GLENVILLE — Students at Glenville-Emmons High School got a chance to use some advanced equipment thanks to a mobile science lab that was arranged by biology teacher Angie James.

James took a one-week training to learn how to use the equipment and the school paid $100 to cover disposable items. The mobile science lab is funded by grants from HealthForce Minnesota and other organizations. In a partnership with Mayo Clinic, Southeast Service Cooperative now has two trailers full of science equipment that visit schools.

“The goal with having this is to get kids to understand science and why it’s important,” James said.

The class was able to extract DNA from foods and were working with E. coli Tuesday. The machines they used were worth thousands of dollars, and James said she appreciates they can see and use them because the school wouldn’t have been able to afford them.

“The hope is more students get interested in science,” James said.

James hopes if just one or two students were more interested in science and how it can be used for real-life situations, they might be more inclined to pursue more science classes in college.

One sophomore, Spencer Krier, said it was nice to have some hands-on work in the classroom.

“It gives us a break from taking notes,” Krier said.

He said it gave him more respect for what scientists do, and he was glad they were able to use the equipment because he said the school wouldn’t have been able to provide the equipment within their budget.