The 2025 WSSP Summer Institute (SI) was held at the Waksman Institute, Rutgers University from July 7 to July 18, 2025 for 31 students and 4 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. Students attending the 2025 SI were awarded Susan E. Coletta Teaching Scholarships to support their participation in the program. Below is a list of the Scholars in the program and the cDNA plasmid clones they isolated, analyzed and published on the NCBI DNA sequence database. Some of these clones are already posted on the est database and other clones are being processed by NCBI and should be posted shortly.
Images of WSSP 2025 SI students and teachers working in the lab
| # | Susan E. Coletta Scholar | School | Published DNA Sequences |
| 4 | Gargi Patel | East Brunswick High School | 04GP1.25, 04GP2.25, 04GP3.25, 04GP4.25 |
| 6 | Lohith Kandalai | Hillsborough High School | 06LK1.25, 06LK2.25, 06LK3.25, 06LK4.25, |
| 7 | Chelsea Rudden | James Caldwell High School | 7CR1.25, 7CR2.25, 7CR3.25, 7CR4.25, |
| 9 | Eshaan Bhandar | John P Stevens High School | 09EB1.25, 09EB2.25, 09EB3.25, 09EB4.25, |
| 11 | Vivian Wei | Montville Township High School | 11VW2.25, 11VW3.25, 11VW4.25, |
| 13 | Gowri Nair | Pascack Hills High School | 13GN2.25, 13GN3.25, 13GN4.25, |
| 15 | Mahadev Menon | Rutgers Preparatory School | 15MM1.25, 15MM2.25, |
| 18 | Matthew Atileh | Watchung Hills Regional High School | 18MA1.25, 18MA2.25,18MA3.25, 18MA4.25, |
| 19 | Freya Miller | West Windsor Plainsboro High School South | 19MF1.25, 19MF2.25, 19MF3.25, 19MF4.25, |
| 19 | Adithi Ramasagaram | West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South | 19AR1.25, 19AR2.25, 19AR3.25, |
| 35 | Liza Bogdanovskaya | Walter Johnson High School | 35LB1.25, 35LB2.25, 35LB3.25, 35LB4.25, |
| 38 | Jenna Tibak | Hackettstown High School | 38JT2.25, 38JT4.25 |
| 70 | Tanvi Mareddy | Old Bridge High School | 70TM1.25, 70TM2.25, 70TM3.25, 70TM4.25, |
| 95 | Carla Moreno | Jose Marti STEM Acadmey | 95CM1.25, 95CM2.25, 95CM3.25, 95CM4.25, |
| 96 | Edina Lakja | Holmdel High School | 96EL1.25, 96EL2.25, 96EL3.25, 96EL4.25, |
| 104 | Kayla Kamisiridis | Elmwood Park Memorial High School | 104KK1.25, 104KK3.25, 104KK4.25, |
| 105 | Prerana Santosh | North Brunswick Township High School | 105SP2.25, 105SP3.25, 105SP4.25, |
| 109 | Matteo Agastra | New Providence High School | 109MA1.25, 109MA2.25, 109MA3.25, 109MA4.25, |
| 117 | Yuta Goldberg | Columbia High School | 117YG1.25, 117YG2.25, 117YG3.25, 117YG4.25, |
| 118 | Diya Modi | Monroe Township High School | 118DM1.25, 118DM2.25, 118DM4.25, |
| 119 | Apurva Kansara | South Plainfield High School | 119AK2.25, 119AK3.25, 119AK4.25, |
| 122 | Chanasya Muthukumar | West Windsor Plainsboro High School North | 122CM2.25, 122CM3.25, 122CM4.25, |
| 131 | Chelsea Amoah | Phillipsburg High School | 131CA1.25, 131CA2.25, 131CA4.25, |
| 133 | Yve Lieberman | Academy for Information Technology | |
| 139 | Deshna Ranjan | Morris County School of Technology | 139DR2.25, 139DR3.25, 139DR4.25, |
| 140 | Alena Czar | Howell High School | 140AC2.25, 140AC3.25, |
| 146 | Sarah Bansal | Hunterdon Central Regional High School | 146SB1.25, 146SB2.25 |
| 146 | Carolina Gondo | Hunterdon Central Regional High School | |
| 147 | Jennifer Zhou | Summit High School | 147JZ2.25, 147JZ3.25, 147JZ4.25, |
| 147 | Jaenelle Osei | Summit High School | 147JO1.25, 147JO2.25, 147JO3.25, |
| 148 | Taylor Schimmel | Pompton Lakes High School | 148TS1.25, 148TS2.25, 148TS3.25, |