Student Work

Year 11 Biology 

On Wednesday the 20th of July, students doing Biology Unit 2 attended a session at GTAC, the Gene Technology Access Centre in Parkville. Here they did a program called ‘Prenatal and predictive genetic testing’ where they explored chromosome abnormalities and performed genetic testing. By using a process called FISH (Fluorescence in Situ Hybridisation), students were able to identify trisomy 21 (down syndrome) in sample DNA from a new parent. They then went on to isolate DNA from blood samples provided and cut up the DNA to separate and analyse the genes through gel electrophoresis. With this information they were able to diagnose the sample with Phenylketonuria (PKU) and draw up a family tree.