My students need bacterial transformation kits to learn cutting edge biotechnology techniques and the function of DNA.
FULLY FUNDED! Dr. Hanono's classroom raised $752
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
All living things contain DNA. To truly understand life you must understand how the information encoded in the DNA of an organism determines the traits of that organism. Thus to truly understand the function of the human body, you must understand how aspects of its function are controlled, and this includes how gene sequences in DNA are turned on and off to control their function.
The students enrolled in our medical biology classes are an energetic group and are eager to learn.
In recent years, the size of our student body has increased dramatically, but the laboratory resources available have not kept up with the increasing size of the school. They are a diverse group that expressed interest in healthcare related fields, and many hope to pursue careers in healthcare after graduation. The students in these classes learn biology just like their peers, but with a medical emphasis. This class serves as the first course of our medical pathway where students are continually exposed to medically related topics as they progress towards their high school diploma.
My Project
The kits purchased though this project will be used to introduce students to genetic engineering through a process called bacterial transformation. Through this process, students will see how a simple chemical sequence in DNA can be controlled to ultimately code for the trait of an organism. In this activity, students will introduce a sequence of DNA (a gene) from a bioluminescent jellyfish that codes for the green fluorescent protein (GFP) into bacteria. And since the generic code on the planet is essentially universal, the bacteria will dully interpret whatever DNA inside them to make the encoded protein that will affect their trait. In this case, bacteria that take up the jellyfish DNA sequence for GFP will glow with the same green glow that would normally be seen in the jellyfish, but not in the bacteria used in the experiment without the introduced DNA.
By completing this task, students will observe how a foreign piece of DNA can be moved from one organism to another to produce a desired protein.
Although making bacteria glow green might seem like a novelty, similar procedures have been used by biotechnology companies to develop novel medical treatments like the production in a lab of human insulin for diabetics, in addition to agricultural products and other products that have benefitted humanity. In the end, the students in medical biology will apply their knowledge of DNA to be able to explain how the sequence in an organism's DNA can determine the traits of that organism. They will also see how modern biotechnology can be used and how bacterial transformation can be applied to modern medical treatments.
Half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Dr. Hanono and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
