National DNA Day is April 23, 2010!

 Become Your State’s National DNA School for 2010

 
Each year, the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) spon­sors the DNA Day Chatroom.   This year, you and your students can join genomic researchers in an online chatroom on Friday, April 23 from 8:00 am EST until 6:00 pm EST.   Our goal is to have our chatroom experts an­swer questions from at least one school in every state, plus Puerto Rico and Guam.  Although the chatroom will be open to the public, questions from schools who pre-register for the chatroom will be given preferred treatment assuring your questions are answered in a timeframe that your students can see live on the Internet. 

If you are interested in having your school register or know of a school that may be interested in registering, please visit of contact Carla Easter at the NHGRI at easterc@mail.nih.gov  or at 301-594-1364.  For more information on the chatroom and to learn more about DNA Day or the DNA Day chatroom, visit: www.genome.gov/Dnaday.

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The ASHG 5th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest

The submission site is now live. You can visit http://www.ashg.org/education/dnaday.shtml and click on '5th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest' for the submission link, rules, and more information. Please be reminded that the deadline is March 15, 2010 at 5:00 PM EST.

2010 DNA Day Essay questions:
Option 1: Scientists can now determine the complete DNA sequences of organisms, including humans. Now that this milestone has been reached, is there a reason to continue learning about Mendel, alleles, and inheritance patterns? Explain your answer.

Option 2: Genetic testing allows geneticists to determine an individual’s DNA sequence, and research has identified a number of genes, such as HMGA2 and GDF5, that are associated with height. Will such associations allow scientists and physicians to predict a person’s final adult height from infancy? Explain your answer.

Questions? Please email Angie Wong (awong@ashg.org).