Saturday DNA: Get to Know GMOs! - A WiSE event

On Saturday, April 13, members of the Ware Lab at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), including Gramene's Principal Investigator, Dr. Doreen Ware, and project manager and outreach coordinator, Dr. Marcela Karey Tello-Ruiz, joined the CSHL Chapter of the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) organization and the DNA Learning Center to hold a very successful Saturday DNA event about genetically modified organisms or GMOs.

At CSHL, plant biologists study the development and genetic makeup of various crop plants such as corn, wheat, and sorghum. Led by Lyndsey Aguirre, CSHL scientists, Marcela K. Tello-Ruiz, Benjamin Harris, King Hei Cheng and others, worked alongside children to isolate DNA from fresh fruits and test crops and common foods for the presence of genetic modifications.

While the kids had fun in the lab, adult chaperones were invited to a keynote presentation by Doreen Ware, Ph.D. on the topic of GMOs and plant biology, along with a panel discussion featuring WiSE students and CSHL researchers: Nicholas Gladman, Lyndsey Aguirre, Jaynee Hart, and Doreen Ware.

Half of the proceeds from this event will support the CSHL WiSE mission to create educational opportunities for young women in STEM by organizing hands-on events connecting the WiSE network of scientists with the community.