lots of individuals have fun learning and practicing the skills involved in the trade during the opportunities ABE-LA offers.”

Even after his internship, Jesus continued mentoring while gaining experience at various biotech startups until landing his current role at BCN. “ABE-LA inspired me to grow my role in my job, and I created opportunities to take on interns and pass on my knowledge and skills. I wasn’t used to teaching, but being a mentor during the workday has given me the confidence and passion to teach.”

He adds, “I’m glad to see this level of passion, and expect if a program is aiming to provide entire communities opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have access to. That’s why I highly recommend this program to others… I love STEM in general, and that is reason enough.”

Looking ahead, Jesus shared: “I have my master’s in biotechnology, but I still am aiming for a PhD in the same field, and hopefully bring me closer to pioneering unexplored avenues of the field in my career.”

We’re grateful for mentors like Jesus who continue inspiring future scientists.