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1999-2000 Research Project

The research project for the 1999/2000 WSSP focused on which wild plant gave rise to domesticated onions, or to put it another way, which species is the Mother-Of-All-Onions?   The goal of this project was to construct a phylogenetic tree of the onion family using DNA sequences generated from the chloroplasts of different onion species.  Students first used a DNA extraction kit to isolate genomic DNA from different onions they found in the store or in the wild.  They then used Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to amplify a specific fragment of the onion chloroplast genome, cloned the fragment into a plasmid vector, and then transformed bacteria.  Students then purified the plasmid DNA and the region containing the onion gene fragment was sequenced.  These sequences were used to search for matches in the NCBI database using the BLASTN program and the information from these analyses allowed students to determine the location of their sample on the onion phylogenetic tree.  In the course of these studies, students, teachers, and research scientists worked together, using the basic principles of molecular biology and genetic engineering to try to solve this research problem. By actually doing science, teachers and students gained an understanding of how science operates.  Summer Institutes were held simultaneously at Rutgers University and Monmouth Regional High School. 

 

School City State Teacher(s) # of students
Bayonne High School Bayonne NJ Ms. Holly Levin 15
Bordentown High School Bordentown NJ Ms. Karen Harrison 4
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School Bridgewater NJ Ms Carla Gable 2
Carteret High School Carteret NJ  Mr. Ron Grobe 9
Colonial High School Woodbridge NJ Ms. Chantal Greffer 12
East Brunswick High School East Brunswick NJ Ms. Anne Sanelli 26
Hillsborough High School  Hillsborough NJ Ms. Laura Dietz 2
Holmdel High School Holmdel NJ Ms. Suzanne Michaud 5
James Caldwell High School  West Caldwell NJ Dr. Martin Edelberg 12
JF Kennedy Memorial High School Woodbridge NJ Ms. Christina Figueroa 2
Monmouth Regional High School  Tinton Falls NJ Ms. Wendy Wolverton 8
Montville Township High School  Montville NJ Mr. John Brick 19
Rutgers Preparatory School  Somerset NJ Ms. Jacque Lamb 10
Somerville High School  Somerville NJ Mr. George Gunzelman 2
Watchung Hills Regional High School  Warren NJ Dr. Suzanne Fenstemaker 2
Total number of schools 15   Total number of students 130