Last May current junior Abigail Klein was selected as a Waksman Student Scholar to participate in an intensive summer training program (WSSP) to learn molecular biological and bioinformatic techniques at the Waksman Institute for Microbiology on the Rutgers University campus. Klein spent more than 100 hours working on an authentic research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics and was able to identify and analyze the DNA sequence of four genes isolated from Landoltia punctata, a duckweed important as a biofuel and in bioremediation. Klein was able to publish sequence data from four of her clones.

As the school year began, Klein “brought it back” to RKYHS. She was instrumental throughout the year as a teaching assistant in the DNA chug run by Ms. Suarez. The chug students became participants in the 2018-2019 WSSP research project and have been focusing on DNA sequence analysis of isolated Landoltia genes and how these genes compare to those found in other species. The students isolated sequences and analyzed genes from a cDNA library (a collection of mRNAs copied into DNAs). These sequences have never been determined before. Along with Abigail, Jessica Klein, Maya Minsky and Josh Lando will have their findings published in GenBank, the international repository of known DNA sequences, for other scientists to study. Jonah Eisenberg and Sophie Schanzer were also successful Waksman scholars completing the program with honorable mention.