SYNDAVER NEWS

Tampa company to provide free weekly nationwide science lab instruction online in response to COVID-19 school closures

First nationwide class to be taught Mar. 31 via Facebook Live

B-Roll Available for media-use here.

TAMPA, Fla. – Students throughout the U.S. will soon have a new online learning option thanks to SynDaver® in Tampa, which announced they will be providing a free weekly instructor-led frog dissection course via Facebook Live, with plans to add more online courses in the future.

The first weekly course will be a frog dissection biology lab, which is scheduled to begin Mar. 31 at 10 AM EST, and occur at the same time each Tuesday thereafter. The course will focus on using SynDaver’s new and widely lauded SynFrog™, which is a synthetic frog with dissectible organs made of SynDaver’s proprietary and patented synthetic tissue called SynTissue. The free lessons coincide with the launch of the “Too Cruel for School” campaign by international animal protection organization, In Defense of Animals, to promote humane education like that offered by SynDaver.

The great news for students is that they will have an instructor available online to help answer their questions and they do not need to purchase a SynFrog to participate in the online lab.

As soon as schools around the country began canceling classes due to coronavirus (COVID-19), team members at SynDaver began looking for ways they could help.

“We looked to see what we could do and while we can’t give away our products for free, we can donate our time. Fortunately for students, our in-house veterinarian Dr. David Danielson has volunteered to begin teaching this weekly class on frog dissection,” said Dr. Christopher Sakezles, CEO of SynDaver. “As a bio-technology company with strong ties to the science and engineering world, we believe it’s important for students to stay on top of their learning. The students of today will become the doctors of tomorrow, and we need them to have the best possible learning experience so that new cures and procedures can be discovered.”

According to students and teachers who have used SynFrog, they claim it is a superior learning experience, as it is made to represent a living frog rather than a dead, preserved frog. It realistically mimics the visual and textural properties of a live female frog. The frog features a synthetic skeleton and muscles, along with highly realistic skin and organs, including a reproductive system with eggs. Additionally, because the SynFrog is made of SynTissue, which is made of water, salts and fibers, there is no presence of formaldehyde, which has been found to be harmful and is often used to preserve dead frogs.

“Unlike cadavers, our synthetic models do not require special handling like bio-hazardous material; in fact, SynFrogs can be safely used by students in their own living room or at the kitchen table,” said Sakezles.

While observing the class is free to all, those wanting to do hands-on dissections can purchase the SynFrog bundle online at SynDaver’s website. The cost for the bundle is typically $199, but the promo code HOMESCHOOL will enable interested individuals to purchase the bundle for $150, with additional abdominal organ replacement pucks available for $25 each to enable more than one dissection per SynFrog.

In Defense of Animals is excited to partner with SynDaver to launch our Too Cruel for School campaign and share this cruelty-free dissection opportunity with students across the globe. Now, students can learn safely about anatomy while maintaining respect and compassion for animals,” said Dr. Marilyn Kroplick M.D., president of In Defense of Animals.

SynDaver is looking to begin offering additional classes in dissection, engineering and other sciences as COVID-19 continues to force schools to remain closed.\

SynFrog was developed with funding support from PETA.

For more information about SynDaver or the company’s products, visit https://syndaver.com/.

About SynDaver
Headquartered in Tampa, SynDaver is the world’s leading manufacturer of hyper-realistic, synthetic human and animal models for medical education, training and surgical simulation. SynDaver’s synthetic bodies mimic live tissue properties and are used by high schools, colleges and universities, hospitals, medical device companies and the military for training, testing and validation. SynDaver has the world’s largest database of live-tissue properties. Made from a proprietary formula of water, salts and fibers, the company holds 16 patents on their materials, processes and the related products. SynDaver has more than 100 employees at its facilities in the U.S. and is planning additional facilities in Europe, China, Brazil and India. SynDaver products have been lauded by industry experts and earned a cult following after appearances on ABC’s Shark Tank, MythBusters, Grey’s Anatomy and the series finale of CSI. For more information on SynDaver or their product offerings, visit http://SynDaver.com.

Calisse RevillaTampa company to provide free weekly nationwide science lab instruction online in response to COVID-19 school closures