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WSSP 2023 Summer Institute

The 2023 WSSP Summer Institute (SI) was held at the Waksman Institute, Rutgers University from July 5 to July 14, 2023 for 25 students and 3 teachers.   The goal of the SI is for students and teachers to learn the background and methods on how to conduct a research project in molecular biology and bionformatics.  Students and teachers use this information to lead the research project in a class or club setting at their high schools during the academic year.   Participants learned how to purify DNA from a cDNA plasmid library of the duckweed Landoltia punctata.  They then analyzed the plasmids by PCR, restriction digests and agarose gel electrophoresis.   These DNA clones were sequenced and students performed bioinformatic analyses by searching the scientific databases to determine if their DNA sequences code for proteins and then investigated function of these proteins in the cell.  Below is a list of students who participated in the program and the cDNA plasmid clones they isolated, analyzed and published on the NCBI DNA sequence database.  (See below how to properly reference these sequences.)

Images of WSSP 2023 SI students and teachers working in the lab

School # School Name Student Name Clones
004 East Brunswick High School Ali Khan 04ABK2.23, 04ABK5.23, 04ABK7.23, 04ABK8.23
006 Hillsborough High School Hailey Desai 06DH5.23, 06DH6.23, 06DH7.23
009 John P. Stevens High School Ashrith Kollu 09AK5.23, 09AK6.23, 9AK7.23, 9AK8.23
011 Montville Township High School Victoria Tam 11VT1.23
015 Rutgers Preparatory School Promit Mukhopadhyay 15PM1.23, 15PM2.23, 15PM5.23, 
018 Watchung Hills Regional High School Janna Han 18JH1.23, 18JH2.23, 18JH3.23, 18JH4.23, 
019 West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South Shravani Gote 19SG1.23, 19SG2.23, 19SG3.23, 19SG1.23,
038 Hackettstown High School Michela Leiser 38ML1.23, 38ML21.23, 38ML4.23, 38ML6.23, 
049 Piscataway High School Rishi Patel 49RP2.23, 49RP3.23, 49RP6.23
095 Jose Marti STEM Academy Axel Perez 95AP2.23, 95AP3.23, 95AP4.23, 
105 North Brunswick Township High School Nathan Mathias 105NM1.23, 105NM3.23, 105NM4.23, 105NM5.23,
109 New Providence High School Brandon Le 109BL1.23, 109BL2.23, 109BL3.23, 109BL4.23
112 Kinnelon High School Sonia Haasner 112SH2.23, 112SH3.23, 112SH4.23,
114 Toms River High School East Julianna Isabelle Batin  
115 Toms River High School South Violet Martini  
117 Columbia High School Eden Philippe 117EP3.23, 117EP4.23, 117EP5.23, 117EP6.23
118 Monroe Township High School Nishan Nayak 118NN1.23, 118NN2.23, 118NN3.23, 118NN4.23,
119 South Plainfield High School Vanessa Huynh 119VH1.23, 119VH4.23, 119VH5.23, 
121 Toms River High School North Josh Girtain 121JG7.23
122 West Windsor Plainsboro High School North Hira Usman 122HU1.23, 122HU2.23, 122HU4.23
130 Metuchen High School Suhani Modha 130SM1.23, 130SM3.23, 130SM4.23,
133 UCVTS: Academy for Allied Health Sciences Monica Manescu 133MM1.23, 133MM2.23, 133MM3.23, 133MM4.23, 
139 Morris County School of Technology Jason D. Garber 139JG1.23
140 Howell High School Keyla Arellano 140KA1.23, 140KA2.23, 140KA3.23, 140KA4.23
142 Kent Place School Sophia Gandhi 142SG1.23, 142SG5.23,