NHS sophomores dedicate a full day to DNA – Ricentral.com

NARRAGANSETT Sophomore students at Narragansett High School dedicated Wednesday to the study of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as part of the schools 17th annual DNA Day Symposium. The all-day event turned Biology 1 students into scientists as they explored real-world application and bioethics of DNA. Four classrooms in NHS science wing became dedicated to the event, with one particular DNA-related activity happening in each room. Food was donated by Dunkin Donuts of Narragansett and Belmont. The day was opened with keynote speaker professor Ken Miller of Brown University, who told students he was not accepted into the ivy-league school based on knowledge, but on diligence, before launching into the history of the discovery of DNA and then elaborating on its contemporary use.

One of the activities consisted of gel electrophoresis a DNA fingerprint lab in which students prepare gels and compare the DNA of two suspects to determine the DNA fingerprint of the perpetrator of a crime scene. The event was facilitated by teachers Kathy Couchon and Adam Reis with assistance from NHS seniors Kieran Maynard, Katie McLeod, Kristen Parenteau, Finnian Duncan and Sam Reddington.

We have multiple stations and different groups carrying out gel electrophoresis, said sophomore Aidan Capaldi. We are breaking down the two DNA samples in the gel and trying to figure out which one matches the sample from the crime scene.

Biology students were also able to extract the DNA from fruit an activity which would allow the students to examine the DNA itself and also serve as an example that DNA exists in all living things. This process is similar to the scientific operation of extracting DNA for analysis, and was headed up by NHS teacher Eric Zabel.

The RI State Police also made a visit to the high school, with Detective Sergeant John Grassel giving a presentation and a follow-up Q&A session on the polices use of DNA to solve major crimes in Rhode Island. Grassel took students through a series of five cases and explained how DNA analysis had led to arrests and convictions, and how its application served as a better means of evidence against a suspected criminal than other, more fickle methods, such as eyewitness testimony.

Physical evidence is very important to us, he said. Narragansett is a great school, and theres probably never any fights. But lets say there was a fight, which probably starts out as someone pushing someone else into a locker. By the end of the day, its being characterized as an all-out brawl and everyone is saying who won, and, depending on who you ask, its a different person. This is why we try not to rely on eyewitness testimony too much and focus more on physical evidence.

The final activity of the DNA Day Symposium involved a discussion on applying ethics to the field of DNA science, facilitated by NHS senior project coordinator John OBrien and student teacher Molly Silvia. The discussion centered around the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman who died of cervical cancer at Johns Hopkins University in 1951 and, unbeknownst to her or her family, some of her cancer cells were extracted and used by university researchers to develop an immortal cell line. This advancement in the field would later go on to be used in the development of polio and HPV vaccines.

Some consider Lacks contribution one of the most important events in modern medical history, said NHS science teacher Kathleen Couchon. But her family never knew of her cell removal until the author of the book contacted them in the 1970s.

A long-time staple for NHS Bio 1 sophomores, Couchon went on to say that DNA Day sticks in the minds of the students who participate.

Students appear to truly enjoy the day, she said. It is an opportunity for a hands-on application of important science content, discuss careers in forensics and related occupations and discuss the bioethics of an important issue, the use of human cells and tissue in research. Past students often discuss the day as a highlight.

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NHS sophomores dedicate a full day to DNA - Ricentral.com