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High School Student Learns How to Clone a Gene during Summer Research Experience at
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Piscataway, NJ -- Vineel Chakradhar, a High Technology High School student from Lincroft, NJ, says his interest in laboratory research began in eighth grade. Now entering eleventh grade, Vineel has had the opportunity to experience hands-on how to use molecular biology techniques in cloning the gene cspA that expresses a cold-shock protein of the bacterium E. coli. A participant in the Liberty Science Center’s Partners in Science program, Vineel spent his summer learning these techniques under the guidance of Sangita Phadtare, PhD, an adjunct associate professor of biochemistry at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
In preparation for cloning cspA, standardized procedures that are part of Dr. Phadtare’s own research, Vineel learned how to grow bacterial cells, prepare plasmid DNA and carry out polymerase chain reaction, a process that produces thousands to millions of copies of a particular DNA sequence from a single or few copies of a piece of DNA. Vineel then learned how to check that the cspA was cloned successfully.
“My experience has taught me the basics of genetic engineering. It’s really interesting to learn how to manipulate DNA for other purposes,” Vineel said. “I hope to be able to work in a laboratory again next summer.”
This is the third year Dr. Phadtare has mentored a high school student through the Partners in Science program. “I teach the high school students the basics of laboratory investigation and keep projects very flexible,” said Dr. Phadtare. “This allows students to achieve as much as they can without feeling overwhelmed.”
Dr. Phadtare’s first student was Ms. Rupal Parikh, who at the time was a student at Union County Academy for Allied Health Sciences in Scotch Plains. Rupal now attends The College of New Jersey and is a summer research intern in the laboratory of Masayori Inouye, PhD, a distinguished professor of biochemistry at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
“Partners in Science is unique because it places students in scientifically-sophisticated settings where they learn new processes and techniques,” says Ruben Rosario, associate director of extended programs at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ. “Over the past 24 years, 1,100 Partners in Science participants have worked on a wide variety of projects from researching viable human habitats on Mars to developing green automotive technology, and from assisting in genetics projects to working on improving medical devices.”
Liberty Science Center’s Partners in Science program provides an intensive, eight-week summer experience for high school juniors and seniors. The program pairs students with mentors in science, health and technical fields and challenges them to participate in ongoing research and independent projects. Partners in Science gives students the opportunity to investigate questions driving scientific discovery in professional laboratory settings. Additionally, they develop a network of advisors and lifelong connections that may help them identify and focus their career goals.
Vineel will present his work today at a symposium at Liberty Science Center along with the 18 students who participated in the program from around the state.
About UMDNJ-ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON MEDICAL SCHOOL
As one of the nation’s leading comprehensive medical schools, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in education, research, health care delivery, and the promotion of community health. In cooperation with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, the medical school’s principal affiliate, they comprise New Jersey’s premier academic medical center. In addition, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has 34 other hospital affiliates and ambulatory care sites throughout the region.
As one of the eight schools of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey with 2,800 full-time and volunteer faculty, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School encompasses 22 basic science and clinical departments, hosts centers and institutes including The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, the Child Health Institute of New Jersey, the Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and the Stem Cell Institute of New Jersey. The medical school maintains educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels for more than 1,500 students on its campuses in New Brunswick, Piscataway, and Camden, and provides continuing education courses for health care professionals and community education programs. To learn more about UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, log on to rwjms.umdnj.edu. Find our fan page at http://www.Facebook.com/RWJMS and follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/UMDNJ_RWJMS.
About Liberty Science Center
Dedicated to providing transformative experiences that connect schools and society with science and technology, Liberty Science Center is the New Jersey-New York City region's largest education resource. Motivated by an innovative philosophy and enabled by a $109 million expansion and renewal, Liberty Science Center is bringing the excitement of science to students, educators, families and adults in engaging new ways and establishing a progressive benchmark for the science center field. Visit www.lsc.org to learn more about Liberty Science Center, located in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ.
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A high-resolution photo of Vineel and Dr. Phadtare is available by request. Video is available for viewing at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDO1kmbsWcI
