This project grew out of a desire by some teachers to involve their students in more authentic research, and to engage them in molecular work that addressed an important environmental issue. To achieve these ends, Project GROWS is being developed.
Project GROWS allows students
to learn molecular techniques at the same time as they examine genetic
variation in one or more salmon populations. Students can collect tissue,
extract DNA, conduct PCR and RFLPs to generate DNA fingerprints for their
salmon. Participating classes can enter their data into a database on
this web site, and students around the world will be able to view and
analyze these data.
The new Invasive Mussel Project (IMP) allows students to use a simple PCR test to distinguish between native and non-native species of mussels. Such data will be valuable in tracking the spread of the non-native mussels throughout Puget Sound.
