16-OCT-2011
By Lisa McDonald

The Mobile Laboratory Hits the Road

After a hiatus this summer, the Mobile Laboratory hit the road again today for a trip to Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  Driving through the rolling hills of northern Maryland into southeastern Pennsylvania, it passed small towns and beautiful foliage.  Tomorrow and Tuesday, we will be working with students from the Hill School. 

The students will be exploring their campus by determining the species of plants they collect.  This process is often called “DNA Barcoding.”  DNA Barcoding is a standardized procedure using PCR, sequencing and bioinformatic analysis to determine the various species of plants, bacteria, etc. based on conserved genes.

Stay posted for more updates tomorrow!