DNA Learning Center

Description

The DNA Learning Center (DNALC) is an operating unit of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, extending its traditional research and postgraduate education mission to the college, pre-college, and public levels. Founded in 1988 as the world’s first science center devoted entirely to genetics education, the DNALC is the largest provider of student lab instruction in molecular genetics – providing hands-on experiences for 30,000 students per year. The DNALC was the model or formal partner for 22 outreach laboratories established at museums and higher education institutions around the world which provide genetics lab experiments for 150,000 students per year. DNALC-developed teaching kits distributed by Carolina Biological Supply Company are used by 300,000 students annually. Its family of 23 content and bioinformatics sites, YouTube Channel, and phone/tablet apps receive 7 million visitors annually. The DNALC’s Internet development effort was recognized with a 2012 Science Magazine Prize for Online Resources in Education. In the last decade, the DNALC has developed several integrated biochemical and bioinformatics workflows that scale up discovery-based experiments for use in advanced high school and introductory college courses. Currently, the DNALC administers three programs that demonstrate different models for using DNA barcoding in high school student research. “DNA barcodes” are short DNA sequences that can be used to potentially identify almost any plant, animal, or fungal species. Student researchers collect samples, extract and amplify DNA, analyze and publish sequence data, and prepare poster or oral presentations for a symposium. https://www.dnabarcoding101.org/

Contacts

ADMINISTRATIVE_POINT_OF_CONTACT
Jeffry Petracca
Telephone: 516-367-5168
email: petracca@cshl.edu

TECHNICAL_POINT_OF_CONTACT
Daniel Jacobs
Telephone: 516-367-5162
email: jacobs@cshl.edu

DNA Learning Center
1 Bungtown Road
Cold Spring Harbor
11724
New York
US
email: dnalc@cshl.edu