The WSSP welcomes gifts from alumni, teachers, parents, and friends through donations to the WSSP Gift Account. This account is dedicated to the support of the WSSP summer and academic year activities.
1. By credit card – Use the online gift contribution form. Contributions made through this link will automatically be credited to the WSSP Gift Account.
2. By Mail: You can mail donations, payable to Rutgers, The State University, and sent to the following address:
ATTN: Robert Rossi
Waksman Institute of Microbiology
190 Frelinghuysen Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854
Your donation will support the WSSP activities, which include:
1. Biology Equipment Lending Library (BELL): To conduct the WSSP project, students must use specialized molecular biology research equipment, such as micropipetors, microcentrifuges, thermal cyclers, agarose gel electrophoresis boxes, power supplies, and UV light boxes to purify and analyze their DNA samples. While some schools have this equipment and may use it to conduct their advanced biology (AP) courses, many schools do not. To help address this problem the WSSP established the Biology Equipment Lending Library (BELL). The BELL equipment, such as micropipetors, thermal cyclers, shakers, and microcentrifuges, is used by students and teachers during the summer Institutes so that they can become familiar with using it to conduct their experiments. The equipment is then loaned to the schools during the academic year, where larger numbers of students gain experience working with equipment that is used in modern research laboratories. Although the BELL has allowed more schools and students to conduct the project, there is still a strong need for additional equipment. Donations specifically targeting the BELL will be used to purchase additional micropipetors, thermal cyclers, gel boxes, power supplies, shakers, and microcentrifuges (see the WSSP Equipment List). This equipment has a life span of over 10 years and will be used by hundreds of students at their high schools.
2. Reagents and Supplies: Students participating in the WSSP conduct experiments, such as plasmid purification, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), restriction digests, and agarose gel electrophoresis, that are the same as those performed in many academic and biotechnology industry laboratories. The enzymes, kits, supplies, and reagents cost over $12.50 for each DNA sample that a student analyzes (see WSSP Supply List). The WSSP provides participating schools with almost all of the reagents that are used to conduct these experiments. Additional support will be used to provide students with the opportunity to analyze more DNA samples.
3. Protein Models: The WSSP has teamed with the MSOE Center for BioMolecular Modeling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to provide students with the opportunity to create physical models of homologs of the proteins that were identified when they screened the cDNA library. These models cost approximately $250 each. Contributions to the WSSP can be used to defray the cost of these models, providing more schools with models for use in the classroom.
Please let us know if you wish to designate your donation towards one of the above activities, or towards the general WSSP fund.
Should you have any questions, please review the FAQ. Thank you for your support.