Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the STEM Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shelter Island students run in-school nanopore DNA sequencing projects as part of expanded STEM program
Summary
The district’s science department introduced an in-school nanopore sequencing program allowing students to generate rapid DNA reads for projects including carnivorous plants and purported mammoth hair; student Eli Green developed processing pipelines and AI-assisted quality scoring.
The Shelter Island science department presented a new nanopore sequencing program at the March 30 board meeting that brings rapid, in-school DNA sequencing to student research projects.
Mr. Williams described how a USB-sized nanopore device enables timely access to sequence data (tens of thousands of reads) rather than waiting months for outsourced results. Students showcased projects including sequencing carnivorous plants and investigating purported mammoth hair samples. Student Eli Green was credited with developing processing pipelines and quality-scoring tools, assisted by AI, to identify high-quality reads. Mr. Williams emphasized the pedagogical value: student-driven inquiry, coding, and hands-on research at lower cost than outsourcing.
Board members praised the student presentations and the department’s emphasis on experiential learning; Anthony Rando said the science presentation was one of his favorites of the year. The program will continue as part of classroom activities and student research.
