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1998-1999 Research Project

The research project for the 1998/1999 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.

 
School City State Teacher(s) # of students
Bridgewater-Raritan Regional High School Bridgewater NJ Ms Paula Herbes 12
Chatham High School Chatham NJ  Ms. Lori Gironda 3
Colonial High School Woodbridge NJ Ms. Chantal Greffer 2
East Brunswick High School East Brunswick NJ Ms. Lynne McLaughlin 10
Elizabeth High School Elizabeth NJ Mr. Paul Sekuler  
Emerson High School Emerson NJ Mr. Fred Hurtado 5
Hillsborough High School  Hillsborough NJ Mr. Robert Richard 6
Hunterdon Central Regional High School Flemington NJ Ms. Tina Darling 8
Long Branch High School Long Branch NJ Ms. Lisa Keise 2
Middletown High School South Middletown NJ Ms. Jennifer Post 7
Monmouth Regional High School  Tinton Falls NJ Mr. Marc Natanagara 9
Montville Township High School  Montville NJ Mr. John Brick 6
New Brunswick High School New Brunswick NJ Mr. Miguel Rivas 5
Red Bank Regional High School Little Silver NJ Ms. Cindy Atkins 8
Ridge High School Basking Ridge NJ Dr. Graham Cleaves  
Rutgers Preparatory School  Somerset NJ Ms. Jacque Lamb 3
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Scotch Plains NJ Ms. Lynda Rosenbaum 4
Watchung Hills Regional High School  Warren NJ Dr. Jeff Charney 5
Weehawken High School Weehawken NJ Mr. Tom Russo 5
West Essex Regional High School North Caldwell NJ Ms. Anne Sanelli 12
West Orange High School West Orange NJ Ms. Georgina Hatziemanuel 5
Total number of students       112