GRANT HELPS CENTRAL STUDENTS DISCOVER DNA, PERFORM TESTS

In the name of DNA collection, Akelia Duncan swished saline solution around in her mouth, made a face, and then spit it back in the cup marked with a special number.

"It tastes disgusting," said Duncan, a Cape Girardeau Central High School junior.

It is all just part of the process that about 40 students went through Wednesday to collect strands of their own DNA.

The genetic material has been an important part of the biochemical technologies class, which is taught by Helen Gibbar.

After rinsing their mouths with saline, the students then spat the solution -- along with the DNA -- into a cup. They poured the sample into a tube and put the sample through a centrifuge, a machine that causes cells to form a small DNA pellet at the bottom of the tube.

This is only the start of the process. It is a much more complicated process than that, and there is much more to it. But it is one that students need to at least have a basic understanding of, Gibbar said.

"The whole point of it is, you can't have people voting on cloning and DNA stuff without understanding the basics," Gibbar said. "We've got to have kids growing up with good knowledge."

Such technology has only been around for less than five years, Gibbar said. And the equipment needed for the two and one-half week session was about $14,000.

Thankfully, the Howard Hughes Medical Foundation provides the equipment to high schools free of charge, Gibbar said.

The students seemed to enjoy learning about it.

"You read about O.J. Simpson and DNA, and you think it'd be hard to do," said Tatum Kitchen, 17. "But after this you realize you can figure it out as good as they can."

Junior Giboney Juden, 17, said learning about DNA is "cool."

"I didn't know anything about it," Juden said. "I never thought DNA was that important, but now we've learned a lot about it and realize that it is. Besides, you don't get to see your own DNA every day," she said.

Jamie Jackson said he enjoys taking something so small and showing how it makes up a person.

"Your DNA is you," Jackson said. "It knows everything about you."

The project continues in the class for the remainder of the week.