I'm applying to the SSI program at UW-Madison!

[augment]

There is a 7 week program at UW-Madison in the summer called Summer Science Institute(SSI) that I'm sending an application for.

 

Here's an abstract of something that participants have the chance to do:

 

Genetics/Biotechnology

 

Within this class, you will have two separate options that will be decided by the students during the first week of class.

 

The first option would be to take a look at genes that are "turned on" as a plant develops. The mRNA from plants would be isolated and students would be able to take a look at these genes and determine if the genes are on or off in response to different environmental factors. Students would learn how to isolate RNA, make a cDNA copy of it, and then do PCR to make enough DNA to see on an agarose gel.

 

The other possibility would be to analyze food for the presence of genetically modified pieces of DNA. Students would learn how to purify DNA from food samples, and then perform PCR to make enough DNA to see on an agarose gel.

 

Molecular Biology

 

DNA chip (sensor) can be used for identifying DNA sequences of living organisms. Single strands of DNA of many different sequences in extremely short time will be automatically synthesized on a glass slides, cleaved off from the chip and hybridized for detection. During this process, students will learn the possibility of assembling a biological DNA using Semiconductor Processing Nanotechnology, which is state-of-art and is also actively being researched at UW-Madison.

 

If I do get excepted into the program it's going to be hard to chose which one I want to do. I'd like to become a genetic engineer so if anyone out there can tell me which one is geared towards that the most, I'd be thankful.

 

Thanks,

John

[CharonY]

If genetic engineering/biotechnology is your thing I'd recommend the Molecular Biology part. It looks like quite a lot of it will be a technology show, but learning microarray technologies is never wrong.

 

The first part in Genetics is merely RNA-isolation and RT-PCR, which is kinda boring but is useful, too. This technique is often needed to identify genetic targets to maniplulate. However, this is now also often done with microarrays.

 

Isolating DNA from various (food) samples is the least interesting one if you want to into the direction of gentics.

[augment]

I Got In!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

-j

[abeefaria]

Congratulations, hope you have a good time and learn a lot.

[blike]

Congrats!!

[Genecks]

I would do the second choice; I agree with CharonY about the first choice.

 

Gene activation is cool, but I'm more interested in the new stuff.

 

I'm highly interested in all forms of genetics, but I would be more interested in partaking into something UW-Madison is currently doing. I've thought about going to UW-Madison for a university. I'm highly interested in the majority of programs it offers, but I'm more interested in the research being conducted. I see many publications from UW-Madison.