Hands on Genetic Lab:

Understand the Complexities of DNA Testing

-- Maureen Munn, Ph.D.
University of Washington Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Department of Medical History & Ethics, Human Genome CenterHigh School Human Genome Program.

Dr. Maureen Munn of the University of Washington Department of Molecular Biotechnology, has prepared a series of units for high school students, educating them about the human genome project and its impact on medicine and society.  She presented an overview of these units, including information about how DNA is copied (DNA synthesis), how DNA is sequenced in the lab to show its structure, and the ethical dilemmas presented by this new knowledge.  Now that we have access to this powerful new information, how are we going to use it?  How can we make responsible decisions in areas where we have never before had choice?

See the results of this excellent program, with information for teachers on how to download and use these materials in the classroom, at http://hshgp.genome.washington.edu.   For a brief overview, see the following three introductions...

DNA Synthesis

DNA Sequencing

Ethics

Talk presented at the 4th International Patient/Provider Conference on Von Hippel-Lindau, Seattle, Washington, June 1998.

Go to the agenda for the meeting.