Almost all human diseases have at least some environmental component. Even well- established genetic disorders do not often become manifest until adulthood, indicating at least some external influence on the pathological phenotype. To increase awareness of gene-environment interactions in education, the applicant company, Edvotek, will research high school and college science experiments on the biological effects of exposure to tobacco, heavy metal and ultraviolet light. The proposed research will also offer two new platforms for science education. The first is the small nematode Caenorhabditis elegans that will provide a new Biological Platform and the second is the Comet Assay that will serve as a new Technology Platform. In addition to the proposed products, this research will address an assessment program that will enhance student achievement of National Science Content Standards (NSCS). To meet these objectives, this Phase I SBIR sets forth three achievable specific aims. Specific Aim 1 describes proposed classroom activities demonstrating biological effects of tobacco, heavy metals and ultraviolet light on an educationally safe organism, C. elegans (demonstrating physiological impairment). Specific Aim 2 will introduce the Comet Assay to (illustrating gene damage) in C. elegans when exposed to the three environmental influences. Specific Aim 3 is to prepare assessment instruments that in Phase II will be used to direct objectives described in Aims 1 and 2. , ,
Public Health Relevance: Almost all human diseases have at least some environmental component. Even well established genetic disorders do not often become manifest until adulthood. The applicant company, will research high school and college science experiments on the biological effects of exposure to tobacco, heavy metal and ultraviolet light. Students will experiment and observe the effects of the three environmental agents on cell DNA from small laboratory worms. DNA is the genetic material that controls cell functions and damage to DNA from sun's ultraviolet light can cause skin cancer. Likewise tobacco and heavy metals in water can shorter life by affecting one's DNA.
Thesaurus Terms: 21+ Years Old;Achievement;Achievement Attainment;Actinic Rays;Active Learning;Address;Adult;Affect;Agarose;Animals;Applications Grants;Assay;Awareness;Awarenesses;Bioassay;Biologic Assays;Biological;Biological Assay;Biology;Biomedical Research;C Elegans;C.Elegans;Caenorhabditis Elegans;Cell Function;Cell Process;Cell Physiology;Cells;Cellular Function;Cellular Physiology;Cellular Process;Characteristics;Cloning;Comet Assay;Dna;Dna Damage;Dna Injury;Deoxyribonucleic Acid;Education;Education Level;Educational Background;Educational Aspects;Engineering;Engineerings;Environment;Environmental Exposure;Environmental Health;Environmental Health Science;Exposure To;Foundations;Freezing;Gel;Gel Electrophoresis, Single-Cell;Genes;Genetic;Genetic Condition;Genetic Diseases;Genetic Materials;Genotoxins;Grant Proposals;Grants, Applications;Hand;Health;Health Instruction;Health Training;Health Tutoring;Health Education;Heavy Metals;Hereditary Disease;Human;Human, Adult;Human, General;Hydrogen Oxide;Impairment;International;Invertebrata;Invertebrates;Invertebrates, General;Knowledge;Laboratories;Laboratory Research;Learning;Learning, Experiential;Lectures;Lectures (Pt);Lectures [publication Type];Life;Malignant Skin Neoplasm;Malignant Tumor Of The Skin;Man (Taxonomy);Man, Modern;Mathematics;Measures;Melanoma And Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer;Methods;Molecular Disease;Mother Cells;Mutagens;Nematoda;Nematodes;Organ;Organism;Performance;Phase;Phenotype;Physiologic;Physiological;Progenitor Cells;Programs (Pt);Programs [publication Type];Reading;Research;Research Resources;Resources;Sbir;Sbirs (R43/44);Science;Sepharose;Skin Cancer;Skin Cancer, Including Melanoma;Small Business Innovation Research;Small Business Innovation Research Grant;Stem Cells;Students;Subcellular Process;Sun/Ultra-Violet Rays;Txt;Technology;Temperature;Text;The Sun;Tobacco;Uv Radiation;Ultraviolet Rays;United States;Validation;Water;Adult Human (21+);Base;Climate Change;College;Design;Designing;Environment Effect On Gene;Environmental Agent;Experiment;Experimental Research;Experimental Study;Gene Environment Interaction;Genetic Disorder;Genotoxic Agent;Global Climate Change;Hereditary Disorder;High School;Human Disease;Instrument;Lectures;Literacy;Living System;Meetings;New Technology;Novel;Programs;Prototype;Public Health Relevance;Research Study;Roundworm;Science Education;Simulation;Skills;Teacher;Trend;Ultraviolet Light;Ultraviolet Radiation
