The WSSP research project for the 2008/2009 year focused on the genomic sequence analysis of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana, and how the genes in this organism compare to other species. Students in the project isolated and sequenced genes from a cDNA plasmid library of genes expressed in Artemia franciscana. They then analyzed these sequences using the newly revised version of the DNA Sequence Analysis Program (DSAP) The sequences of these genes has never been determined before and this information was deposited in the NCBI sequence databases for the students and other scientists to use. Students in the program compared these sequences with genes from other eukaryotes to determine the evolutionary relationship of these organisms and the sequence conservation of specific genes. Two summer Institutes were held at the Waksman Institute, Rutgers University: a week-long program for teachers outside of the central New Jersey region, and a 4 week program for teachers and students in central New Jersey.
| School | City | State | Teacher(s) |
# of students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archbishop Curley High School | Baltimore | MD | Mr. Michael DeMarco | 0 |
| Bayonne High School | Bayonne | NJ | Ms. Holly Levin | 15 |
| Colonial High School | Woodbridge | NJ | Ms. Chantal Greffer | 13 |
| Duval High School | Lanham | MD | Ms. Christina Howland | 0 |
| East Brunswick High School | East Brunswick | NJ | Ms. Anne Sanelli | 60 |
| Hackettstown High School | Hackettstown | NJ | Ms. Patricia Miller | 14 |
| High Point Regional High School | Sussex | NJ | Ms. Madelaine Travaille Ms. Liana Heller |
11 |
| Hillsborough High School | Hillsborough | NJ | Dr. Craig Hoppe | 23 |
| James Caldwell High School | West Caldwell | NJ | Mr. Paul Marrone | 10 |
| JF Kennedy Memorial High School | Woodbridge | NJ | Ms. Cathryn Crego Ms. Grace Luan |
33 |
| JP Stevens High School | Edison | NJ | Mr. Philip Adornato | 11 |
| Largo High School | Upper Marlboro | MD | Ms. Stephanie Hammond | 0 |
| Liberty High School | Bethlehem | PA | Ms. Amy Giannantonio | 24 |
| Lynnbrook High School | Lynbrook | NY | Mr. David Shanker | 0 |
| McDonogh School | Owings Mills | MD | Dr. Tony Maranto | 0 |
| Monmouth Regional High School | Tinton Falls | NJ | Ms. Wendy Wolverton | 3 |
| Montville Township High School | Montville | NJ | Mr. Greg Maceri | 25 |
| New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology H.S. | New Brunswick | NJ | Mr. Andre Bridgett | 6 |
| Pascack Hills High School | Montvale | NJ | Dr. Martin Edelberg | 10 |
| Pascack Valley High School | Hillsdale | NJ | Dr. Marlene Healey | 10 |
| Roland Park Country School | Baltimore | MD | Mr. David Brock | 0 |
| Rutgers Preparatory School | Somerset | NJ | Ms. Jacque Lamb | 12 |
| Science and Math Academy at Aberdeen | Aberdeen | MD | Ms. Linda McDonough | 0 |
| Solomon Schechter Upper School of Essex | West Orange | NJ | Ms. Gabrielle Sonet | 6 |
| Somerville High School | Somerville | NJ | Mr. George Mellors | 14 |
| The Pingry School | Martinsville | NJ | Ms. Lisa Fung-Kee-Fung | 2 |
| Thurgood Marshall High School | Baltimore | MD | Ms. Tanyka Young | 0 |
| Walter Johnson High Scchool | Bethesda | MD | Ms. Patricia Richards | 45 |
| Watchung Hills Regional High School | Warren | NJ | Ms. Anne-Marie Cannon | 13 |
| West Windsor Plainsboro High School South | Princeton Junction | NJ | Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharya | 43 |
| Total number of schools | 30 | Total number of students | 403 |