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2020-2021

The research project for the 2020/2021 WSSP focused on analysis of the mRNA population of Landoltia punctata, a duckweed. The goal of the research was to determine which genes are expressed in this organism, and how they compared with expressed genes from other species. Students in the project used molecular biology and bioinformatic techniques to isolate and sequenced genes from a cDNA library (a collection of mRNA's copied into DNA's). Students used the DNA Sequence Analysis Program to analyze the gene sequences.   These sequences have never been determined before. If a student successfully analyzed a sequence, it was published in GenBank, the international repository of all known DNA sequences, for other scientists to study. Each published sequence bears the student's name and his/her teacher's name. A complete list of the schools, teachers and number of students that participated in the 2020/2021 WSSP can be found below with links to their published sequences.  

Below is a list of the schools, teachers, and number students involved in the 2019/2020 WSSP Research Project.  Links to the School name will connect to the school's home page.  Links to the number of students will connect to the DNA sequences published by these students.  

School City   State Teacher(s)   # of students  
Aiea High School Aiea   HI Ms. Mary Peterson   3  
Columbia High School Maplewood   NJ Ms. Chasity Tedeschi   6  
Dougherty Valley High School San Ramon   CA Ms. Katherine Huang   29  
East Brunswick High School East Brunswick   NJ Ms. Anne Sanelli   31  
Elmwood Park Memorial High School Elmwood Park   NJ Ms. Dolores Gale   27  
Granada High School Livermore   CA Ms. Elizabeth Lopez   18  
Hamburg Area High School Hamburg    PA Ms. Melissa Farina   8  
Hillsborough High School  Hillsborough   NJ Minh Dang   55  
Holmdel High School Holdmel    NJ Dr. Josephine Blaha   22  
James Caldwell High School  West Caldwell   NJ Mr. Paul Marrone   10  
JP Stevens High School  Edison   NJ Mr. Jay Jones   145  
Jackson Liberty High School Jackson    NJ Ms. Mary Russo   11  
Jackson Memorial High School Jackson    NJ Ms. Mary Russo   4  
Jose Marti STEM Academy Union City    NJ Ms. Amanda Smith-Dougherty   20  
Kinnelon High School Kinnelon   NJ Mr. John Manning   20  
Metuchen High School Metuchen   NJ Dr. Liliana Falzon   2  
Middlesex Co Academy of SMET Edison   MD Ms. Katianne Oakley   18  
Modesto High School  Modesto   CA Mr. Jeff Austin   16  
Monroe Township High School Monroe   NJ Mr. Christopher Himmelhber   24  
Montville Township High School  Montville   NJ Mr. Heather Einstein   14  
New Providence High School New Providence   NJ Mr. Alessandro Pizzo   17  
North Brunswick Township High School North Brunswick   NJ Dr. Lucille O'Reilly   7  
Old Bridge High School Old Bridge   NJ Ms. Adelle Cockrill   10  
Pascack Hills High School  Montvale   NJ Dr. Martin Edelberg   18  
Pascack Valley High School  Hillsdale   NJ Dr. Marlene Healey   10  
Phillipsburg High School Phillipsburg   NJ Dr. Megan Genzale   40  
Piscataway High School Piscataway   NJ Dr. Craig Lollin   36  
Rutgers Preparatory School  Somerset   NJ Ms. Nishita Desai   5  
South Plainfield High School South Plainfield   NJ Ms. Kathleen Benton   28  
South River High School  East Edgewater   MD Ms. Eleanor Nulud   13  
The Frisch School  Paramus   NJ Dr. Mindy Furman   22  
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School Edison   NJ Dr. Susan Zusman   7  
Toms River High School North Toms River   NJ Ms. Christine Girtain   2  
Toms River High School South Toms River   NJ Ms. Michelle Martini   1  
Tracy High School  Tracy   CA Ms. Erin McKay   16  
Union County Vocational Technical Schools Scotch Plains   NJ Dr. Andrew Colasanti   48  
Waipahu High School  Waipahu   HI Mr. Michael Sana   31  
Walter Johnson High Scchool  Bethesda   MD Ms. Joan McDermott   22  
Watchung Hills Regional High School  Warren   NJ Ms. Anne-Marie Johnson   25  
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North Princeton Junction   NJ Ms Karel Marshall   38  
West Windsor Plainsboro High School South  Princeton Junction   NJ Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharya   42  
Total number of schools 43     Total number of students   917