Why Wait? Celebrate National DNA Day NOW!🥳

NEWSLETTER February 2024

How Are You Celebrating

National DNA Day 2024?

Celebrate DNA Day by doing a cool activity such as extracting DNA from a strawberry extraction with family and friends at home, in the classroom, or even at your local community center.

Extracting DNA from a strawberry is easy. Watch the video or download the “How To” poster and enjoy this DNA Day activity!

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Hosting a DNA Activity and Want to Tell the World?

Enter the ASHG DNA Day Essay Contest Now!

The 2024 American Society of Human Genetics DNA Day essay contest is open to students in grades 9-12! First place prize is $1000 for the student essay writer and a $1000 genetics materials grant.

To enter, students examine, question and reflect on how the interplay of genetics and environment can shape human health. A great activity to celebrate National DNA Day!

Submissions due by March 6, 2024

Professional Development Opportunities

NHGRI's Short Course In Genomics

The National Human Genome Research Institute’s (NHGRI) Annual Short Course in Genomics is now accepting applications from middle and high school teachers, and community college faculty teaching science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEMM) courses.

The free course will be held in-person from July 16-19, 2024 on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.

The application closes on March 31, 2024

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Teach.Genetics Online Workshops

Genetics and Health in the Genomic Age explores basic concepts in molecular genetics that go beyond simple inheritance patterns to illuminate exactly how variations in DNA lead to variations in traits, health, and disease.

This course is free and hosted asynchronously online for middle and high school science teachers, or elementary teachers who want to brush up on genetics.

The registration deadline is March 14, 2024

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Genetic Tech Investigations highlights the molecular processes genetic technologies use to understand disorders.

This course is free and hosted asynchronously online for high school science teachers and middle school science teachers covering advanced genetics topics.

The registration deadline is May 31, 2024

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Simulate Color Vision Genetics

Evolution in the Classroom

Where does color vision ‘live’ in our DNA and how is it passed along?

Simulate how genes that code for human color vision and chromosomes are passed from generation to generation, using the Color Vision Genetics Evolution Simulation from the California Academy of Sciences.

Students will learn about some of the mechanisms that led to the evolution of our own improved color vision.

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This month's featured article in

Genomics: Insights

"The Genetics of Human Populations"

Authors: Aria Wang

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