BMCC Science Students Contribute to Human Genome Project January 16, 2003
Professor Sylvia Saunders believes that students should see the real life applications of what they study. In her biology class, for example, she introduced students to the Human Genome Project and assigned them a research project on the topic. But for Professor Saunders, the best research is practical, so when an opportunity arose for her students to work on a glossary of genetic terms to be published by the National Institutes of Health, she jumped at the chance.
With more and more journalists writing about genetic topics such as genetically altered foods, cloning, stem cell issues, genetically acquired diseases, the National Institutes of Health saw a need to publish a glossary with scientists explaining genetic terms in language that the average person could understand. Today, the Talking Glossary of Genetics in English and Spanish answers that need. The glossary is available online and also in CD-ROM. The online glossary has received over 1 million hits.
BMCC students evaluated the glossary entries for a number of criteria including clarity of meaning and technical ease. In many cases, the students identified a term used within a definition that deserved its own entry in the glossary. For example, in the glossary entry for “Wolfram Syndrome,” one BMCC student suggested that “autosomal recessive” needed a glossary entry. Students measured how long it took to download a glossary entry from the website. They also suggested diagrams for certain glossary entries and other improvements.
“I had a lot of fun working on the glossary project,” said Melanie Parham, a science student at BMCC who graduated in January. “The glossary made it a lot easier to understand some scientific terms,” she added. Ms Parham has transferred to SUNY Cortland where she is majoring in biology.
The CD-ROM lists BMCC students by name in the credits. “The students made such a significant contribution that they are also acknowledged in the Spanish version,” said Professor Saunders. In addition, Professor Saunders reported that the National Institutes of Health recognized the contribution of BMCC students at a summer institute in genetics in Bethesda, Maryland.
