Once their gels were hardened, they were immersed
into a blue dye liquid, to make the DNA easier to see
under a microscope.
Here are some of the DNA gels that were created by
the students.
F
mix, to name a few. They ground up the
food and mixed it with a chemical enzyme
solution that separated the DNA so they
could study it further.
The students used pipettes to transfer
their solution into a gel, then they sent an
electrical current through it to separate
the genes. Once the DNA was separated,
the students dyed their gels blue and once
they dried, they viewed them on a light
table to see if GMOs were present in their
foods.
Their findings showed that the majority
of foods made with corn and soybeans
showed the presence of GMOs.
Some of the equipment used for
this experiment was purchased with a
$5,000 Innovative Classroom Grant from
PPG, written by Biology Teacher Barbara
Eisel. With this grant money, Mrs. Eisel
purchased microfuges, kits and pipettes
that helped the students to conduct
the DNA polymerase chain reaction and
electrophoresis portions of the experiment.
Assisting the students in this lab
were David Boone, Assistant Professor of
Biomedical Informatics at the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and
several of his colleagues from the
University of Pittsburgh’s Cancer Institute,
who came back to Bethel Park for the
second consecutive year. Last year the
students studied the DNA in mice and
the correlation to breast cancer. Mr.
Boone explained that the techniques and
technology the BPHS students were using
BPHS Biology Students worked together in small
groups to transfer the extracted DNA into a gel
solution so they could determine if GMOs were
present.
After extracting the DNA, the students injected it into
a gel.
this year are the same common molecular
biology techniques used by scientists
across the world.
The lab opened the eyes of some of the
students who did not realize that many
of the foods they enjoy today have been
genetically modified, and it made them
question why their foods were being
modified in this way.
FOURTH GRADERS CREATE COMPUTER
PROGRAMS FROM SCRATCH
ourth Graders in Mrs.Luzader’s at Franklin Elementary
School room created All About Me presentations from
Scratch!
Scratch is a coding program for Chromebooks that is specific to
animation. Principal Mrs. Doumont and Mrs. Luzader took a four
day class in Scratch last summer and brought the program back to
Franklin.
The students used their Chromebooks to create Powerpointtype presentations, and used Scratch to write the code that would
add animation to the graphics included in the presentation.
The presentations had to include a background and three
interactive sprites. The students had a lot of fun figuring out how
to make items animate, such as flashing or getting smaller. Some
students created their own sprites and made their presentations
interactive by touching certain keyboard keys. Other students
added sound to their presentations.
They did a great
job sharing their
presentations with
their classmates
and special guest,
Bethel Park Director
of Technology Ron
Reyer, whom the
students invited
to their classroom,
to not only see the
The students used Chromebooks to create their Scratch
All About Me Presentations.
presentations, but
to also thank him
for bringing Chromebook technology to their classroom.
By the end of the school year, the students will be building and
coding their own video games from Scratch.
Bethel Park | Summer 2016 | icmags.com 57
B E THE L PARK S CHOOL DIS TR IC T
pproximately 300 Bethel Park
High School Biology students
participated in a three-day lab
with UPMC researchers to determine if
GMOs (genetically modified organisms)
are present in some of their favorite
snack foods.
The students brought in bags of foods
such as corn flakes, Doritos, Cheetos, Fritos,
taco shells, tortilla chips and corn muffin
Bethel Park
A
BIOLOGY STUDENTS LOOK FOR GMO
DNA WITH UPMC RESEARCHERS