“I want to play with the fancy toys,” stated Ghi Coulter-de Wit.

This quote is misleading, as she isn’t talking about a new set of Legos, but rather the polymerase chain reaction machine, shaker incubator, and DNA purification machine that Watertown High school has recently invested in.

Ghi is one of five students enrolled in Mr. Hiltunen’s “BioFutures” lab-based course, a class designed to explore the new tools WHS has received as part of the Mass. Life Science Center grant that encourages the training of students in life science technology.

“It is frustrating that our lab won’t be ready until December, and all this cool equipment is still boxed up on the shelves,” she said.

While this setback restricts the students from digging into their lab experiments, it hasn’t stopped them from do some interesting field work and virtual simulations. The students have participated an ecological survey of Whitney Hill, mapping the sampling coordinates and extracting foliage samples for later documentation.

Additionally, the students have recently completed an exciting video that models complex systems using Hexbugs. (See video here)

They use these insect-like, random-moving robots to explain diffusion and movement through semipermeable membranes.

When asked what she was looking forward to for the class, Ghi said, “I am excited to start our Genetic Engineering unit.” When asked why, she specified: “Because we are going to modify life.”

She was referring to the class’s plan to alter the genetic code of the bacterium, E.Coli.

After the new lab is ready, the class is going to focus on documenting Watertown High’s lab materials, testing the new equipment, and ultimately learning to manipulate genetic code to engineer a new form of life.

–Nov. 22, 2014–