Biology Students Experience Gel Electrophoresis for Biology Day at FFS
By Erika C.
Gel electrophoresis is an easy way to separate DNA fragments by their size and view them. It is a common diagnostic procedure used in biological labs. On October 28, College Biology and Biology B students welcomed Mike Yerky, Ph.D, from Cornell University. Dr. Yerky came to The Family Foundation School to work with the biology students on a lab involving gel electrophoresis.
Two years ago, Ed Leung, a biology teacher at FFS, took a two-day course at Cornell on Bio Technology. Leung was introduced to Dr. Yerky there and asked him to come to the school to perform the experiment with the students.
This was Dr. Yerky’s second visit to FFS. He is outreach coordinator for the Cornell Institute of Biology Teachers (CIBT) and performs the gel electrophoresis lab for thousands of students every year, visiting about 40 schools each semester.
The lab consists of a set of procedures, broken down so that students can easily participate. The purpose is to examine fragments of DNA to identify the biological father of a baby using gel electrophoresis. “I really liked making the gel and examining the DNA,” said Biology B student, Patty R.
Shelby R., a student in College Biology, said, “I really enjoyed the merging of different classes to learn about biology. I liked how we were able to work with people we normally don’t work with.”
Ed Leung also enjoyed Bio Day this year. “I am grateful to be able to offer this opportunity for the students to be introduced to Bio Technology.”
