Week

Activity

Objective

1

Introduction, assignment of mentors, research mentor presentations, research proposal development

Development of student-mentor relationships, exposure to research areas

2

Start of methods workshop-DNA isolation, research presentations, start specific research, discussion of common techniques, resume assignment given

Scientific speaking practice, work with different biological organisms

3

Methods-Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR, restriction digestion of DNA, attend ethics workshop, continue specific research

Hands-on practice in setting up PCR reactions and thermal cycling

4

Methods-Cloning of DNA fragments and PCR products in plasmid vectors, continue specific research experiments

Understand cloning vectors, and methods of cloning

5

Methods-Southern blotting and hybridization, sequencing, isolate mRNA for Week 6 microarray experiments, attend ethics workshop, continue specific research

Understand the significance of hybridization to map random DNA fragments to chromosomal locations

6

Microarray & Bioinformatics Workshop at DBI, continue specific research

Understand use of microarrays to screen thousands of genes, understand gene expression

7

Bioinformatics Training-Basic DNA sequence analysis, use of molecular databases, BLAST, attend ethics workshop, resume discussion, continue specific research

Understand sequence analysis, genome sequencing

8

Conclude specific research, design poster for display at symposium, career workshop

Analyze data and draw conclusions from research

practice in creating scientific presentations

9

Research Symposium, ethics workshop, conclusion of summer program

Poster presentation, discussions, visits by school students and teachers