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An introduction to the study of DNA

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During two informative science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) activities, Shore Road sixth grade students delved into the complicated study of deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, that carries instructions for the development and reproduction of all known organisms and viruses.

During a virtual fieldtrip to Cold Spring Harbor’s DNA laboratory, the students utilized their acquired knowledge of genetics and DNA during an activity called Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. During the hour-long Zoom session, student-scientists introduced a safe bacterium called mm294 and AmpRmm294 to their petri dishes. Ampicillin and Kanamycin were then introduced to the safe bacteria and the students analyzed what grew in each of the petri dishes, carefully recording their results.

To further their understanding of how DNA forms, students also participated in an activity called Edible DNA. Using marshmallows, Twizzlers and toothpicks, the students individually built models of the double helix, a DNA molecule that consists of two strands that wind around each other like a twisted ladder. The marshmallows represented the chemical bases called Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine and Thymine. The Twizzlers corresponded to the DNA backbone comprised of alternating phosphates and sugar, while the toothpicks equated the nitrogen bases.

Teacher Carrie Neu said the Edible DNA STEAM activity was an opportunity for the students to understand how chemicals pair up to make a strand of DNA. “It was a fun way for the students to extend their learning through a hands-on project,” she said.